Part of the
Acorn Archive
Hearts of Oak
Salvage of the SOUTHGARTH
The Times 21st
May 1919
Stranded
Steamer shelled and bombed : Salvage
The SOUTHGARTH
(Before Mr Justice Roche and Elder Brethren of the
Trinity House)
The
Crown’s Solicitors were Bottrell, Roche and Temperley
In this action the owners, master and crew of the London
steam tug CONQUEROR claimed salvage for services rendered to the North Shields
steamship SOUTHGARTH.
On December 12 1915, the SOUTHGARTH, while she was under
requisition by the Admiralty and on voyages from London to Dunkirk with
Government stores, came to anchor off what her master took to be Nr 15 Buoy in
Dunkirk Roads. At daylight, shells from hostile shore batteries began to fall
around her and it was then discovered that she was really off La Panne and only
about 15 miles from Middelkerke.
A little later a number of German Taubes hovered over the
vessel and began to drop bombs, and when an attempt was made to get under way
it was found that the SOUTHGARTH was aground on the Trapegeer Bank.
The crew were taken to Dunkirk, where steps for the
salvage of the steamship were taken by the naval authorities. On the 12th and
13th the weather was too bad to do anything, but on the afternoon of the 14th
the master and chief engineer, together with a boarding party from HMS
ATTENTIVE, were put on board the SOUTHGARTH, which was re-floated and taken
into Dunkirk. Throughout these services the Germans were continuing their
efforts to destroy the steamship, and by some means of a bomb they succeeded in
wrecking the rudder.
The dispute in the case was about the actual service
rendered by the CONQUEROR. The plaintiffs, by their pleadings and evidences
actually towed the SOUTHGARTH off the bank. This was denied by the defendants,
who alleged that the CONQUEROR parted her hawser immediately after she went
ahead, and that the only vessel fast to the SOUTHGARTH when she floated was HM
destroyer VIKING, and that the CONQUEROR did not make fast again until the
steamship was being towed towards port.
The case for the defendants was supported by Captain E R
G R Evans, CB, DSO who at that time was in command of the VIKING, and
afterwards in command of the BROKE.
The accuracy of Captain Evans' memory was challenged by
the plaintiffs' counsel, who said
"A good many things have happened to you since 1915,
Captain Evans"
Captain Evans replied "I do not think so; not to
me"
Mr Dunlop replied "We all know you have done a great
deal";
"I should rather say my men have helped me to do
something".
Judgement
Mr Justice Roche said that he was not satisfied that the
CONQUEROR took any effective part in actually towing the SOUTHGARTH off the
bank. He was saitisfied, howver, that the tug made fast soon after the vessel
became afloat, and that she rendered very effective services in turning her and
helping to navigate through intricate channels to Dunkirk. He awarded her
£1,150, which included £250 for the repair of the damage suffered by the tug.
So, what are “German
Taubes”? – They were an early aircraft; German forces had around 120 of
these machines, built by the Rumpler factory. They had 100 hp engines; and
their monoplane wings and tailplane had a swept trailing fin arrangement, which
made them look like flying fish.
E R G R Evans, later Lord Mountevans, was second in command on the Terra Nova - Captain Scott’s
ill-fated Antarctic Expedition. Captain E R G R Evans was a key member of the
Dover Patrol; He was in command of HMS BROKE, when, with HMS SWIFT, on 20th
April 1917 they intercepted German Destroyers G42 and G45, and (Jellicoe writes)
after a hot engagement succeeded in sinking two of the enemy vessels, one
being very neatly rammed by the Broke (Captain E.R.G.R. Evans, C.B.), and the
second sunk by torpedoes.
HMS BROKE
Though Jellicoe continues …..
Our flotilla leaders were handled with conspicuous skill,
and the enemy was taught a lesson which resulted in his displaying even greater
caution in laying his plans and evincing a greater respect for the Dover force
for many months. The success of the Broke and Swift was received with a chorus
of praise, and this praise was undoubtedly most fully deserved, but once again
an example was furnished of the manner in which public attention becomes
riveted upon the dramatic moments of naval warfare whilst the long and patient
labour by which the dramatic moments are brought about is ignored.
Captain E R G R Evans wrote the books …
“Keeping The Seas” 1920 and “South with Scott" 1925.
~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~
Southgarth 1891 from a
gouache painting
by Captain George Olditch
SOUTHGARTH
Built 1891 John Readhead & Sons; Yard Nr 271;
ON.96524
For W D C Balls
Single deck Steamship; 2,434 grt
12th December 1915 SS SOUTHGARTH, transport
steamer laden with trench gear, on voyage from London to Dunkirk, anchored off La
Panne;
13th December 1915 SS SOUTHGARTH Under aircraft
attack, and became grounded on Traepegeer Bank (position 51.08N : 02.33E).
Sustained some damage; HMS ATTENTIVE, cruiser, and HMS VIKING, destroyer,
pulled her off on the next high water.
29th May 1916 On voyage Marseille - Benisaf in
ballast; Captured by U-39; scuttled with explosives; 60 miles NNE of Algiers.
~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~
CONQUEROR ( “London Steam Tug” )
Iron
Tug; paddle; 2 funnels
ON.108177;
Signal Letters PNSG
224grt;
131 ft x 21.7 ft x 10 ft
Engines
SL 2cyl Hepple & Co; 115 nhp; 750
ihp
1897 Built J T Eltringham, South Shields; Yard Nr
188
For
Thomas G Sandford, Gravesend
1902
John Page and G & W Sandford, London
1903
Elliott Steam Tug Company, London
1916 On
UK Admiralty service at Dunkirk
1919
Returned to owners
1919
Jersey Steam Shipping Co Ltd, St Helier
1922
Edward R McNab, Edinburgh; Reg Kirkcaldy
1922
Kirk Deas & Co, Leith
1923
William S Taylor, Dunblane
1924
John Fenton, Edinburgh
1924
Stanley Butler Steamship Co Ltd, Kirkcaldy; Reg Middlesbrough
1925
Tees Towing Co Ltd, Middlesbrough; Renamed HURWORTH
1927
Renamed HUTTON CROSS
1934
Scrapped
Thanks to Ted Finch and Andy Adams
Raymond
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