John James Hancock – Merchant Navy, M.V. British Liberty

Able Seaman John James Hancock – Merchant Navy, M.V. British Liberty

Early Life

John James Hancock was born in 1924 in Swansea. He was the son of Thomas John Hancock and Catherine Hancock, of Port Tennant, a community closely tied to the docks and the maritime trades that shaped the city’s identity.

No official birth or census records for John have survived, a reminder of how easily the traces of ordinary lives could be lost during the upheavals of the early twentieth century. What remains is the record of his service—and his sacrifice.

Service in the Merchant Navy

John served with the Merchant Navy during the Second World War, holding the rank of Able Seaman aboard the M.V. British Liberty. Merchant seafarers like John played a crucial role in sustaining Britain’s wartime supply lines, often sailing through waters heavily mined or patrolled by enemy submarines.

The M.V. British Liberty

M.V. British Liberty was a British‑registered motor tanker of 8,485 gross register tons, built to transport crude oil across long ocean routes. At the outbreak of war, tankers became some of the most vulnerable ships at sea. Their cargoes were vital to the Allied war effort, yet their flammability meant that any explosion was likely to be catastrophic.

In early January 1940, British Liberty was carrying a full load of crude oil from Haifa to Dunkerque, navigating the increasingly dangerous waters of the English Channel.

Loss of the M.V. British Liberty – 7^th January 1940

On 7^th January 1940, while sailing four miles northeast of the Dyck Lightvessel, British Liberty struck a British mine. The explosion tore through the tanker with devastating force, igniting her cargo and causing the vessel to sink rapidly.

In total, 25 crew members lost their lives in the disaster. Able Seaman John James Hancock, only sixteen years old, was among those killed.

Death and Commemoration

Merchant Seamen Deaths

John James Hancock
Tower Hill Memorial
credit - Benjidog Histroical Research Resources.
The Merchant Navy Memorial

The Merchant Seamen Deaths records note that John’s last known address was: 292 Danygraig Road, St. Thomas, Swansea.

As he has no known grave, his name is inscribed on the Tower Hill Memorial, London. The memorial honours the thousands of Merchant Navy personnel who died at sea during both world wars and whose final resting place is the ocean itself.