Henry was the elder of two brothers who came to Wrekin College in 1932.

Career in the Merchant Navy

After completing his schooling, Henry joined the Merchant Navy. He made several significant voyages, travelling to distant destinations such as India and the Americas. His dedication and skill led him to obtain his second mate’s ticket in 1941, a notable achievement in his maritime career.

Service on the SS Solon II

Following his qualification, Henry served as Third Officer on the SS Solon II, a cargo steamer weighing 4,561 tons. This vessel, originally completed in 1925 as the French Solon for Cie de Navigation d’Orbigny of La Rochelle, had an eventful history. On 17^th July 1940, the ship was seized at Swansea by Britain and subsequently renamed Solon II by the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT).

The Final Voyage

On its final journey, the unescorted SS Solon II was transporting a cargo of manganese ore and 200 tons of special copper. At 23:56hrs on 3^rd December 1942, it was torpedoed by the German submarine U-508¹ and sank within just twenty seconds, north-east of Georgetown, British Guiana. Notably, the U-boat had initially spotted the vessel four hours earlier and had missed with its first torpedo at 21:08hrs.

Aftermath and Loss

Before departing the area, the German crew questioned Alexander Macfarlane, the fourth engineer, who was in the only lifeboat the crew managed to launch. The survivors endured a harrowing journey before finally making landfall at Weldad, situated twelve miles west of the River Berbice in British Guiana, on 7^th December. Of the eighty-two crew members aboard the SS Solon II, seventy-five, including Henry, were tragically lost.

Elder son of Revd H.R. Williams & Mrs Williams.
 

1. Sunk on 12^th November 1943 in the Bay of Biscay north of Cape Ortegal, Spain, by depth charges from a US Liberator aircraft (VB-103 USN/C). 57 dead (all hands lost).

A downloadable copy of this story is available here.

Revised: November 2025