Bronze Age Gold from Wales
Cargo Carrying Steamers (notes)
Four pages of typed notes titled Cargo Carrying Steamers, specifically referring to S.S. BLAND HALL, S.S. NANTWEN and S.S. TORRINGTON.
S.S. Bland Hall (4,251 gt). Completed in 1914 by W.M. Doxford & Sons Ltd., Sunderland for Nicholl Steamship Co. Ltd., Cardiff. She was sold in 1917 to Norfolk & North America Steam Shipping Co. Ltd., London and renamed CORNISH POINT. In 1926 she was sold to a German firm and renamed GONZENHEIM. In 1933, then 1936 she was resold in Germany and renamed LISA and WALKURE. In Decemeber 1942 she was stranded south of Kristiansand, Norway. The ship was a total loss.
S.S. Nantwen (4,764gt) : Completed in 1912 by Richardson Duck & Co. LTD., Stockton for W. & C.T Jones Steamship Co. LTD. (Managers : W.& C.T Jones), Cardiff. In 1920 she was sold to Morgan & Cadogan LTD., Cardiff and renamed Westra. In 1926 she was sold to Britain Steamship Co. LTD., London and renamed Finchley. In 1935 she was sold to a German company and renamed Jolanhe. In 1936 she was resold in Germany and renamed Emsriff. In July 1944 she was sunk during an air strike on Hamburg and sold to Denmark in 1959 for scrapping.
S.S. TORRINGTON (D.W. tonnage 9,350). Built in 1905 by Wm. Doxford & Sons Ltd, Sunderland. A British merchant ship owned by W.J. Tatem & Co. of Cardiff. A Turret-deck ship. When launched this was one of the largest cargo-carriers afloat. It has a very elaborate system of derricks for quick cargo working. The twin masts with outriggers allow the derricks to swing out to an unusual degree. The davits are hinged at the base to swing boats clear of turret deck. On the 8 April 1917 she was torpedoed by U55. The crew of the Torrington took to their boats, but the submarine surfaced, took the captain prisoner and lined the rest of the crew up on deck. The vessel then dived, drowning the crew members with a loss of 34 lives.