Albert Edmund Morris Long – Merchant Navy, S.S. Lancastrian Prince

Donkeyman Albert Edmund Morris Long – Merchant Navy, S.S. Lancastrian Prince

Early Life

Merchant Seamen Deaths

Albert Edmund Morris Long was born in 1925 in Swansea. Very few personal records survive concerning his early life or family circumstances, and much of his story is preserved only through the wartime documentation relating to his service at sea. According to the Merchant Seamen Deaths register, Albert was recorded as residing in Porthcawl at the time of his service.

Merchant Navy Service

Albert served with the Merchant Navy, holding the rank of Donkeyman, a skilled and physically demanding engine‑room role responsible for operating auxiliary machinery, maintaining pumps and equipment, and supporting the smooth running of the ship’s engineering systems. His work formed an essential part of the ship’s daily operations, particularly during the hazardous wartime voyages undertaken by British merchant vessels.

The S.S. Lancastrian Prince

S.S. Lancastrian Prince
credit - wrecksite

The S.S. Lancastrian Prince was a British cargo steamer of 1,914 tons, built in 1940. She was one of the many merchant ships constructed during the early years of the war to replace the heavy losses inflicted by German U‑boats. On 11 April 1943, the Lancastrian Prince was on passage from Partington and the Mersey to Boston and/or St John (New Brunswick), sailing in ballast across the North Atlantic.

Albert Edward Morris Long
Tower Hill Memorial
credit - Benjidog Histroical Research Resources.
The Merchant Navy Memorial

The Final Voyage and Loss of the Ship

During this voyage, the Lancastrian Prince was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U‑404. The attack was devastating and left no survivors. All 45 crew members were lost, including Donkeyman Albert Edmund Morris Long, whose duties placed him deep within the ship’s machinery spaces at the time of the attack. His death forms part of the heavy toll borne by the Merchant Navy during the height of the Battle of the Atlantic.

Commemoration

With no known grave but the sea, Donkeyman Albert Edmund Morris Long is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial, London. His name stands among those of thousands of Merchant Navy personnel who gave their lives during the Second World War, ensuring that his service and sacrifice are remembered.