Ernest John Haywood – Merchant Navy, S.S. British General

Assistant Steward Ernest John Haywood – Merchant Navy, S.S. British General

A Swansea‑Born Merchant Seaman of the Second World War

Ernest John Haywood was born in Swansea in 1924, part of a generation whose youth was overshadowed by the gathering storm of global conflict. As he reached adulthood, he entered service with the Merchant Navy, taking up the role of Assistant Steward aboard the S.S. British General.

S.S. British General: A Tanker in Dangerous Waters

S.S. British General

The S.S. British General was operated by the British Tanker Company, one of the many oil‑carrying vessels whose wartime role was both essential and perilous. Tankers were slow, highly flammable, and prime targets for German U‑boats. Their cargo—fuel—was the lifeblood of Britain’s war effort, powering convoys, aircraft, and naval operations. Without ships like the British General, the machinery of war would have faltered.

Conditions aboard such vessels were harsh. Crews sailed under blackout, often isolated, and always aware that a single torpedo could ignite their cargo and leave little chance of survival. By 1940, as U‑boat activity intensified, tankers faced some of the highest casualty rates in the Merchant Navy.

Loss at Sea and Commemoration

Merchant Seamen Deaths

According to the Merchant Seamen Deaths records, Ernest lost his life on 6^th October 1940, when the

Ernest John Haywood
Tower Hill Memorial
credit - Benjidog Histroical Research Resources.
The Merchant Navy Memorial

 S.S. British General was sunk during the early and deadly phase of the Battle of the Atlantic. Like so many of his fellow seafarers, he has no known grave. His name is inscribed on the Tower Hill Memorial, ensuring that his service and sacrifice remain part of the nation’s collective memory.