David Graham Isaac – Merchant Navy, S.S. Empire Wagtail

Able Seaman David Graham Isaac – Merchant Navy, S.S. Empire Wagtail

Early Life and Family Background

David Graham Isaac 

David Graham Isaac was born in 1909 in Swansea, the son of David John Isaac and Gwenllian Thomas, who had married in 1908.

1911 Census

At the time of the 1911 Census, the Isaac family were living at 3 Waters Terrace, Tycoch Road, Sketty, where David John, aged 25, worked as a Tramway Conductor, and Gwenllian, also 25, kept the home. Their young family consisted of David Graham, aged 2; Ada Robina, aged 12 months; and Vera Alexandra, just two weeks old.

The Isaac Family in 1921

1921 Census

By the 1921 Census, the family had moved to Kimberley Road, Sketty, where the economic pressures of the post‑war years were evident. David John, now 35, was recorded as a Barrowman at the Blast Furnace at Baldwins Henalite Works, Landore, though he was out of work at the time. Gwenllian, aged 36, remained at home with their children. David Graham, aged 12; Ada Robina, aged 11; and Iris Louvain, aged 6, were all attending school, while the youngest child, Olive Linda, aged 3, was still at home.

Marriage and Adult Life

David Graham Isaac and Annie Elizabeth Booth
marriager certificate
St. Jude's Church, Swansea

In 1929, David married Annie Elizabeth Booth at St Jude’s Church, Swansea, and his occupation at the time was recorded as Able Seaman, reflecting a seafaring career already underway. His later address, 8 Bryn Road, Fforestfach, shows that he remained closely connected to Swansea throughout his adult life, even as his work took him far from home.

Service in the Merchant Navy

S.S. Empire Wagtail
credit - wrecksite

During the Second World War, David Graham Isaac served with the Merchant Navy, holding the rank of Able Seaman aboard the S.S. Empire Wagtail. Able Seamen formed the backbone of a ship’s crew, undertaking essential duties on deck and contributing directly to the vessel’s safety and operation. His service placed him among the thousands of civilian mariners who kept Britain supplied during the conflict, often sailing through waters threatened by U‑boats, mines, and air attack.

History and Loss of the S.S. Empire Wagtail

The Empire Wagtail was a British cargo steamer of 4,893 tons, built in 1919 as the American Ossining for the U.S. Shipping Board at Tacoma. In 1933, she was renamed Point Lobos for the Gulf Pacific Mail Line of San Francisco. In 1941, she was transferred to Britain under wartime arrangements and renamed Empire Wagtail by the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT).

Her final voyage began in December 1942. On 28 December 1942, while sailing in Convoy ONS‑154 from Cardiff to Belfast Lough, and onward to Halifax and Boston, carrying 3,857 tons of coal, she was torpedoed by the German submarine U‑260 approximately 900 miles west of Cape Finisterre. The attack was devastating, and the ship was lost with heavy casualties. The master, 35 crew members, and eight gunners all perished, leaving no survivors.

Death and Commemoration

Merchant Seamen Deaths

David Graham Isaac
Tower Hill Memorial
credit - Benjidog Histroical Research Resources.
The Merchant Navy Memorial

Isaac Family Grave
Bethel Congregational Chapel, Sketty credit - findagrave

According to the Merchant Seamen Deaths records, David Graham Isaac, of 8 Bryn Road, Fforestfach, lost his life on 28 December 1942 during the sinking of the Empire Wagtail. With no known grave, his name is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial in London, which honours the thousands of Merchant Navy personnel who died at sea during both world wars. He is also remembered locally, where his name is inscribed on his parents’ grave at Bethel Congregational Chapel, Sketty, ensuring that his sacrifice is marked both nationally and within the community that shaped his life.