Penarth Technical Specification

This section will, in time, contain the stories of more than 450 merchant ships built or owned in the Hartlepools, and which were lost during the First World War. As an illustration of the truly global nature of shipbuilding, these ships were owned by companies from 22 different countries, including more than 30 sailing under the German flag at the outbreak of war.

Masters: 1896-97 T Morgan: 1898-99 TR Jenkin: 1900-03 WH West: 1904 AJ Lowe: 1905-08 F Marychurch: 1909 T Rees: 1915 CD Pyves.

With a crew of 27 Penarth left San Nicholas, River Plate on 6 December 1914 on a voyage for Hull with a cargo of maize. She encountered a violent gale with snow squalls when she reached the North Sea. At 3.30pm on Sunday 17 January 1915 she was struck by a huge wave & disabled with two of her three boats smashed. She ran onto Sheringham Shoal, seven miles from shore & the crew of 27 tried to cram into the one remaining boat but it capsized drowning most of the occupants. Seven men clung to the keel & were sighted at about 5pm by the minesweeper Glenprosen under Captain S Nicoll. One man attempted to swim to the minesweeper but was drowned & the chief engineer died from exposure shortly after being picked up. 22 lives lost.

The Times 19 January 1915:

“On Sunday afternoon the Penarth was off the Norfolk coast; it was blowing a gale with frequent blinding showers of snow & rain. About half past three a hefty sea struck the vessel & she ran on Sheringham shoal-a treacherous sand about seven miles from the shore. Great seas swept over the vessel & her deck fittings were smashed-the plates gave way & the grain in her hold poured out. She had three boats but two of these were smashed in. Captain Wyves of Caerphilly & 28 men clambered on to the remaining boat. She was launched but speedily turned turtle, only seven men being left clinging to the keel! They were tossed to & fro by the waves & it was bitterly cold. More than once a seaman let go his hold but managed to get a renewed grip. So they were buffeted about for nearly two hours until, just before five, they sighted the Glenprosen, which bore down, & by fine seamanship the crew managed to range near the upturned boat. One the seven survivors jumped off & tried to swim to the mine-sweeper but was drowned. The other six were taken off, three being unconscious from exposure. Two of these were brought round but the chief engineer died on board. Captain Stephen Nicoll of the Glenprosen, stated that when they got up to the boat they saw several dead bodies floating about with lifebelts on. Two bodies & some wreckage were washed ashore at Munddesley & five bodies with lifebelts marked SS Penarth were cast up on the beach at Weybourne.”

Lives lost January 1915: Stephens, Wallace, chief engineer; Wyves, master, Caerphilly.

Survivors January 1915:  Black, Archibald, able seaman, Leith; Christensen, Bernard, Norway; Gill, John, boatswain, Swansea; Stewart, Charles, 3^rd engineer, Cardiff; Wilson, Alexander, able seaman, Leith.

Penarth Yardbook pages.