The steamship 'Poldown' was a 1,370 gross register tonnage, defensively armed, British Merchant steamer, formerly named 'Pellworm' and previous to that, 'Hauk'. On 9th October 1917, whilst en-route from Penarth bound for Boulogne laden with 1,700 tons of coal, she hit a mine laid by UC-51 and foundered two miles off Trevose Head, Cornwall. Eighteen of her normal compliment of 24 crew were lost, including her Master, Mr. Watson. She had been requisitioned by the shipping Controller and renamed 'Poldown' earlier in 1917, and was managed by L. Lougher & Company of Cardiff. She was built in 1904 at the yard of Fevigs Jernskibsbyg, Norway, and was armed with one 12 pounder (12 cwt). [951] [799]

Carrying 1,700 tons of cargo, the vessel had her bow blown off when she struck a mine laid by UC-51 under the forefoot at 1.50 pm. Whilst there was no time to lower the ship's boats, some of the crew managed to cut the falls of the starboard lifeboat just as the vessel sank. The 2nd officer, who was drawn down by the suction of the vessel sinking, managed to reach the surface, to find a lifeboat floating near by bottom up, and he and four others got on it. Another member of the crew floated past them on part of a hatch cover. All five were picked up at 3.30pm by a fishing boat which searched the area for additional survivors but without success, the men being landed at Padstow. [951]

The following month, on the 13th November 1917, UC-51, a mine-laying submarine was on patrol off Lowestoft when it was torpedoed and sunk by H.M. destroyer Firedrake. Her loss was witnessed by H.M. trawler Lois, which was on patrol in the area at the time. The explosion of the torpedo that sank the submarine was felt through the trawler's hull, and after steaming towards the area of engagement, witnessed a U-boat appear on the surface, then roll over and sink. A combination of intact mines, oil and human entrails were observed on the surface, and the enemy vessel identified by a seaboat marked 'Ewald Metzger'. [951]

Lest We Forget.

1. Joseph Johnson Abbott, aged 22, Able Seaman, of South Shields, commemorated at Chatham Naval Memorial.

2. Antonio Fenech, aged 53, Donkeyman, of Malta, commemorated at Tower Hill Memorial.

3. Karl Fromul, aged 39, Boatswain, of Russia, commemorated at Tower Hill Memorial.

4. Walter John George, aged 38, Mate, born Fishguard, commemorated at Tower Hill Memorial.

5. Walter Griffith, aged 42, Fireman, born Barbados, commemorated at Tower Hill Memorial.

6. ?? Harman, aged 21, Fireman, born Antigua, commemorated at Tower Hill Memorial.

7. Julian Oscar Lynch, aged 23, Fireman, born Barbados, commemorated at Tower Hill Memorial.

8. Charles James Lionel McDonald, aged 24, Fireman, born Grenada, commemorated at Tower Hill Memorial.

9. Charles Bernard Francis Morgan, aged 18, Wireless Operator, born London, commemorated at Tower Hill Memorial.

10. Richard Murphy, aged 23, Third Engineer, born Cork, commemorated at Tower Hill Memorial.

11. Edward Ryan, aged 23, Sailor, born Londonderry, commemorated at Tower Hill Memorial.

12. Thomas Smith, aged 17, Mess Room Steward, born Bath, commemorated at Tower Hill Memorial.

13. John Spank, aged 18, Sailor, born Latvia, commemorated at Tower Hill Memorial.

14. Thomas Rowland Thompson, aged 60, Second Engineer, born Whitby, commemorated at Tower Hill Memorial.

15. ?? Watson, aged xx, Master, commemorated at Tower Hill Memorial.

16. ?? Williams, aged xx, Fireman, commemorated at Abererch (St. Cawrdaf) Churchyard.

17. Arthur Naylor Wilson, aged 18, Leading Seaman, born Kobe, Japan, commemorated at Chatham Naval Memorial.

18. Nicholas Yak, aged 39, Sailor, born Russia, commemorated at Tower Hill Memorial. [882]