Memorial Bristol Boy Seamen

Since the unveiling of the Bristol Seamen Memorial, the Bristol Branch of the Merchant Navy Association have invited anyone who wants to remember a seafarer from Bristol to have a brass plaque placed on the seating around the memorial.

One such special plaque is to the 'Boy' Seamen from the Bristol area.

"Merchant Navy Association
Bristol Branch
This plaque is in memory
of boys aged 16 yrs and under and all those unknown
from Bristol and District who were killed in WW1 & WW11
whilst serving in the Merchant Navy"

WW1
William Joseph Clements. Deck Boy. H.M.H.S. Llandovery Castle (London). Mercantile Marine. Died 27 Jun 1918. Aged 16. Commemorated Tower Hill Memorial.
Benjamin Hobbs. Deck Boy. H.M.H.S. Llandovery Castle. (London). Mercantile Marine. Died 27 Jun 1918. Aged 15. Commemorated Tower Hill Memorial.
James Gilbert Long. Deck Boy. H.M.H.S. Llandovery Castle (London). Mercantile Marine. Died 27 Jun 1918. Aged 16. Commemorated Tower Hill Memorial.
Charles David Rees. Mess Room Steward. S.S. Tringa (Cork). Mercantile Marine. Died 27 Nov 1915. Aged 15. Commemorated Tower Hill Memorial
Sydney Miles Williams. Apprentice. S.S. Clan Farquhar (Glasgow). Mercantile Marine. Died 26 Feb 1917. Aged 16. Commemorated Tower Hill Memorial.

WWII
Arthur John Beames. Deck Boy. M.V. Ardenvohr (London). Merchant Navy. Died 10 Jun 1942. Aged 15. Commemorated Tower Hill Memorial.
Dennis John Francis Claridge. Deck Boy. S.S. Toronto City (Bristol) Merchant Navy. Died 2 Jul 1941. Aged 16. Commemorated Tower Hill Memorial.
Francis Roger Cridland. Deck Boy. M.V. Brittany (Liverpool) Merchant Navy. Died 30 Oct 1942. Aged 16. Commemorated Tower Hill Memorial.
Kenneth James Dumble. Galley Boy. M.V. Empire Stanley (Greenock). Merchant Navy. Died 17 Aug 1943. Aged 15. Commemorated Tower Hill Memorial.
Bernard Roy Noel Fitzgerald. Ordinary Seaman. S.S. Ciscar (London). Merchant Navy. Died 19 Aug 19141. Aged 16. Commemorated Tower Hill Memorial.
Arthur Thomas Alfred Hudd. Pantry Boy. S.S. Empire Mica (Middlesbrough). Merchant Navy. Died 29 Jun 1942. Aged 16. Commemorated Tower Hill Memorial
Victor C. Leech. Deck Boy. S.S. Box Hill (London) Merchant Navy. Died 31 Dec 1939. Aged 16. Commemorated Tower Hill Memorial.
Albert Charles O' Reilly. Cook. S.S. Polyktor (Greece) Merchant Navy. Died 6 Feb 1943. Commemorated Tower Hill Memorial.
Jack Leslie Takle. Deck Boy. S.S. Matina (Liverpool) Merchant Navy. Died 24 Oct 1940. Aged 15. Commemorated Tower Hill Memorial.
Herbert Charles Edward Tippett. Deck Boy. S.S. Lapwing (London) Merchant Navy. Died 26 Sep 1941. Aged 15. Commemorated Tower Hill Memorial.

H.M.H.S. Llandovery Castle was a Union Castle Liner built in 1914 that was converted into a Canadian Hospital ship in 1916. On the 27 June 1918 she on her way from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Liverpool when she was torpedoed by U86 off southern Ireland. On realising his error, the U-boat captain attempted to kill all survivors, Only 25 personnel survived with the loss of 234 including doctors and nurses and a total of 8 'boys' under the age of 16, the worst Canadian naval disaster of WW1.
At the wars end this action became one of 6 alleged German War crimes that was prosecuted at the Leipzig trials with 3 officers being tried.

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Source

• Text: Sharky Ward
• Photos: Anthony (Sharky) Ward