SS Argus
Shamrock Shipping Co. Ltd House Flag
SS Argus 20-21/10/1917
Displacement: 1238 grt.
Length: 73.1 m. Beam: 10.4 m. Draught: 3.4 m.
Propulsion: 1 x 2 cyl; Compound expansion steam engine, two boilers, single shaft, 1 screw
Complement: ?? officers and men.
Men Lost: All
Armament: Yes.
The iron steamship Argus was built Barrow Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., Barrow-In-Furness in 1883 for Thomas Kish & Co., Sunderland. Owned at time of loss by Shamrock Shipping Co. Ltd. Larne Harbour, Belfast.
SS Argus arrived in Lerwick from Tyneside with cargo of coal and coke. On the 20th October 1917 SS Argus left Lerwick, in convoy, for Tromsø, Norway, in a large Convoy but vanished on route.
The cause of the loss and the position of the wreck are unknown but could be down to two reasons.
Collision.
In December 1917 Mr & Mrs Ellis received news that their son Charles had been lost while on service and that the S.S Argus had been involved in a collision with another ship in poor weather and had gone down with all hands.
Displacement: 1238 grt.
Length: 73.1 m. Beam: 10.4 m. Draught: 3.4 m.
Propulsion: 1 x 2 cyl; Compound expansion steam engine, two boilers, single shaft, 1 screw
Complement: ?? officers and men.
Men Lost: All
Armament: Yes.
The iron steamship Argus was built Barrow Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., Barrow-In-Furness in 1883 for Thomas Kish & Co., Sunderland. Owned at time of loss by Shamrock Shipping Co. Ltd. Larne Harbour, Belfast.
SS Argus arrived in Lerwick from Tyneside with cargo of coal and coke. On the 20th October 1917 SS Argus left Lerwick, in convoy, for Tromsø, Norway, in a large Convoy but vanished on route.
The cause of the loss and the position of the wreck are unknown but could be down to two reasons.
Collision.
In December 1917 Mr & Mrs Ellis received news that their son Charles had been lost while on service and that the S.S Argus had been involved in a collision with another ship in poor weather and had gone down with all hands.
Eastbourne Gazette - Wednesday 19 December 1917
At approximately 5 am on the morning of the 21/10/1917 the SS Frisia, part of the eastbound convoy, was involved in a collision with an unknown steamship. The bow of the unknown steamship penetrated 1 meter into the port side of Frisia. The emergency signal was sounded and the starboard lifeboat was launched. The port boat had been damaged in the collision. The lifeboat had 8 men onboard; it tried to reach the other steamship who's stern-light could be seen a few ship lengths to windward. Having failed to reach the other steamship the lifeboat attempted to return to SS Frisia but she had vanished.
At 6.30 am the SS Magnus, part of a westbound convoy, found the lifeboat with the 8 crew and took them onboard.
SS Magnus had also just been involved in a collision and had damage to the bow and was searching the area for the other vessel involved to offer assistance.
The search then continued for SS Frisia, and her 15 crew, but the ship could not be located and at 9.30 am SS Magnus set course for Bergen.
It was never established if the SS Frisia and SS Magnus had collided with each other or possibly both had collided with the SS Argus.
At approximately 5 am on the morning of the 21/10/1917 the SS Frisia, part of the eastbound convoy, was involved in a collision with an unknown steamship. The bow of the unknown steamship penetrated 1 meter into the port side of Frisia. The emergency signal was sounded and the starboard lifeboat was launched. The port boat had been damaged in the collision. The lifeboat had 8 men onboard; it tried to reach the other steamship who's stern-light could be seen a few ship lengths to windward. Having failed to reach the other steamship the lifeboat attempted to return to SS Frisia but she had vanished.
At 6.30 am the SS Magnus, part of a westbound convoy, found the lifeboat with the 8 crew and took them onboard.
SS Magnus had also just been involved in a collision and had damage to the bow and was searching the area for the other vessel involved to offer assistance.
The search then continued for SS Frisia, and her 15 crew, but the ship could not be located and at 9.30 am SS Magnus set course for Bergen.
It was never established if the SS Frisia and SS Magnus had collided with each other or possibly both had collided with the SS Argus.
Enemy Action.
The KTB for UC-40 shows the U boat was active off Lerwick on the 20th October 1917.
The KTB reports that on the 20th a large convoy of 15-20 ships is observed leaving Lerwick eastbound.
The SS Argus is part of this convoy. A torpedo is fired at what is identified as a Danish steamship of 900 tons but is missed. After 1 minute 45 seconds a detonation is heard and it is recorded in KTB that another ship of 1000 ton had been hit and reported as sunk.
The KTB for UC-40 shows the U boat was active off Lerwick on the 20th October 1917.
The KTB reports that on the 20th a large convoy of 15-20 ships is observed leaving Lerwick eastbound.
The SS Argus is part of this convoy. A torpedo is fired at what is identified as a Danish steamship of 900 tons but is missed. After 1 minute 45 seconds a detonation is heard and it is recorded in KTB that another ship of 1000 ton had been hit and reported as sunk.
Torpedo log, report and chart from the KTB UC-40 October 1917.
There are no recorded sinking's off Lerwick for the 20th October 1917 in British records.
The SS Slavonic was torpedoed and sunk on the 19th and both the SS Anglo Dane and SS Flynderborg were sunk on the 21st. The SS Anglo Dane struck a mine laid by UC-40 and the SS Flynderborg was sunk by torpedo (UC-40).
It is possible that the torpedo hit and sank SS Argus on the 20th but would be unlikely that the sinking would have gone unwitnessed by other vessels in the convoy. There are no charted wrecks in the area reported in the KTB. The other question would be where the bodies were recovered and when.
Lloyds
Lloyds as late as February 1918 were still listing SS Argus as overdue.
Two bodies from the SS Argus, Master of the vessel Henry Cooper and Leading Seaman Charles Ellis, washed ashore in Norway and are buried in Fredrikstad Military Cemetery.
Larne Times - Saturday 16 February 1918 Dundee Evening Telegraph - Wednesday 13 February 1918
The Crew.
Two of the crew are listed as being on Royal Navy service, as well as the Master of the vessel
(Research is ongoing)
The Crew.
Two of the crew are listed as being on Royal Navy service, as well as the Master of the vessel
(Research is ongoing)
Photo: Synnøve Marie Kvam
COOPER, Henry Arthur, (56), Master - Mercantile Marine
Photo: Synnøve Marie Kvam
ELLIS, CHARLES (23), Leading Seaman (no. Sussex 3/224), SS Argus, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve.
WINGARD, FREDERICK HERBERT, Able Seaman (no. Sussex 3/104), SS Argus, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve.