In South Shields (Harton) Cemetery is a headstone [Type 2}, maintained by the Commonwealth War Grave Commission on behalf of the Ministry of Defence as a non-war headstone which reads:-

H.M. Wells
First Engineer Officer
S.S. ‘Dartford’
26th May 1942

[One of thirteen WW2 Merchant Navy non war dead looked after by the CWGC in this cemetery].

Harold Harry Mead Wells was born on the 7th May 1877 at Ilford, died 26th May 1942, he was the third eldest son of 5 children to father James Wells, born 1848, and his wife Martha T. Wells, born 1850. They were married in 1871.

The other children were:-

• Lancelot James Mead Wells, born 1874, and baptised 7th June 1874. He married Mabel Brown, born 1879, on 7th July 1900, at St Edward the Confessor Church, Romford, Essex. in 1911. Lancelot and Mabel were residing, with their son, Robert James Wells, born 1902, at 20, Corinne Road, Tufnell Park N, and Lancelot was a Brewer’s Clerk. Lancelot James Mead Wells died, aged 47, on 3rd June 1921, and is buried at Highgate Cemetery East, London. Mabel Wells died on 18th February 1928 and is buried at St. Michael’s Churchyard, Berechurch, Colchester.
• Ethel Pattie Mead Wells, born 1875, and baptised 26th September 1875, she married Leonard Davis, baptised 25th October 1874, on 19th August 1905, in Romford, Essex; Leonard Davis died, and was buried on, 17th September 1931, at Havering-atte-Bower, London. Ethel Pattie Mead Davis died, aged 68, in 1944, in Romford, Essex.
• Leonard Mead Wells, born November 1879, and baptised 30th December 1879, he married Agnes Beatrice Davis, born 12th December 1877, on the 25th February 1900, in Romford, Essex. Leonard enlisted in the Royal Garrison Artillery as a Gunner, service number 163960, and he died of wounds on 16th April 1918, and is buried at Mendinghem Military Cemetery, Proven, Arrondissement Ieper, West Flanders, Belgium. Leonard served in the 541 (Lydd) Independent Siege Battery at Lydd in the UK. Leonard and Agnes had two children, Leslie William Montague Wells, born 14th November 1902, and Eugenie Margery, born 20th May 1907. They were residing at 2 Knighton Road, Romford, Essex. Agnes Beatrice Wells died, aged 93, in 1971, in Brentwood, Essex.
• Roland Richard Mead Wells, born 7th December 1887; he married Miriam Sarah Annie Boswell, born 5th September 1887, on 16th March 1912, at St. James Church, Forest Gate, Essex. Roland was initiated into the Yarborough Lodge of the Freemasons on 17th October 1918, and his occupation was with the Midland Railway. Roland and Miriam had a daughter, Miriam Beatrice Boswell Wells, born 29th September 1913. Miriam Sarah Annie Wells died on 9th May 1947, in Sheffield; Roland Richard Mead Wells died 17th January 1967, in Hampshire.

Harold Harry Mead Wells trained to be a Marine Engineer.

In 1891, they were residing at 152 Iveston Park, at Haringey, Middlesex, London. By 1911, they were residing at 46 Mallaby Street, Claughton, Cheshire.

Harold married Maud Marion nee Balston, Wells, born 1st July 1878, in 1905 at Edmonton. They had five children.

• Frederick Vye Wells, born Edmonton, 30th December 1905, baptised 4th March 1906, he married Dora Margaret Berringer, born 18th April 1908, in 1931, in Dover, Kent. Dora Margaret Wells died 16th June 1991, in Whitstable, Kent. Frederick Vye Wells died, aged 86, in 1992, in Canterbury, Kent.
• Edna Marion Wells, born Birkenhead, 29th January 1911, baptised 3rd May 1911, in St James Church, Birkenhead, England. She married John Colton Foster, 25th November 1897, in 1954, in Hendon, Middlesex. John Colton Foster enlisted as a Private in the Hampshire Regiment, service numbers 355254, 461. John Colton Foster died, aged 81, on 2nd January 1979, in Bournemouth, Dorset. Edna Marion Foster died on 25th June 1994, and is buried at Plumstead Cemetery, Greenwich, London.
• Harold James Wells, born Birkenhead 28th December 1914; he married Edith Joan Daniel, born 26th August 1915, on 9th September 1939 at St Stephens Church, Clapham Park, Lambeth.
• Eileen Alice Wells, born Barrow in Furness, 10th April 1917. In 1921, she was residing at 86 Salthouse Road Barrow in Furness, by 1939, she was residing at 42A Whickham Road, Brockley, South London, she was a private secretary for a Far [sic} Company.
• Jean Maud Wells, born Barrow in Furness, 6th December 1918. In 1921, she was residing at 86 Salthouse Road Barrow in Furness, by 1939, she was residing at 42A Whickham Road, Brockley, South London, and was a Chartered Accountant assistant.

Harold Harry Mead Wells, the father was in the Mercantile Marine just after WW1. He was in  the crew of the SS Brant County, later called the Lennep, ship number 143385,  from August 1919.

By 1921, they were residing at 68 Salthouse Road, Barrow in Furness moving from Birkenhead.

Harold died as a result of an accident at the Golden Lion Hotel, King Street, South Shields. Inquest held by police. He was residing at 42A Whickham Road, Brockley, South London.

A verdict of ‘Accidental Death’ was recorded by the South Shields Coroner, [29th May 1942], Mr W. M. Patterson, at an inquest on a 65 years old ships’ chief engineer, Harold M. Wells, of Whickham Road, Brockley, London, who died after being found laying at the foot of a flight of stairs in the Golden Lion Hotel, South Shields. He had taken a room on the top floor of the Hotel and apparently had fallen over the banister.

At 06.12 hours on the 12th June 1942 the Dartford, ship number 162500, (Master Samuel Bulmer) in convoy ONS-100 was torpedoed and sunk by U-124, commanded by Korvettenkapitän Johann Mohr, south of Cape Race. The master, 25 crew members and four gunners were lost. 14 crew members and three gunners were picked up by the British rescue ship Gothland, ship number 137084, (Master James Murray Hadden, OBE), and landed at Halifax on the 17th June. [This is the ship that Harold had signed on for as a Crew member].

Source: The James Hoy Archive: Billy McGee; Merchant Navy Association; The British Newspaper Archive; Jennifer Stephenson;

Harold Harry Mead Wells is remembered on our List of Ships’ Crews.