More information : Ex. SCHELDESOP; ex. HARLEY; ex. BROMLEY.
Stranded Saltwick Nab. (1)
This steamship struck the Saltwick Nab in heavy weather. The lifeboat, called out in answer to her SOS, attempted to get alongside, but on approaching the steamship, struck the bottom, hurling her coxswain James Murfield head first into the binnacle, and sending two crewmen overboard, who drowned. Six men from the wreck lost their lives in attempting to get ashore on a raft, and the local Rocket Brigade managed to get a line across the ship at 5am, rescuing the remaining four crewmen. (2)
Source (2) gives the date of loss as 03-FEB-1940, (1) as 05-FEB-1940.
NB: There are two consecutive entries with the same date of loss for this vessel in the Shipwreck Index of the British Isles (2) under the names of CHARLES and BROMLEY, respectively giving the gross tonnage as 563 and 565.
Two crew members of Whitby lifeboat died during attempts to rescue the crew, and became the first lifeboatmen to die in WW2. (3)
A Silver Medal was awarded to the mechanic and Bronze Medals to the crew of the Whitby lifeboat, two posthumously, for a service to the wrecked steamer Charles. A huge wave threw two crew out of the lifeboat and badly injured the coxswain. Crew members John Dryden and Christopher Wale were the first members of a lifeboat crew to be lost during the war. (4)
Built as British vessel BROMLEY, 1904 for the Commercial Gas Co.; HARLEY 1926 (Harrisons, London); SCHELDESOP 1927 (T. Nolson); CHARLES 1930 (L Hermans). 565 tons.
Wrecked in 54 29.24N 000 35.00W on 03-FEB-1940. (5)
Built: 1904 (2)(5)
Builder: W Dobson and Co. (2)(5)
Where Built: Newcastle-upon-Tyne (2); Low Walker (5)
Propulsion: Screw-driven, 3-cylinder triple-expansion engine (2)
HP: 90 (2)
Boilers: 1 (2)
Machinery: J P Rennoldson and Sons, South Shields (2)
Construction: bridge-deck 29ft; forecastle 16ft (2)
Official Number: 118482 (when in British ownership) (6)
Crew: 10 (2)
Crew Lost: 6 (2)
Owner: Armament L Hermans Societe Anonyme (2)(6)
Date of Loss Qualifier: Actual date of loss
Additional sources cited in Shipwreck Index of the British Isles:
LCR.1940 p10(f); LR.1938-9 No.72017(C); GEC.p15; SYC.p3
|