In May 2024, while wandering around the Bayeux War Cemetery I noticed an unusual grave. I hadn’t gone looking for anyone in particular but just having driven over from Arras and having checked into my hotel I wanted to stretch my legs so walked the 10 minutes up to the cemetery.

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The grave which attracted my attention was the final resting place of a JH Smith, a Donkeyman on the SS Claudius Magnin with the date of death the 21 November to 18 December 1944. It also has a lovely inscription on the bottom ‘Out of the mosaic of memory here lies precious piece.’

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​The grave in Bayeux Cemetery

Plot II, Row B, Grave 16 

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I’ve spent a lot more time in First War cemeteries than Second so wasn’t sure if this was something usual so, of course, I had to look into it.

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James Henry Smith was born in Southwark, London on 5 July 1913 to Edward and Mary Smith and was baptised on 15th July at St Mary Magdalane Church.

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Unfortunately, with the name James Smith and being in such a populated area it is not easy to find out much more information. It looks possible that on 9 October 1919 he entered Southwark workhouse aged 6.

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The next time it is possible to find James is the 1939 Register. He was living, with Mary, in Great Dover Street, Southwark and working as a Wharf Labourer. Mary is listed as a widow with the occupation unpaid domestic duties so it is likely that James was the main wage earner. There is a third person listed as living at in the same house but unfortunately the row is still restricted.

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The 1939 Register 

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We don’t know when James decided to join the Merchant Navy but living all his life round Southwark and the wharfs it seems like it was a logical choice for him. What we do know is James ended up serving on the SS Claudius Magnin.

The Claudius Magnin was originally a French ship, bult in 192. When the war started she was charted to perform war work. On 14 June 1940 she arrived in the docks at Port Talbot where on 17 July she was requisitioned to join the British Merchant Navy.

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Register for Shipping for Claudius Magnin

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The first trip was along the coast to Swansea for repairs to be carried out before properly starting work on 16 October 1940. The records look like the next few years were spent working up and down the coast between Leith or Grangemouth and London with regular stops along the way.

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At some point James joined the ship as a Donkeyman. A Donkeyman was someone who looked after the donkey engine, a small steam engine. This engine ran smaller things around the ship such as the winch. It seems like this took a certain level of skill and experience to keep the engine working.

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After the years of running up and down the East Coast of the UK, on 3 May 1944 the records have an entry which simply says ‘On Special Service’. There is no entry until the  1 December 1944 the Claudius Magnin made her first trip back across the channel. It then returned to Gravesend on the 2nd where it stayed before going to Portsmouth for some repairs which are not detailed.

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​From the Ship Register​​

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The CWGC and the Merchant Navy Record of Death of Merchant Seaman have James’s death listed as between the 21 November and 18 December but the Claudius Magnin is only listed as being in Arromanches for the one day before returning to Portsmouth for repairs on the 2 December. It is possible that whatever her ‘Special Services’ were put her going over to Normandy before this, repairs were needed so its clear something was happening.

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James is shown as dying of Myocardial Failure, heart failure, at the age of 31. The place of death is listed as Caen but there is no way to know where James died. He might have died on the Claudius Magnin but as Caen is listed as the place of death he might have been in one of the hospitals in Caen. Either way it seems rather strange that his actual data of death is not recorded.

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Record of Death of a Merchant Seaman ​

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We also do not know the date that he was buried in the Bayeux War Cemetery.

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The Claudis Magnin carried on with the Merchant Navy up and down the British east coast until was given back to the French on 20 July 1945.

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Unfortunately, there are no records for none service people in the Commonwealth War Graves Website and they did not respond to emails asking if they had any information. If anyone has anything they are willing to share please let me know.