Rees Arthur French – Merchant Navy, S.S. Ulea

Steward Rees Arthur French – Merchant Navy, S.S. Ulea

Early Life

Charles French and Sarah Jane Morris
marriage certificate
St. John Juxta, Swansea

Rees Arthur French was born in 1898 in Swansea, the son of Charles French and Sarah Jane Morris, who married in 1891 at St. John Juxta, Swansea.

1901 Census

The 1901 Census records the family living at 6 Burrows Place, St. Thomas, Swansea. Charles, aged 31 and born in Yorkshire, was working as a Dock Labourer, while Sarah Jane, aged 26, cared for their young family. Their children at that time were Amy (8), John H. (5), William (4), Rees A. (2), and baby Elizabeth H., just one month old.

1911 Census

By the 1911 Census, the family had moved to 181 Morfa Terrace, Landore, Swansea. Charles, now 41, was employed as a Timber Preserver for Railway Sleepers, and Sarah Jane, aged 36, was recorded at home. Their children included Amy (18), working at the Ton Works; John Henry (15), assisting in timber preservation; William (14); Rees Arthur (12); Elizabeth Hannah (10); Esther (8); Charles Edward (6); David George (4); Rachel Rose (2); and Mary Margaret Emma Clementia (1).

Marriage and Early Adulthood

In 1920, Rees Arthur married Elizabeth Hart.

1921 Census

The 1921 Census shows the extended Hart and French families living together at 25 Ann Street, Swansea. Elizabeth’s parents, Michael Hart (50), a Stoker in the Mercantile Marine, and Margaret Hart (45), a Marine Stores Sorter, were both out of work at the time. Several of their children—Michael (18), Norah (16), Catherine (14), Daniel (11), Helen (9), and Jeremiah (5)—were also present.

Rees Arthur, aged 22, was recorded as a Ship’s Cook, Mercantile Marine, though currently unemployed. His wife Elizabeth (21) and their infant son Charles, just one month old, were also living in the household.

Service in the Merchant Navy

Rees Arthur continued his maritime career and later served as a Steward in the Merchant Navy. His recorded address at the time of his death was 1 Pant Street, Port Tennant, placing him firmly within the Swansea community where he had lived his entire life.

S.S. Ulea 
credit - wrecksite

He served aboard the S.S. Ulea, a British cargo steamer operating during the height of the Second World War, when German U‑boats posed a constant threat to Allied shipping.

Loss of the S.S. Ulea – 28^th October 1941

The S.S. Ulea was a British cargo steamer of 1,574 tons, built in 1936. On 28^th October 1941, she was sailing from Huelva to Oban, carrying a cargo of 2,393 tons of copper pyrites, a valuable mineral used in wartime industry.

During this voyage, the Ulea was sighted by the German submarine U‑432. The U‑boat launched a torpedo attack that struck the vessel with devastating force. The explosion caused catastrophic damage, and the Ulea began to sink rapidly. With little time to abandon ship, many of the crew were lost in the attack.

Of the 28 people on board, 19 were killed, including Steward Rees Arthur French. Only nine survivors were rescued, picked up by HMS Bluebell and HMCS La Malouine.

The loss of the Ulea was one of many tragedies suffered by the Merchant Navy during the Battle of the Atlantic, when ships carrying essential supplies faced relentless danger from German U‑boats.

Death and Commemoration

Merchant Seamen Deaths

Rees Arthur French
Tower Hill Memorial, London
credit - Benjidog Historical Research Resources
The Merchant Navy Memorial 

According to the Merchant Seamen Deaths register, Steward Rees Arthur French, of 1 Pant Street, Port Tennant, lost his life on 28^th October 1941 when the S.S. Ulea 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.