Olaf Anthony Danielson – Merchant Navy, S.S. Brinkburn

Cook Olaf Anthony Danielson – Merchant Navy, S.S. Brinkburn

Early Life

Olaf Anthony Danielson was born in 1919 in Swansea, the son of Trygve Marius Danielsen and Martha Rubina Figg, who had married in 1919 in Neath.

Family 

1921 Census

The 1921 Census records the Danielson family living at 149 Rhyddings Terrace, Swansea. Olaf’s father, Trygve Marius Danielsen, aged 23 and born in Norway, was recorded as a Clerk, though unemployed at the time, having previously worked for Coal Shippers. His mother, Martha Rubina, aged 26, was at home caring for their young son, Olaf Anthony, then aged 2. Also present in the household was Kenneth George Figg, aged 12, Olaf’s maternal uncle. The census reflects a young family with strong ties to both Swansea and Norway.

Marriage

In 1942, Olaf married Olive Pritchard in Swansea. At the time of his service, their home address was 27 Gerald Street, Swansea, as recorded in the Merchant Seamen Deaths register.

Service in the Merchant Navy

Olaf served with the Merchant Navy as a Cook, a vital role responsible for feeding the crew and maintaining morale aboard ship—particularly important during long and dangerous wartime voyages. He served aboard the S.S. Brinkburn, a British steam merchant ship operating during the height of the Battle of the Atlantic.

Sinking of the S.S. Brinkburn – 21^st June 1943

S.S. Brinkburn 
credit - wrecksite

The S.S. Brinkburn was a 4,737‑ton British steam merchant ship, built in 1924 by William Gray & Co. Ltd., West Hartlepool, and operated by R. Ropner & Co. Ltd. Throughout the Second World War, she transported essential cargoes across the Atlantic and around the British Isles—routes made increasingly hazardous by persistent German U‑boat activity.

On 21^st June 1943, while sailing independently from Loch Ewe to Halifax, the Brinkburn was attacked in the North Atlantic by the German submarine U‑338. The U‑boat fired a torpedo that struck the vessel with devastating force. The explosion caused catastrophic structural damage, and the ship sank rapidly, giving the crew almost no chance to escape.

All 40 men on board were lost, including Cook Olaf Anthony Danielson of Swansea. No survivors or wreckage were ever recovered. The sinking occurred during a period when U‑boat operations were still inflicting heavy losses on Allied merchant shipping, despite improving convoy protection. The total loss of the vessel and her crew stands as a stark reminder of the dangers faced by Merchant Navy personnel during the Battle of the Atlantic.

Death and Commemoration

Merchant Seamen Deaths

Olaf Anthony Danielson
Tower Hill Memorial
credit - Benjidog Histroical Research Resources.
The Merchant Navy Memorial

According to the Merchant Seamen Deaths register, Cook Olaf Anthony Danielson, of 27 Gerald Street, Swansea, lost his life on 21^st June 1943 when the Brinkburn was sunk. As he has no known grave, his name is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial, London, which honours the thousands of Merchant Navy personnel who died at sea during both world wars