Samtampa disaster 1947

[Arthur McCourt]

Does anyone remember Pete Ferns, he was a friend of mine, who drowned during the Samtampa disaster in 1947?

[Captain Kong]

SS Samtampa was a 7,219 ton steamship wrecked on Sker Point, off Porthcawl and Kenfig, Wales, in the Bristol Channel on 23 April 1947. At the time of the shipwreck, the Samtampa was operated by the Houlder Line.[2]

There were 47 fatalities in the incident, 39 from the ship and 8 volunteer crew of the lifeboat RNLB Edward, Prince of Wales (ON 678) from The Mumbles Lifeboat Station who died attempting to save the crew of the Samtampa. The lifeboat had returned to base, but had been sent out a second time. An oil spill from the tanks of the wrecked ship created an area of calm water, which the lifeboat coxswain, William Gammon (previously a winner of the RNLI Gold Medal), attempted to use to their advantage to enable them to pull alongside, and those who died were choked by the oil rather than drowning.[3] The ship had sailed from Middlesbrough and most of the 39 crew hailed from the Teesside area.

A memorial to the victims of the Samtampa tragedy is in Porthcawl Cemetery and a commemorative plaque can be found marking the "final resting place of The Mumbles lifeboat" at Sker Point. The location of the wreck was 51°30′01″N 03°44′26″WCoordinates: 51°30′01″N 03°44′26″W

In recognition of the sixtieth anniversary, a church service took place in Porthcawl on Saturday 21 April followed by a smaller service at Sker Point.[4]

The Samtampa had been launched as the SS Peleg Wadsworth, a liberty ship built by the New England Shipbuilding Corporation at South Portland, Maine, and launched on 12 December 1943.[5] Sent to Britain under the Lend-Lease program, the ship was renamed, and managed by the Houlder Line on behalf of the Ministry of War Transport
WILLIAM MENSWORTH (35) ship's fireman, son of Mrs. M. Mensworth of Hardwick St., Blackhall, served in the war on a munition ship torpedoed in a Russian convoy.

R. WEATHERILL (29), donkeyman of 6 Sayers yard, Whitby, married with two children, served in Royal Navy during war as a petty officer.

ARTHUR CALLIGHAN (30), donkeyman greaser, of 27 Tunstall Street, North Ormesby was in the Merchant Navy from the beginning of the war.

RALPH CHESTER (17)a deck boy of 59 Pallister Avenue, Brambles Farm, M'bro.,was on his third trip since joining the Merchant Navy. He was at home for his 17th birthday and his brother's wedding on Easter Monday.

JOSEPH GRIFFITHS (24), assistant cook, of 96 Berwick Hills, M'bro., was on his second trip since his return to the Merchant Navy. He married a South Bank girl only seven weeks ago and had been a prisoner of war in Japan for three and a half years.

HARRY GARSIDE (23) youngest son in a family of five, was on his first voyage in the Merchant navy less than a year after leaving the Royal Navy, he was married but no children.

JOHN STRANGEWAY (22) assistant steward of 42 Hunter Street, Middlesbrough had been at sea since he was 15.

L.F. DAVIDSON (24) able seaman of 15 Abbots Road, Whitby, a single man, he had been in the Merchant Navy since he was 15.

DONALD HILL (26) able seaman of 7 Wards Yard, Whitby, during the war he served for six years in the Royal Navy and was in the first flotilla of minesweepers which swept the way for the invasion force on D-day.

CHARLES FREDERICK SHINNER (20) of 74 West Dyke Road, Redcar was on his fifth voyage, previously he had worked at Dorman Long's and taken a prominent part in local athletics.

HERBERT LEES (24) of 16 High Street, Skelton comes from a seafaring family, his home was formerly at Birkenhead, he was married with two children.

PATRICK McKENNA (47) of 169 Marton Road Middlesbrough went back to sea after an absence of 20 years because he could not get over his wife's death, it was his first voyage.

GEORGE WEBSTER (21) fireman of Lancaster Road, Linthorpe, M'bro. made his first sea trip to Normandy on D-day.

JOSEPH GILRAINE (22) of Ernest Street, Middlesbrough had just recovered from yellow jaundice and his widowed mother did not want him to make the trip.

FRANCIS CANNON (30) donkeyman greaser of Feversham Street, Middlesbrough is the son of a sailor. His father, at present on a voyage, lost another son at sea during the war.

ARNOLD NICHOLSON (19) galley boy of 32 Thrush Road, Redcar had been at sea for nearly four years. He was a well known member of Redcar Literary Institute and this was his fourth trip.

JOSEPH CROFT (19) assistant steward of Stockton-on-Tees went to sea almost straight from school, his mother thought he would give it up after the war but 'it was in his blood.'

JAMES JOHN BELL (29) boatswain of 3 Lane Ends, Staithes lost two brothers also at sea in the war.

ISAAC LONGSTER (35) able seaman of Church Street, Staithes also lost two brothers at sea during the war.

J. THOMPSON (32) of 21 Anne Street, Middlesbrough.

JOHN T. SOUTER Jnr. Ordinary seaman, of 69 Redcar Road, Thornaby on Tees.

K.K. RICHARDSON, second engineer of 2 Westbrooke Grove, West Hartlepool.

STANLEY DARITIS (19) ordinary seaman of 37 Station Road, South Bank, M'bro.

WILLIAM JOHN DAVIS (53) able seaman of 83 Durham Street, Middlesbrough.

C. JACKSON (32) ship's carpenter, Upgang Lane, Whitby.

Also lost: Capt. H.N. SHERWELL, Ch./Off. D. LOWE, 2nd/Off. G.L. MURRAY, 3rd/Off. P. MARSHALL, R/O W.E. THOMPSON, Ch./Eng. W.A. ATKINSON, 3rd/Eng. G. RILEY, 4th/Eng. B. McDONALD, Ch/Stwd P. ALLAM, 2nd/Stwd, R.N. LYTHELL, Ch./Cook B. JONES, Apprentices J. ELLIS, P. FERNS, J. WILSON.

Edward Prince of Wales Lifeboat Crew

Coxwain WILLIAM J. GAMMON, 2nd/Coxwain WILLIAM NOEL, 1st/Mech. GILBERT DAVIES, 2nd/Mech. ERNEST GRIFFIN, Boatmen, WILLIAM THOMAS, WILLIAM HOWELL, RONALD THOMAS, RICHARD SMITH

[Ron B Manderson]

WElcome to the site Arthur
Ron the batcvae

[Captain Kong]

A few years ago , I read that an AB refused to sail on her, he was of Gypsy stock, and he had a premonition of an impending disaster to the ship. so he walked off, when the ship sailed he was arrested for breach of contract.
anyone else read that ??/
Brian

[Des Taff Jenkins]

I was fourteen when the Samtampa went down and itching to follow my brother to sea, My father took me down to the Mumbles a few days after the disaster to see the lifeboat station, very somber time for everyone there.
Des

Lest we forget.

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[Keith at Tregenna]

Does anyone remember Pete Ferns, he was a friend of mine, who drowned during the Samtampa disaster in 1947?

We do on site pay tribute and remember annually, around 23 April.

Hopefully, your request / quest will be answered.

Regards,

Keith.

[Arthur McCourt]

I was fourteen when the Samtampa went down and itching to follow my brother to sea, My father took me down to the Mumbles a few days after the disaster to see the lifeboat station, very somber time for everyone there.
Des

Lest we forget.

Thanks for your comment. At the time of the disaster, I was on another Liberty Ship - SS Samois outward bound for the Persian gulf .
When I arrived home,some time later there was a letter from Peter posted just before they sailed from Middlesborough , I still have that letter. I have since spent almost ten years as Hon Sec of the Barrow Lifeboat station. I will never forget Pete or the Samtampa disaster.

[Evan Lewis]

It was a Wed.Night -Thurs. Morn.The event took place. Thurs .morning.at my.work .We'd been remarking on the bad weather overnight..My offsider,arrived a little late.He said something like "Can't understand our front windows are stained with Oil." As the morning progressed the news came through ,of the disaster.
Following day. was Good Frday, day off.
The weather was Absolutely beautiful and Sunny

Myself and then Buddy ,made our way down to Sker Point. Looked down to the Beach and Rocks.The Bow of the Samtampa was nestled comfortably on the small Sandy beach.
Being now a fifteen yr,old(wise after the event) as it were, concluded .Had they only known.they could have practically jumped on to the Little Sandy Beach.and safety some hrs later. Again I stress. That 's being wise after. Must have been Hell on Earth ,for All ,at that time. With the Lifeboat overturning , to add to it.into something.Revealed a American type military Torch with the rounded top. ,felt uneasy about it .Taylor said "I'll have it."
Don't Know whatever happened to that.
He and I both went to the Vindi .later .He previous to me. .Was on leave from the Cragmoor . his Mother said ".He's due Home ,nice if he could go back with you" .On his arrival. Wrote to the Captain. .He sent Telegram.' Bring Taylor with you.
To my regret as happens . He ran round with some if the undesirable , the Happy crowd was no longer.
He being ,one of the eight ,jumped Ship Geelong ,Night before Sailing. His distressed Mother or anyone else I know of ever heard of him again.

P.S. I am Reminded of the event at least weekly ,as recently as yesterday ,had to go to the Nerang Shopping Centre. A large Wall there has a large image of the coastal ship. Maid of Sker. Which is the name of the pub too ,at Sker. It used trade Brisbane and nearby Rivers to Nerang ,taking back sugar Cane to Briz The vessel itself ,is preserved at the nearby Park. ( Can be seen on Google )