During WW1, the number of overseas seafarers grew as the British men were called up to fight and many African, West Indian, Arabian and Asian seamen were hired to fill the jobs.
319 overseas seafarers that lost their lives to U-Boat attacks in WW1 were shown as having lodgings in the many boarding houses in the Butetown and Tiger Bay areas. More than two-thirds of these were employed in the engine room. This chart shows onboard roles broken down regionally by place of birth.