Wilster (1903) - a general history

The following has been compiled from a number of different sources, in particular www.swiss-ships.ch

On 9 September 1903 the cargo steamer "WILSTER" was launched at the Irvine’s Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. Ltd. in West Hartlepool (yard number 133), for  the Trechmann Steam Ship Co. Ltd., West Hartlepool (Trechmann Brothers, managers).

In 1919 the ship was sold to A. M. Sutherland, Newcastle who renamed her Scarpa. On November 18^th, 1920, on a voyage from Barry (Wales) to Sligo (Eire), she stranded on the North Rock, Cloughey Bay, County Down, Northern Ireland, the crew of thrity being rescued by the Cloughey Lifeboat. The ship was abandoned as a total loss, however in April 1921 she was refloated and sold to M.M. Pithis & Co. at Chios, Greece, being renamed Amazon. In 1927 the owning Company became M.M. Pithis & Co. & M.G. Chrussachi.

In 1930 she was sold to another Greek owner, M. Kulukundis, Syra (Atlanticos Steamship Co., London as managers), and renamed Neraida, and sold on again to Petros M. Nomikos Ltd., Praeus, in 1933. In 1938 J. Stephanoupoulos & M.G. Andronicos from Piraeus bought the ship renaming her Anna S (Balkans and Near East Shipping Agency S.A., Piraeus as managers), but was quickly sold on P.S. Antipas, Panama, who renamed her Takis.

The ship was sold in 1940 to the Belgian Société Anonyme de Pont Brulé, Vilvoorde, and renamed Frederic, and was used to carry phosphate from Morocco to Belgium. When Belgium was invaded by the Germans, the ship was in Casablanca, where she remained until the spring 1942.

On 5 May 1942 the foundation for the organisation of transports for the Red Cross at Basle bought the ship and registered her under Swiss flag as Caritas I, being managed by the Swiss Shipping Co. Ltd. at Basle. The Belgian crew sailed the ship from Casablanca to Lisbon for overhaul, however on the way the major part of the crew, including the master, left the ship at Gibraltar to join the British. On 6 June 1942, the Caritas I arrived in Lisbon with only six crew members. It is interesting to note that according to the contract the purchase price was not due to be paid until six months after the end of the war.

The ship sailed on December 24^th, 1942 for Marseilles, but on the way back she suffered an engine breakdown and had to be towed to Almeria for repairs. Altogether the Caritas I undertook twelve voyages in the service of the Red Cross between Philadelphia, Lisbon, Gibraltar, Barcelona, Toulon and Marseilles. On her first voyage to Philadelphia she saved twelve shipwrecked Americans near the Azores.

In Lisbon on August 8^th, 1945, the ship was handed back to her previous Belgian owners, the Société Anonyme de Pont Brulé. On January 1^st, 1947, in the Scheldt, she was in collision with the Dutch steamer Jan Steen, and had to be run aground to prevent her from sinking, one mile East of Vlissingen near the Schoone Waardin. She was under the command of Marcel Henrotin, on a voyage from Ghent to Lisbon with a cargo of phosphate. The following day the ship broke in two and sank. The wreck is still lying at 51°26'32" N 03°37'54" E. 

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