On Tower Hill Memorial is the name of Chief Officer Thomas Henry Smelt Anderson serving on S.S. Sheaf Mount (Newcastle upon Tyne) with the Merchant Navy who died 24/08/1942.
He was the son of Gordon Palmer Anderson and Dorothy Murray Anderson and the husband of Elsie Anderson, of Monkwearmouth, Sunderland, Co. Durham.
Thomas Henry Smelt Anderson, known as Harry, was born September 28th 1914.
In 1939 the family were living at 5 Dartford Road, Fulwell, His father Gordon, born 1885, was a Manager of a Wholesale Waste Paper Company. His mother Dorothy was born 1890. Harry was a Confectioner and Paper Merchant.
Harry married Elsie Hay in 1941.
The Sunderland Echo 07/09/1942 reports:-
ROLL OF HONOUR. ANDERSON.—Lost at sea through enemy action, in August. 1942, Harry Anderson (chief officer. M.N.) dearly husband of Elsie (nee Hay), of 13 Dundas Street, and only son of Mr and Mrs Gordon Anderson, of 5 Dartford Road, Sunderland. Deeply mourned.
The Sunderland Echo 27/05/1947 reports:-
Dedicated to Only Son
Five years ago—on August 24th the Newcastle steamer Sheafmount was making way through fog bank off Newfoundland coast. In the officers’ cabin Chief Officer Harry Anderson (28), only son of Mr and Mrs Gordon Anderson, of Dartford Road, Fulwell was joking with fellow officers. The captain had just put head round the door to ask what the joke was when a torpedo hit the ship. Chief Officer Anderson and his captain raced across the deck to look to the safety of the life-boats. Then the boilers burst and they were never seen again. It was Mr Anderson’s 12th voyage.
DEDICATION. On Trinity Sunday (June 1) Bishop J.L. Wilson, former Vicar of St. Andrew’s, Roker and present Bishop of St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Singapore, will dedicate in the cathedral a chalice and paten, given by his parents, to the memory of Chief Officer Anderson. The information was contained in a letter from Bishop Wilson.
To-day Mr and Mrs Anderson told Sunderland Echo reporter: “Our son took the place of the Chief Officer of the Sheaf Mount who came ashore for an operation. He had told us he thought everything was going to be all right this voyage.”
In memory of their son they have had the chalice and paten copied in the form of a portrait which hangs on their bedroom wall.
Thomas Henry Smelt Anderson is remembered at Newcastle on NUT015, at Roker R50.02, R50.10 and R50.11, at Sunderland S140.159 and in our List of Ships’ Crews.
