Myron Llewellyn – Merchant Navy, S.S. Empire Amethyst

Cabin Boy Myron Llewellyn – Merchant Navy, S.S. Empire Amethyst

Early Life and Family Background

Merchant Seamen Deaths

Myron Llewellyn was born in 1924 in Swansea, the son of Thomas Llewellyn and Elizabeth Ann Hodge. No census records survive that document his early years, and much of his childhood remains unrecorded. What is known places him firmly within the close‑knit communities of Swansea’s eastern districts. According to the Merchant Seamen Deaths register, Myron was recorded as residing at Llanarch Stores, Bonymaen, Swansea, at the time of his service.

Merchant Navy Service

Myron served with the Merchant Navy, holding the rank of Cabin Boy, one of the youngest and most junior roles aboard ship. Cabin Boys assisted the stewards, supported the crew in domestic duties, and often began their maritime careers at a very early age. Myron was among those young men who stepped forward during the war to serve at sea despite the extreme dangers faced by merchant vessels.

The S.S. Empire Amethyst

The S.S. Empire Amethyst was a British steam tanker of 8,023 tons, built in 1941 to support Britain’s wartime fuel supply. On 23 January 1942, during an earlier voyage, she rescued five survivors from the Norwegian vessel Innerøy, which had been sunk by U‑553, and safely landed them at Halifax. This act of rescue highlights the dual role of merchant ships during the war: delivering vital cargoes while also responding to the tragedies unfolding across the Atlantic.

Myron Llewellyn
Tower Hill Memorial
credit - Benjidog Histroical Research Resources.
The Merchant Navy Memorial

The Final Voyage and Loss of the Ship

On 13 April 1942, the Empire Amethyst was sailing independently from New Orleans to Freetown, carrying 12,000 tons of clean oil, a highly flammable and strategically essential cargo. During this passage she was torpedoed by the German submarine U‑154. The attack was catastrophic. The tanker was destroyed with the loss of all on board: the master, 40 crew members, and six gunners. Among those who perished was Cabin Boy Myron Llewellyn, whose youth makes his loss particularly poignant.

Commemoration

With no known grave but the sea, Cabin Boy Myron Llewellyn 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—made at so young an age—are not forgotten.