Acorn Archive - Hearts of Oak - Athel Line

Part of the Acorn Archive

Hearts of Oak

Athel Line Ships

Athelcrown

3 ships of this name

1 ATHELCROWN

ON 161107

GSN 20007779

Built 1929 Furness Shipbuilding Co. Haverton Hill.

For United Molasses Co.

April 27th 1929: The Times

The Athelcrown, a motor tanker of 16,000 tons, the largest vessel yet built on the River Tees, was launched on Thursday from the Furness Shipbuilding Company's yard at Haverton Hill. The naming ceremony was performed by Countess Ahlefeldt Laurvig, wife of the Danish Minister in London. The Athelcrown has been built to the order of the United Molasses Company Limited, for their Java service.

526ft 2ins x 68ft 8ins x 38ft 9ins

945 nhp; 12 knots; Oil engines.

11,999 nt; 18,045 grt

1942 22^nd Jan 1942; 45 06N 40 56W Torpedoed U-82, SE of Cape Race.

At 2310, SS ATHELCROWN dispersed from Convoy ON-56, was torpedoed & sunk. Five crew members were lost. Capt. Burkill was among the survivors.

The master, 26 crew members & six gunners were picked up by the British merchant ARGOS HILL and landed at Halifax. A British warship rescued eight crew members. Donald Stanley Pinnington, Chief Engineer received an OBE, and Walter Jackson, Chief Officer, received an MBE. The Master, Captain Isaac Burkill, received a Commendation, and Edward Brook Young Mouat, Carpenter received a BEM. Colin Norman Timothy Baptist, Apprentice, received a BEM, for services in an open boat after ATHELCROWN was sunk; after 6 days in the lifeboat the four crew members boarded the drifting wreck of the DIALA and attempted to get her under way. The DIALA had been torpedoed on 15 January by U-553 at position 47.28N 39.19W. They remained on board for eight days before they were rescued by the Swedish merchant SATURNUS and landed on the Faeroe Isles. Colin Baptist became the author of the "Tanker Captains Handbook" and another on Salvage.

Men who died 22^nd Jan 1942

BEE, Senior Second Engineer Officer, WILLIAM LOUIS, Age 37.

Husband of E. Bee, of Eastham, Cheshire.

BLACKBURN, Wiper, THOMAS, Age 37.

BLAND, Able Seaman, JOHN ALLAN STEPHENSON, Age 22.

Son of Allan and Jane Alice Bland, of Oakworth, Yorkshire.

GILROY, Junior Engineer Officer, JAMES ASCROFT, Age 24.

Son of James Abraim and Florence Beatrice Gilroy; West Kirby, Cheshire.

HAUGHTON, Third Engineer Officer, JOHN MAURICE, Age 29.

Son of the Revd. J. O. Haughton, M.A., and of Eleanor Haughton,

of Wallasey, Cheshire.

Died 25th September 1946

BURKILL, Master, ISAAC, Age 63.

Son of George and Sarah Ellen Burkill;

husband of Maud Beatrice Burkill, of Hull.

Commemorated Hull Crematorium. Buried Ashore.

Athelcrown (1)

2 ATHELCROWN

GSN 20007780

Tonnage 11,149 grt

Built 1949 Camell Laird Shipbuilders, Birkenhead

Order of build 1192

Vessel number V1189

For Athel Line Ltd, Liverpool

1971 Scrapped Spain.

5028332

Official Number 183734

August 2, 1949: History was made in Buffalo Harbour on Sunday July 31^st 1949, when the tanker ATHELCROWN, dressed for the occasion, crossed the bar at 7am flying from the foremast the message, "Have brought drinking water and very good wishes." The ATHELCROWN, on her maiden voyage, had on board her first cargo of 3,300,000 gallons of water from Durban. Location: Buffalo Harbour, East London,Eastern Province, South Africa.