SS Swiftsure
Witherington & Everett House Flag
SS Swiftsure, built by Sunderland Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., Sunderland in 1894 and owned at the time of her loss by John George Hill Steam Shipping Co. Ltd (Witherington & Everett). On route Arendal to Sunderland with cargo of wood deals. Vessel would have been armed as had gunner aboard.
9th September 1917. 7.35 pm SS Swiftsure passed though the Kirkwall Boom on route to Sunderland. SS Swiftsure was 3rd in line of a convoy with SS Mecklenburg & SS Cairnloch ahead. Ships were about 1 cable apart. There were three escorting Trawlers, one unknown ahead of the convoy with HMT Wild Rose & HMT Livingstone on the port side.
At 8.15 pm there was an explosion, on the port side, just aft of the engine room. The mast was shattered and fell off to starboard. The engine-room bulkhead was damaged, between it and No 3 hold and the engine-room was plunged into darkness as the water flooded in.
No one was injured in the explosion and as the vessel began to settle the master, Walter Nelson, ordered abandon ship. The starboard boat jammed when being lowered and three men were thrown into the water. One of these was Pte. Alfred Hoad R.M.L.I who was carried onboard as a gunner.
The Port boat launched with 15 men on board and were picked up by the trawler Livingstone after being in the boat for 10 minutes. The trawler Wild Rose picked up two of the swimming men but the third, Pte. Hoad, was missing having drowned.
SS Swiftsure settled down by the stern in 15 minutes and was left with 10 foot of the bow showing at half tide.
ADM 116-1517. Bi Monthly Minesweeping Reports. 1st - 15th September 1917. (126)
KTB UC-40.
The KTB for UC-40 shows that between 2.05 am and 2.30 am (Berlin Time) on 9th September 1917 two mine lines were laid, line 1 had five mines and line 2 had three mines.
SS Swiftsure hit one of the mines in line 1.
The KTB for UC-40 shows that between 2.05 am and 2.30 am (Berlin Time) on 9th September 1917 two mine lines were laid, line 1 had five mines and line 2 had three mines.
SS Swiftsure hit one of the mines in line 1.
UC-40 mine lines, plotted from the KTB, with the charted position of the wreck.
The Wreck.
UKHO Wreck Card 474 shows wreck charted in position 59 01.00N, 02 46.00W added in 1941. In 2007 the position was surveyed by Netsurvey and nothing was found but a wreck was located in position 59 00.813N, 02 46.055W. No other wrecks were found in the area and a dive survey was undertaken off MV Jean Elaine. A single main boiler and engine was seen as well as a small donkey boiler and some wood cargo. Most of the wreck was covered in sand. By description of the wreck and its proximity to the UC-40 mine line (1) and cargo suggests this wreck is most probably the SS Swiftsure.
Chart 2584.Approaches to Kirkwall (1941) (UKHO)
Lost Serviceman. (research ongoing)
ALFRED HOAD, Private (no. CH/13685), Royal Marine Light Infantry Royal Marines Reserve, Service: RMR/B/1656