Rohilla: BI Passenger Ship Requisitioned as a Hospital Ship and lost in WW1

[Brian Watson]

I have just completed a web page describing this British India passenger ship that was requisitioned as a hospital ship and her loss in October 1916. You can find it HERE.

She had just been refitted with passenger accommodation being converted to wards and the installation of two operating theatres and x-Ray equipment, and departed Leith bound for Belgium to pick up wounded servicemen.

Due to the war, lighthouses and shore lights were extinguished and even warning bells on buoys had been muffled. The Germans had been laying
extensive minefields off the English coast and a storm blew up to make life even more difficult. Rohilla steered a course between the Dogger Bank and the known minefields and foundered on the rocks at Saltwick Nab just south of Whitby. The captain thought the vessel had struck a mine before she struck the rocks but whether this was correct we will never know.

Despite amazing efforts by the RNLI, many lives were lost in the appalling weather - rescue attempts went on for three days with the final survivors being taken off by a motor lifeboat that had been sent from Tynemouth.

I have dug out many photos, press cuttings from the time and reports on statements made by witnesses at the Inquests that were held.

The loss of Rohilla was commemorated as recently as 2014 with the involvement of two of the lifeboats that had taken part in the rescue and the deposition of wreaths on the sea at the site of the wreck.

[cappy]

absolutely ist class report the detail excellent ...you have certainly done justice to this episode of bravery and lifeboat excellence congrats cappy

[Colin McClelland]

My grandfather is fourth from the right in the photo, he worked his fishing coble from North Shields and manned the lifeboat for many years.

regards
Colin

[John F Collier]

#3, I've ordered a book titled "Heroes' of the Goodwin Sands it covers the same era and is about the lifeboat men of that time
although it's a different area than your grandfather covered, they were all cast in the same mould and very brave dedicated and tough men, I read a post on a site where a woman said seven of her great uncles lost their lives as lifeboat men on the Goodwin Sands. cheers JC