HMD SOUTH ESK

HMD South Esk

Drifter South Esk. Drawing W.Sadler

HMD South Esk. (No 2021) 07/07/1917

Displacement: 93 grt.

Length: 26.1 m. Beam: 5.6 m. Draught: 2.6 m.

Propulsion: Steam, 1 x boiler Triple Expansion Engine.

Machinery: J A Abernethy & Co. Aberdeen.

Complement: 9 officers and men.

Crew Lost: 4

Armament: 1 x 3pdr

Southesk was a steel steam drifter built by J. Duthie Torry Shipbuilding Co, Aberdeen in 1912 for Johnstone J. & Sons Ltd Montrose. Registered in Montrose with the fishing number ME-195.

Model of South Esk. Montrose Museum.

In 1915 Southesk was hired to the Royal Navy, and in documents and telegrams, the vessel appears to have been renamed South Esk. First used as a Boom Vessel but then as a minesweeper with pennant number 2021.

Painting of the drifter Southesk fishing . B Mearns

THE LOSS

On 7th July 1917 HMD South Esk, together with HMD Olive, and two other drifters, were conducting minesweeping operations east of Kirkwall. At 12.10 in the afternoon HMD South Esk and HMD Olive fouled their sweep between Stronsay and Auskerry. Eyewitnesses from the island of Stronsay said both drifters let go of the sweep which was then hauled in over the bow of HMD South Esk.

At 12.35 there was a ''terrific explosion'' right below South Esk and the bow was blown away. It is thought that maybe the sweepers had fouled 2 or more mines and these had detonated when they came in contact with each other.

The badly damaged vessel floated for about one and a half minutes before sinking, leaving four crew dead and five survivors.
The survivors were all injured and were taken to The Balfour Hospital in Kirkwall.

Auskerry Sound. Photo: Keith Rendall

UC-33

The mine or mines that sank HMD South Esk were from a line of six mines laid by UC 33 (Kptlt. Martin Schelle) on the night of 29th June 1917. (Minesperren 133a) These mines were laid in a line running north/south between Auskerry and Stronsay.

UC-33 KTB

A translation of the logbook (KTB) For UC 33 29/06/1917 states.............

Closed with a line of 6 mines, 200m apart, between Auskerry Island and Ingle Skerry, laid on course 0 deg, Auskerry Sound (Quadrat 125a 3) blocked.

U Boat grid chart showing square 125a highlighted.

The Wreck Today.

The wreck of HMD South Esk has not been located but is part of an ongoing project.

The Crew.

HMD South Esk Casualty List ADM 242/ 014 - National Archives

Aberdeen Press and Journal - Wednesday 18 July 1917

Photo: Guido Blokland

Angus McLean
Deck Hand - RNR 9019.A. (Ch)

Angus was just 19 when laid to rest in Lyness Cemetery. He was the only recovered body of four casualties when the Drifter HM South Esk struck a mine on 7th July 1917; his body found the following day. Angus was born on 12th March 1898 in Brue Barvas, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, to parents Alexander and Catherine. Standing at 5’9” tall, Angus had a dark complexion and grey eyes. His duty within the RNR was to be a deck hand for the duration of his service throughout the war, dispatched from Stornoway on 28th June 1916.
He joined HMS GATWICK (attached to the depot ship HMS Halcyon) on 25th July 1916, leaving HMS PEMBROKE the previous day. He remained with Gatwick until the end of 1916, returning to Pembroke for just over 2 months. He left the Chatham base on 12th March 1917 and joined HMD SOUTH ESK which was attached to HMS ZARIA, the Auxiliary Patrol depot ship in the Orkney Isles.
His Victory and British medals were sent to his father following his death.

Sources:
Royal Naval Reserve Service Records Index, 1860-1955 - National Archives
WWI Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923
Royal Navy and Royal Marine War Graves Roll, 1914-1919 TNA Series: ADM 242/9; Scan Number: 0281
Naval Medal and Award Rolls, 1793-1972 Class: ADM 171; Piece: 122
British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records, 1730-1960 National Archives Admiralty: Naval Casualties, Indexes, War Grave Rolls and Statistics Book, First World War.; Class: ADM 242; 014; (1914 Jan 01 - 1919 Dec 31)
UK and Ireland, Find A Grave Index, 1300s-Current
CWGC Register
Researched by Wendy Sadler

William Scott Bremner
Deck Hand - RNR 9915 DA

William was 24 years old when he died on the South Esk - like his younger crew mates, he was unmarried, his loss remembered by his parents and siblings.

Born on the 25th May 1893 in Wick, Caithness, the earliest record of him is on the 1901 Scotland census recorded as 7 years old, the second of 4 children to parents Roderick and Annie.
His previous occupation unknown, William joined the Royal Navy Reserve on 30th November 1915 and was posted to HMS ZARIA on which he served for three and a half months.
He was recorded as 5’3” tall with blue eyes and a fresh complexion and following from Zaria, he was then posted to HMD South Esk on 17th March 1916 where he served until 7th July 1917, killed aboard the ship.

Sources:
1901 Scotland Census - Ancestry.com
Royal Naval Reserve Service Records Index, 1860-1955 - National Archives
CWGC Register
British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records, 1730-1960 National Archives Admiralty and predecessors: Office of the Director General of the Medical Department of the Navy and predecessors: Service Registers and Registers of Deaths and Injuries. Registers of Reports of Deaths
UK and Ireland, Find A Grave Index, 1300s-Current
Royal Navy and Royal Marine War Graves Roll, 1914-1919 TNA Series: ADM 242/7; Scan Number: 0464
Researched by Wendy Sadler

James Copland
Trimmer - RNR 6133 TS

James, like his crewmate Angus, was just 19 years old when he was killed in the mine explosion on South Esk. Born on the 2nd February 1898, on the Isle of Burray, part of the Orkney Islands, to parents Agnes and James, on the 1901 Scotland census he was recorded aged 3, living with his parents and 2 siblings, Alexander and Isabella.

He enrolled with the Royal Navy Reserve on 11th October 1916, recorded as being 5’5” tall with fair hair and blue eyes and had left his home at Rosebank, Burray. Just a month later he was posted to HMD SOUTH ESK which was attached to HMS ZARIA in the port of Kirkwall, where he began his service aboard from 28th November 1916. He served just 8 months before his life was cut tragically short. His younger brother Alexander followed James into the Navy, but did not take up service until 1922 and was invalided out on 30th June 1925.

Sources:
1901 Scotland Census
Royal Naval Reserve Service Records Index, 1860-1955 - National Archives
CWGC Register
British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records, 1730-1960 National Archives Admiralty: Naval Casualties, Indexes, War Grave Rolls and Statistics Book, First World War.; Class: ADM 242 014 (1914 Jan 01 - 1919 Dec 31)
British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records, 1730-1960 National Archives Admiralty: Naval Casualties, Indexes, War Grave Rolls and Statistics Book, First World War.; Class: ADM 242; (1914 - 1919)
WWI Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923 Western Front Association; London, England; PRC Ledgers; Reference: 644/01D
Photo courtesy of Brian Budge
Researched by Wendy Sadler

James Copland Memorial. Brian Budge

William Cormack
2nd Hand - RNR 2063 SA

William was the oldest crew member aboard South Esk who died in the explosion, just 4 days short of his 38th birthday. Born on 11th July 1879 in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, William joined the Royal Navy Reserve on 26th June 1915 and was posted to HMD SOUTH ESK on 3rd July 1915, on which he served for over two years.
William was married to Elizabeth and they had 3 children - Ivy, James and William. His Star, Victory and British medals were awarded to his eldest son James following his death.
William is remembered on the Banff War Memorial.

Banff War Memorial

Sources:
Royal Naval Reserve Service Records Index, 1860-1955 National Archives
Photographs courtesy of Roy Stevely.
CWGC Register
Royal Navy and Royal Marine War Graves Roll, 1914-1919 TNA Series: ADM 242/7; Scan Number: 0891
British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records, 1730-1960 National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; Admiralty: Naval Casualties, Indexes, War Grave Rolls and Statistics Book, First World War.; Class: ADM 242; Piece: Piece 007; Piece Description: Piece 007 (1914 - 1919)
Researched by Wendy Sadler

RESCUE

The Skipper of South Esk, Francis Fraser RNR, was thrown through the wheelhouse window by the explosion and was badly wounded. The skipper of HMD Olive, W H Armstrong, jumped overboard to save him.

The Scotsman - Thursday 16 August 1917

Royal Humane Society Bronze Medal

Case number: 43493

Date: 30 July 1917
Case number: 43493
Occupation: Skipper, R.N.R.
Location:
RHS Report: 1917

At 1.30 p.m. on the 7th July, 1917, a man was thrown into Auskerry Sound owing to his vessel being blown up by a mine. W.H. Armstrong, Skipper, R.N.R., jumped from his ship and succeeded in supporting him till they were picked up

Sponsors (click on logo)

(c) Copyright 2022. Lost In Waters Deep

All rights reserved. Due to the immense amount of research that enabled us to build this site we would like to point out that all material on this website is owned by Lost In Waters Deep though photos are credited to their respective owners. Anyone wishing to use material for their own website or any other purpose are requested to contact us first expressing their wishes. Permission will usually be granted to none profit making ventures, i.e. websites for educational and/or historical purposes, though a link to this website and acknowledgement to the original owners of any photographs will usually be requested.
Thank You, Kevin & Wendy