LOSTINWATERSDEEP.CO.UK
  • Home
  • About Us
  • ROYAL NAVY SHIPS
    • HM BATTLESHIPS >
      • HMS VANGUARD
    • HM CRUISERS >
      • HMS HAMPSHIRE
    • HM MINESWEEPERS >
      • HMS JASON
    • HM DESTROYERS >
      • HMS ALBACORE
      • HMS PHEASANT
      • HMS CHEERFUL
      • HMS MARMION
      • HMS ITCHEN
      • HMS HOSTE
      • HMS NEGRO
      • HMS NESSUS
      • HMS GOLDFINCH
      • HMS ERNE
    • HM TRAWLERS >
      • HMT KIRKLAND
      • HMT LAUREL CROWN
      • HMT LOCH GARRY
      • HMT ASIA
      • HMT ORSINO
      • HMT PITSTRUAN
      • HMT SARAH ALICE
      • HMT THOMAS STRATTON
      • HMT NEATH CASTLE
      • HMT ROBERT SMITH
      • HMT TERN
      • HMT CALLIOPE II
    • HM TRAWLERS : NO LOSS OF LIFE >
      • HMT STRATHGARRY
      • HMT RHODESIA
      • HMT ROLULO
      • HMT LORENZO
      • HMT EDISON
      • HMT JOHN G. WATSON
      • HMT VULTURE II
      • HMT RONDO
      • HMT ENDEAVOUR
      • HMT RESPONSO
      • HMT TEAL
      • HMT CRATHIE
    • HM DRIFTERS >
      • HMD SOUTH ESK
      • HMD LUSTRING
      • HMD CHANCE
      • HMD SUSIE ROSS
    • HM AUXILIARY VESSELS >
      • HMS OTWAY
      • HMS DUKE OF ALBANY
      • HMS FIONA
      • HMS GRIVE
      • HMS ROEDEAN
    • HM YACHTS >
      • HMY CONQUEROR II
      • HMY ZAREFAH
    • HM TUGS >
      • HM TUG OCEANA
    • HM SLOOPS >
      • HMS RHODODENDRON
      • HMS CARNATION
    • HM SUBMARINES >
      • HMS C34
      • HMS E-49
    • ROYAL FLEET AUXILIARY >
      • RFA BEACON LIGHT
      • RFA OAKLEAF
    • HM STEAM PINNACE >
      • Steam Pinnace 288
      • Steam Pinnace 499
      • Steam Pinnace 588
      • Steam Pinnace Unknown
    • HM LIGHTER >
      • HMS X-138
      • HMS X-172
    • HM WATER CARRIER >
      • WATER TANKER PROGRESS
    • HM MOTOR LAUNCH >
      • HM M.L. 62
      • HM M.L. 191
      • HM M.L. 18
  • MERCHANT SHIPS
    • S.S. RUBY
    • S.S. EXPRESS
    • S.S. ARGUS
    • S.S. REMUS
    • S.S. SWIFTSURE
    • TRAWLER AMADAVAT
    • S.P. DRONE
  • OTHER TRAGEDIES
    • ORKNEY >
      • Orkney Tragedies
      • Lieut. Gerald F.W. Addison
      • Diver P.O. Alfred Edwin Church
      • A.B. William Sydney Wooldridge
      • A.B. Charles James Moody
      • Houton ''whaler'' tragedy
      • Orkney Rescues
    • RNAS AVIATION >
      • SSP 2
      • SSP 4
      • Short 74 Seaplane ''77''
    • SHETLAND >
      • Shetland Tragedies
      • Lieut. James Winstanley-Pochin R.N.
      • Lerwick Explosion
    • U BOATS >
      • WW1 U BOAT TYPES
      • SM U 18
      • SM U 36
      • SM U 77
      • SM U 92
      • SM U 102
      • SM UC 55
    • INTERNATIONAL >
      • U.S.S RICHARD BULKELEY
      • U.S.S. Curlew
  • MAP
  • MEDALS & AWARDS
  • Contact
  • Acknowledgements
  • Abbreviations
  • LINKS

HMS X-138

Picture
X Type Motor Lighter Photo: David Mallard (www.xlighter.org)
HMS X-138 .  28/02/1918
​
Displacement: 160 grt.
​

Length: 32.2 m.    Beam: 6.4 m.   Draught: 2.2 m.

Propulsion: 1 x Bolinder 2cyl, ‘hot bulb’ oil engine, single shaft, 1 screw.

Complement: 6​

​Men Lost: 6​

​Armament: 


​Built by Clelands Graving Dock & Slipway Co., Wallsend in 1915 as Yard No.24. Lighter designed as a landing craft. 


​ROYAL NAVY SHIPS RECEIVING NAVAL SALVAGE and PRIZE BOUNTY MONEY
from the London Gazette - August 1914 to December 1920


Motor Lighter X138, salvage of SS Valacia, 3 to 5 Nov 1917 (32025)

The Loss
HM X-138, with a 6 man watch party onboard, left Grimsby 9.00 a.m. on the 26th February 1918 for Inverness under the tow of the tugs 'Racia' & 'Robert Forest' The weather forecast was considered favourable for the tow. 

When 8 miles north of the Humber Light the 'Robert Forest' left the tow ''by her own accord''.

​
​
Picture
Tug Boat ''Racia''
At about 4.30 a.m. on the 28th February, around 5 miles NE of Rattray Head the wind shifted to the north east and increased to a gale with heavy seas running. 

Shortly before 6.00 a.m. the master of the 'Racia' altered course southward as the vessel could not weather the gale. During the turn the tow parted but the first indication that anything was wrong is when distress signals were observed astern of the tug. 

The weather was too bad to have taken the lighter back under tow, the wireless gear was rendered useless by the weather and visual signalling was not an option with no one onboard competent to carry it out.  HM X-138 was lost with the entire crew. 

An enquiry found that the change of weather was too sudden for the master of the 'Racia' to take shelter and that there was no harbour the tug could have entered, in the NE gale, with the lighter in tow.

The enquiry also found that despite the weather being too bad to get another tow aboard the lighter some attempt should have been made, by the master o the 'Racia' to stand by the lighter and to that extent the master was held to blame.  


Picture
Rattray head (UKHO)
​On the 26/10/20 offers were received to purchase wreck. ​ 

Crew Lost †28/02/1918
(research ongoing)
​
Picture
CLEMENTS, FREDERICK SPENCER (20), Able Seaman (no. J/27349(Ch), RN, Son of William and Caroline Clements, of 41, King Edward's Rd., Ponders End, Memorial: Enfield (Hertford Road) Cemetery

                                                      Hertford Road Cemetery Enfield, London Photo: darealjolo/findmygrave

Picture
​​DIX, CHARLES, Stoker (no. 4337S), RNR , Remembered on the Chatham Naval Memorial


Picture
​FOX, HARRY, Able Seaman (no. J/63176), RN. Remembered on the Chatham Naval Memorial


Picture
​GILLIGAN, JOHN, Petty Officer (no. 3124/B),  RNR. Memorial: Peterhead Old Churchyard

Picture
Peterhead Old Churchyard  Photos: ​GariochGraver/Findagrave

Picture
​ROBERTS, WILLIAM JAMES (25), Ordinary Seaman (no. T/75607), RN  Son of William James and Selina Jane Roberts, of 17, Waterloo St., St. Luke's, London, Remembered on the Chatham Naval Memorial


Picture
THOMPSON, GEORGE THOMAS, Petty Officer Stoker (no. 297595),  Royal Fleet Reserve, (Served as G.T. DICKERSON). Service: RFR/CH/B/9753, Memorial: Peterhead Old Churchyard

Picture
​Peterhead Old Churchyard  Photos: ​GariochGraver/findagrave
Sponsors
  • Home
  • About Us
  • ROYAL NAVY SHIPS
    • HM BATTLESHIPS >
      • HMS VANGUARD
    • HM CRUISERS >
      • HMS HAMPSHIRE
    • HM MINESWEEPERS >
      • HMS JASON
    • HM DESTROYERS >
      • HMS ALBACORE
      • HMS PHEASANT
      • HMS CHEERFUL
      • HMS MARMION
      • HMS ITCHEN
      • HMS HOSTE
      • HMS NEGRO
      • HMS NESSUS
      • HMS GOLDFINCH
      • HMS ERNE
    • HM TRAWLERS >
      • HMT KIRKLAND
      • HMT LAUREL CROWN
      • HMT LOCH GARRY
      • HMT ASIA
      • HMT ORSINO
      • HMT PITSTRUAN
      • HMT SARAH ALICE
      • HMT THOMAS STRATTON
      • HMT NEATH CASTLE
      • HMT ROBERT SMITH
      • HMT TERN
      • HMT CALLIOPE II
    • HM TRAWLERS : NO LOSS OF LIFE >
      • HMT STRATHGARRY
      • HMT RHODESIA
      • HMT ROLULO
      • HMT LORENZO
      • HMT EDISON
      • HMT JOHN G. WATSON
      • HMT VULTURE II
      • HMT RONDO
      • HMT ENDEAVOUR
      • HMT RESPONSO
      • HMT TEAL
      • HMT CRATHIE
    • HM DRIFTERS >
      • HMD SOUTH ESK
      • HMD LUSTRING
      • HMD CHANCE
      • HMD SUSIE ROSS
    • HM AUXILIARY VESSELS >
      • HMS OTWAY
      • HMS DUKE OF ALBANY
      • HMS FIONA
      • HMS GRIVE
      • HMS ROEDEAN
    • HM YACHTS >
      • HMY CONQUEROR II
      • HMY ZAREFAH
    • HM TUGS >
      • HM TUG OCEANA
    • HM SLOOPS >
      • HMS RHODODENDRON
      • HMS CARNATION
    • HM SUBMARINES >
      • HMS C34
      • HMS E-49
    • ROYAL FLEET AUXILIARY >
      • RFA BEACON LIGHT
      • RFA OAKLEAF
    • HM STEAM PINNACE >
      • Steam Pinnace 288
      • Steam Pinnace 499
      • Steam Pinnace 588
      • Steam Pinnace Unknown
    • HM LIGHTER >
      • HMS X-138
      • HMS X-172
    • HM WATER CARRIER >
      • WATER TANKER PROGRESS
    • HM MOTOR LAUNCH >
      • HM M.L. 62
      • HM M.L. 191
      • HM M.L. 18
  • MERCHANT SHIPS
    • S.S. RUBY
    • S.S. EXPRESS
    • S.S. ARGUS
    • S.S. REMUS
    • S.S. SWIFTSURE
    • TRAWLER AMADAVAT
    • S.P. DRONE
  • OTHER TRAGEDIES
    • ORKNEY >
      • Orkney Tragedies
      • Lieut. Gerald F.W. Addison
      • Diver P.O. Alfred Edwin Church
      • A.B. William Sydney Wooldridge
      • A.B. Charles James Moody
      • Houton ''whaler'' tragedy
      • Orkney Rescues
    • RNAS AVIATION >
      • SSP 2
      • SSP 4
      • Short 74 Seaplane ''77''
    • SHETLAND >
      • Shetland Tragedies
      • Lieut. James Winstanley-Pochin R.N.
      • Lerwick Explosion
    • U BOATS >
      • WW1 U BOAT TYPES
      • SM U 18
      • SM U 36
      • SM U 77
      • SM U 92
      • SM U 102
      • SM UC 55
    • INTERNATIONAL >
      • U.S.S RICHARD BULKELEY
      • U.S.S. Curlew
  • MAP
  • MEDALS & AWARDS
  • Contact
  • Acknowledgements
  • Abbreviations
  • LINKS