In memory of James Alexander Dadds
James Alexander Dadds grew up with his brothers Graham and Wilfred and sister Violet. His parents were William and Florence Dadds. By 1942 Florence was widowed and living at Stone Cottage in Llewelyn Circle, just off Pen-y-Graig Road on the way up to Townhill.
Jim studied at Dynevor Secondary School and Swansea Technical College before becoming an apprentice at the Newport and South Wales Tube Works in Landore. He worshipped at Wesleyan chapels and helped run the Scouts and other youth groups.
When the Second World War broke out, Jim was working in South America for Cable & Wireless Ltd. He could have stayed there, but broke his contract to contribute to the war effort. The ship he boarded to return to Europe was torpedoed during the voyage. He survived that, and a second torpedoing.
He qualified as second engineer aged 26. On 19 November 1942 he left New York as part of a trans-Atlantic convoy on the ship SS Ocean Crusader, which was laden with goods for Britain. This was one of the 60 original Liberty ships, built in the USA to aid the war effort. It had been completed on 13 November, six days before departure. The convoy became scattered because of atrocious winter weather on the ocean, and on 26 November the Ocean Crusader was sunk by the German submarine U-262 off St Johns, Newfoundland.
There were no survivors. Jim, who was 26 years old, is commemorated on the Merchant Navy’s Tower Hill Memorial in London.
During the war Graham was invalided out of the RAF, Wilfred was an army sergeant and Violet worked in the Swansea electricity department.
With thanks to Ron Tovey