Penarth Dock, South Wales - the heritage and legacy

Volume Ten - Pre-Victorian to the Present Day - Even more aspects - The Lloyd's Register at Penarth Dock . . .

s.s. 'Warnow'

s.s. 'Warnow' - The s.s. 'Warnow' was a British merchant steamer of 1,593 gross register tons built in 1883. She was previously named s.s. 'John Redhead'. On the 2nd May 1917, whilst en-route from Penarth to an un-specified destination, with a cargo of railway (rails?) material, she was torpedoed by UC48 and sunk when 6 miles off Trevose Head, North Cornwall. Her Master and fourteen crew members died that day. She apparently sailed under sealed orders, hence, the secrecy.

The vessel was attacked by the German submarine UC48 at 3 a.m. and hit by a single torpedo, which caused the vessel to sink very quickly. The master and 13 men lost their lives when she went down, while the Chief Officer and five men were left clinging to an upturned boat. The U-boat then surfaced and approached them, but when questioned, they refused to name their ship or her cargo. A request to the enemy to assist them in righting the lifeboat met with no response, the submarine then making off. The survivors were in the water for almost two and a half hours before being picked up by the French s.s. 'Dugueslin' and landed them at Penzance. The log books, codes and confidential papers went down with the vessel. [888]

The s.s. 'John Readhead' was a single screw, cargo steamship, built at the West Yard of John Readhead & Company Yard of South Shields. She was of 1,622 gross and 1,032 net register tons being 257.0 ft. in length x 34.7 ft. breath x 19.6 ft. in depth. [102]

s.s. 'Warnow' - J. Michell & Sons ; 1883 ; J. Readhead & Co. ; 1,593 tons ; 257 ft. x 34.7 ft. x 19.6 ft. ; 173 n.h.p. ; 9 knots ; compound engines.

The steamship 'Warnow' was torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine six miles W. of Trevose Head on May 2nd, 1917. The captain and 13 others were killed. [799]

Ivor Mules Ivor William Mule was born in Penarth and in 1911 was living at 25 Maughan Street with his parents John Thomas and Emily Louisa Mules (nee Wellings) and siblings John, Sullivan? (Charles?) and Ada. He served in the Mercantile Marine as an Ordinary Seaman aboard s.s. 'Warnow'. Ivor died on 2nd May 1917 aged 17 when his ship was torpedoed. He is commemorated on Tower Hill Memorial. [358]

Click here to read more of the Mules family at Penarth.

s.s. 'Warnow' moored at Bristol with the Clifton suspension bridge in the background. The date is not known but later than 1912 and prior to her loss during May 1917. At the time of her loss she was owned by the Warnow Steamship Company Limited and managed by J. Mitchell & Sons. The photograph is courtesy of Photoship. The lower image has been colourised. [106] [363]

The s.s. 'John Redhead' moored up at a place and date unknown.

The s.s. 'John Redhead' moored up at an unknown place ; the date is prior to 1912. Her engines were built by John Readhead & Company also of South Shields, hence, her name. The photograph is courtesy of Photoship. [106] [363]

Lest we forget.

Josef Anderson - aged 45, Master, Mercantile Marine Medal 1914-1918, Born at Dundee, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial.

Vincent Borg, aged 65, Ship's Cook, Born at Valetta, Malta, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial.

Ernest, Arthur, Burrell, aged 55, Second Engineer, Born in London, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial.

John Elgit, aged 20, Sailor, Born at Riga, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial.

David Henry Flett, aged 35, First Engineer, Born at North Shields, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial.

Joseph Gallager, aged 16, Mess Room Steward, of 24, Percy St., Cwmbwrla, Swansea, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial

Saleh Hasan, aged ??, Fireman & Trimmer, Memorial: Bombay 1914-1918 Memorial, Mumbai.

George Johnston, aged 21, Second Mate, Born at Govan, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial.

Joseph Labonte, aged 38, Boatswain, Mercantile Marine Medal 1914-1918, Born at Port Louis, Mauritius, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial.

Muhammad Raunaq, aged ??, Fireman & Trimmer, Memorial: Bombay 1914-1918 Memorial, Mumbai.

Ivor William Mules, aged 17, Ordinary Seaman, of Maughan Terrace, Penarth, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial.

William Richard Norman, aged 18, Ordinary Seaman, of Old Orchard St., Swansea, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial.

Ali Saleh, aged ??, Fireman & Trimmer, Memorial: Bombay 1914-1918 Memorial, Mumbai.

Francis Storey, aged 46, Able Seaman, Born at North Shields, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial.

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