HMT Loch Garry
HMT Loch Garry. 13/09/1916
Displacement: 172 grt.
Length: 31,5 m. Beam: 6.4 m. Draught: 3.7 m.
Propulsion: 1 x 3-cyl. triple expansion engine, single shaft, 1 screw, 1 boiler .
Complement: 7 officers and men.
Men Lost: 6
Armament: Armed Trawler.
Displacement: 172 grt.
Length: 31,5 m. Beam: 6.4 m. Draught: 3.7 m.
Propulsion: 1 x 3-cyl. triple expansion engine, single shaft, 1 screw, 1 boiler .
Complement: 7 officers and men.
Men Lost: 6
Armament: Armed Trawler.
The steel Trawler Loch Garry was built by Hall A. & Sons Ltd. Aberdeen in 1903, Yard No 400, for the Empire Steam Fishing Company of Aberdeen Ltd. (H.A. Holmes, Managers) Sold to J. B. Graham
and Registered in Hartlepool as HL 32.
HMT Loch Garry was on duty as a Boom Net Tender and at anchor on the west side of ''A'' Boom at Kirkwall. ''A'' Boom stretched from Twi Ness, Shapinsay to Thieves Holm.
At about 1.15 am the vessel foundered with the loss of up to eight crew. The only survivor was William James Smith (16) who was son of the skipper. William survived by floating to a nearby small islet or island (possibly Thieves Holm or Shapinsay) where he was rescued later that day.
Newspaper reports state that an anchor line parted and the vessel went broadside to the sea and was swamped and foundered but file HD1916-793 held by UKHO states that enquiry found that ''she probably sank owing to the heavy gale and strong tides having strained her and caused some internal leak in the engine room....''
Birmingham Mail - Monday 18 September 1916 Western Daily Press - Tuesday 19 September 1916
Fraserburgh Herald and Northern Counties' Advertiser - Tuesday 19 September 1916
The Wreck Today.
The wreck of the Loch Garry sits at the western end of The String in approximately 20m of water in position 59°01,727'N 02°56,897'W. The wreck is well broken up and the highest point being the boiler.
325 kHz 100m range 325 kHz 75m range
C-Max CM2 Side Scan Sonar
C-Max CM2 Side Scan Sonar
Images Courtesy Scapa Scientific
Photographs Courtesy Ivan Houston (Orkney Sub Aqua Club)
THE CREW OF LOCH GARRY
The research of Loch Garry started out the same as any other vessel and crew we worked on, which began with gathering the casualties names and cross checking with Naval and CWGC lists.
This project immediately became a mystery as newspaper reports of the day mentioned a lost crew of 9 or 10 men, a number we have yet to confirm if this was ever correct.
Mercantile Marine Medal