Glyn Francis Lewis – Merchant Navy, S.S. Boston

Third Engineer Officer Glyn Francis Lewis – Merchant Navy, S.S. Boston

Early Life and Family Background

Glyn Francis Lewis was born in 1914 in Swansea, the son of David Francis Lewis and Martha Jane Grey, who married in 1916, also in Swansea. Martha had previously been married to Albert Hussey, who died in 1907, and she brought two children from that marriage into her new household.

1921 Census

The 1921 Census records the family living at 2 Oxford Terrace, Gendros, Fforestfach. David Francis Lewis was absent from the census return, but Martha Jane, aged 44, was recorded at home with her children. From her first marriage were Milton Phillip Hussey, aged 19, a Fitter and Turner formerly employed by Messrs Rd. Thomas & Co. Ltd., Tinplate Manufacturers, Swansea, though out of work at the time; and Eunice May Hussey, aged 17, a Junior Clerk employed by Wm. D. Rhos, Colliery Agent and Coal Controller. Her youngest child, Glyn Francis, aged 7, was attending school.

In 1938, Glyn married Henrietta E. Raddenbury, establishing his own home while remaining closely connected to the Swansea community.

Merchant Navy Service

Glyn later served with the Merchant Navy, rising to the rank of Third Engineer Officer, a technically demanding and responsible position involving the operation, maintenance, and safety of the ship’s engines and machinery. His service placed him among the many Swansea men who sailed through dangerous waters during the Second World War, ensuring the continued movement of vital supplies.

The S.S. Boston

The S.S. Boston was a 4,989‑ton steam passenger ship, operating on trans‑Atlantic routes during the war. Like many such vessels, she was vulnerable to U‑boat attack, particularly during the heightened submarine activity of 1942.

The Final Voyage and Loss of the Ship

On 25 September 1942, the Boston was torpedoed in the North Atlantic by German submarine U‑216, which fired three torpedoes at the vessel. The attack occurred at position 54° 23' N, 27° 54' W. Remarkably, no lives were lost in the initial sinking, and the survivors were rescued by the destroyer HMS Veteran.

However, tragedy followed swiftly. On the following day, 26 September 1942, HMS Veteran herself was sunk while escorting a convoy. Of all those rescued from the Boston, only two ultimately survived. Among the many who perished was Third Engineer Officer Glyn Francis Lewis, whose duties placed him deep within the ship’s machinery spaces during the attack.

Merchant Seamen Deaths

Glyn Francis Lewis
Tower Hill Memorial
credit - Benjidog Histroical Research Resources.
The Merchant Navy Memorial

According to the Merchant Seamen Deaths register, Third Engineer Officer Glyn Francis Lewis, of 81 New Houses, Carmarthen Road, Swansea, lost his life on 25 September 1942, following the sinking of the Boston. His death occurred during a period of intense U‑boat activity, when merchant ships were frequently targeted and sunk in the Atlantic and surrounding waters. Although the details of the sinking are not included in the surviving records here, the loss of the Boston formed part of the heavy toll suffered by the Merchant Navy during the mid‑war years.

Commemoration

With no known grave but the sea, Third Engineer Officer Glyn Francis Lewis is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial, London, where his name stands among those of thousands of Merchant Navy personnel who gave their lives during the Second World War. His story forms part of Swansea’s wider maritime heritage and reflects the profound sacrifice made by families across the city whose sons served at sea in Britain’s hour of need.