Part of the
Acorn Archive
Hearts of Oak
Athel Line
Ships
Athelsultan
2 ships of this name
1 ATHELSULTAN
GSN
20007814
ON
161128
Built
1929 W. Hamilton & Co., Port
Glasgow
For
United Molasses Co
8,882
grt
475ft
x 63ft 4ins x 35ft;
Oil
engines; 710 nhp; 11 knots.
The
Times Aug 28th 1929 : Shipbuilding on the Clyde.
Messrs
Hamilton & Co, of Port Glasgow, yesterday launched the twin screw motor
vessel Athelsultan, which they have built for the United Molasses Company Ltd.,
of London. The vessel, which is 450ft in length and has a deadweight capacity
of 13,000 tons, is intended for carrying molasses and oils. It contains 10
cargo tanks, which are divided in the centre by an oil tight division. The
athwart-ship bulkheads are so arranged that when molasses only are carried,
alternate tanks are used. The pumping installation includes four sets of pumps
suitable for pumping molasses. the naming ceremony was performed by Mrs Hopley,
wife of Captain Hopley, a director of the British Molasses Company, by whom the
fleet of the United Molasses Company is operated. Sir James Lithgow, head of
the shipbuilding form, proposed a toast of "The United Molasses Company, and
success to the Athelsultan" and presented a timepiece to Mrs Hopley as a
memento of the launch. Captain Hopley, in reply, said that he had no doubt
there would be continuous and remunerative employment for the new vessel.
1942
September : Convoy SC100, in the North Atlantic, included the ATHELSULTAN. She
was fully loaded, in a severe gale, with heavy seas; no consideration had been
given to the possibility of a submarine attack. But, at 0019hrs, on the 22nd
September, she was torpedoed by U-617, when the ship was just South East of
Cape Farewell, position 58.24N 33.38W; the ship sank very quickly. Most of the
ship’s crew were killed instantly, with only 9 survivors out of a total of 58
crew; together with six gunners, the Convoy Commodore and five of his staff, all
of whom died; and are listed below. Capt. J. D. Donovan, who later in the war
was awarded the O.B.E. and the Lloyd's Medal, was among the survivors. Later,
five survivors, including the severely injured chief, were picked up from a
life-raft, by HMS NASTURTIUM, as well as four other survivors. They were all
landed at Londonderry. They were looked after by the Salvation Army until they were able to obtain passage back
to the UK. Gerwyn Ham, who never left the chief’s side, was later awarded the
B.E.M together with Lloyd's Silver medal.
Andy
Proudfoot writes ….William Russell Proudfoot was one of those survivors. Now 84
years of age, he remembers that he had no shoes, or trousers, or shirt... just
some shorts and a singlet. The shipping office gave him a travel warrant to get
home to Co Durham, and he got a blanket and food from the Salvation Army. He
remembers coming home from Stranraer on the train and getting off the train at
Ferryhill Station, where the station master knew him. When the station master
saw him standing on the platform wrapped in a blanket, wearing only a vest and
shorts he said to my father "Where's thoo been?" in his broadest
Durham accent.
Mark
Jenkins writes …. My Dad who is now 84 years old was the only survivor picked
up by the Canadian Ship HMS WEYBURN. Dad thinks the timing of the ship being
sunk is wrong as he and his brother had just come off watch at around 8pm. Dad
had just gone across the walkway when his brother called him back saying they
had been hit and put himself and Dad plus other into a life raft. As it was
being lowered a wave tossed the life boat out and Dad ended up in the sea for
8-12 hours before being picked up. He was freezing but had managed to tie
himself to the side of an upside boat life boat. He asked the captain of the
Weyburn if they had found any other survivors and they said no. After a long sleep
he was given freedom of the ship. Dads brother Bombardier Joseph Jenkins, also
a DEMs gunner died that day.
The crewmen
who died 22nd September 1942
ABBOTT,
Apprentice, ANDREW PETER, Age 19.
Son of Francis
James Abbott and Nora Abbott, of Manchester.
BAKER, Second
Radio Officer, ROBERT, Age 30.
Son of Robert
Baker, and of Mary Clara Baker, of Clubmoor, Liverpool.
BROWNE, Able
Seaman, ALFRED, Age 38.
BURKE, Able
Seaman, MICHAEL, Age 48.
Son of Thomas and
Ellen Burke;
husband of
Edith Maud Burke, of Ellesmere Port, Cheshire.
BURSCOUGH,
Junior Engineer Officer, ANDREW, Age
22.
Son of Andrew
Tomlinson Burscough and Mary Burscough;
nephew of Jane
Burscough, of Bamber Bridge, Lancashire.
BUSH, Third Engineer
Officer, GEORGE SHEPHERD, Age 24.
Son of George
Bush, and of Agnes Bush, of Monifieth, Angus.
BUXTON, Junior
Engineer Officer, JAMES KENNETH, Age
20.
Son of Thomas
and Isabela Buxton;
husband of
Enid May Buxton, of Grangetown, Middlesbrough, Yorkshire.
CAMPBELL,
Ordinary Seaman, CHARLES, Age 19.
Son of John Richmond Campbell and Elizabeth
Campbell.
CAWOOD,
Ordinary Seaman, JOHN HENRY, Age 21.
Son of Edwin
and Catherine Cawood, of Rock Ferry, Birkenhead.
CHENEY,
Sailor, RICHARD, Age 18.
Son of Albert
Ernest and Jane Cheney.
DAVENPORT,
Mess Room Boy, STANLEY, Age 17.
Son of George
and Mary Elizabeth Davenport.
DUNBAR, Senior
Third Engineer Officer, JOHN, Age 24.
Son of James
and May Dunbar, of Great Crosby, Lancashire.
DUNPHY, Able
Seaman, WILLIAM, Age 62.
Husband of
Margaret Dunphy, of Tramore, Co. Waterford, Irish Republic.
EGNER, Chief
Steward, FREDERICK ERNEST, Age 41.
Son of John
and Abigail Egner;
husband of
Edith Hilda Egner, of Hull.
FILDES,
Steward, WILLIAM ARTHUR, Age 22.
Husband of B.
J. Fildes, of Birkenhead.
FLEET, Able
Seaman, JOHN ALEXANDER, Age 48.
FOXLEY,
Assistant Cook, WILLIAM, Age 27.
Son of William
M. and Dorothy Foxley, of Liverpool.
GARTLAND,
Fireman, WILLIAM HENRY, Age 24.
Son of George and
Isabella Gartland;
husband of
Gladys Irene Gartland, of North Leasowe, Moreton, Cheshire.
HUGHES, Junior
Engineer Officer, ROY VICTOR, Age 21.
Son of George
Victor and Elizabeth May Hughes, of Llithfaen, Caernarvonshire.
JONES,
Steward, JOHN MORRIS, Age 29.
Husband of
Margaret Magdaline Jones, of Wallasey, Cheshire.
LAIDLAW, Cook,
DUNCAN, Age 46.
Son of Duncan
and Edna Laidlaw.
Senior Fourth
Engineer Officer ALAN MCGHIE LAMB, Age 25
Son of John
McGhie Lamb and Annie Speakman Lamb, of Wallasey, Cheshire.
MAIN, Able
Seaman, WILLIAM ERIC, Age 42.
Son of Stephen
Ball Main, and Annie Catherine Main.
MILLINGTON,
Second Engineer Officer, THOMAS GEORGE,
Age 39.
Son of John
William and Alice Millington;
Husband of
Annie Miller Millington, of Aigburth, Liverpool.
MORETON, Able
Seaman, SIDNEY HENSHALL, Age 36.
Husband of
Lilian Moreton, of Tue Brook, Liverpool.
PARTRIDGE,
Cabin Boy, BRIAN, Age 16.
ROBERTS,
Fireman, WILLIAM, Age 21.
SAMUEL,
Donkeyman, THOMAS, 28th September 1942. Age 43.
Son of Thomas
and Sarah Samuel;
Husband of L.
M. Samuel, of Lower Tranmere, Birkenhead.
SMITH, First
Radio Officer, ALFRED ARTHUR ERNEST, Age 24.
SMITH,
Donkeyman, JOHN EDWARD, Age 45.
TALBOT, Senior
Second Engineer Officer, HENRY NORMAN,
Age 47.
TAYLOR,
Boatswain, GEORGE ERNEST, Age 35.
Son of Harry
Taylor, and of Kate Taylor (nee Willey).
WHARTON,
Fireman, HENRY, Age 34.
Son of Henry
and Alice Wharton;
Husband of
Alice Wharton, of Lower Tranmere, Birkenhead.
WILLIAMS,
Carpenter, RICHARD HENRY, Age 27.
Son of James
Arthur and Margaret Williams;
Husband of
Mary Williams, of Llanerchymedd, Anglesey.
WOOD, Chief
Engineer Officer, ADAM MASTERTON, Age
46.
Son of David
and Cecilia Wood, of Grangemouth, Stirlingshire;
Husband of
Jeanie Elizabeth Wood, of Knightswood, Glasgow.
WOODS, Able
Seaman, LEO, Age 57.
Husband of C.
Woods, of Wallasey, Cheshire.
YOUENS,
Sailor, FREDERICK CHARLES, Age 20.
Son of Arthur
and Edith Youens;
Nephew of Ada
Youens, of Uxbridge, Middlesex
DEMS Gunners. Of
HMS PRESIDENT III, Royal Navy.
Who died 22nd
September 1942
BRADLEY,
Leading Seaman, JAMES, D/JX 191457
CREW, Able
Seaman, LESLIE SUTHERLAND, P/JX 335466, Age 19.
Son of William
E. and Hylda Crew, of Shirebrook, Derbyshire.
HOOPER, Telegraphist,
LIONEL ALBERT JEFFERY, D/JX 206800, Age 21.
Son of Albert
and Florence Hooper;
Husband of
Phyllis Hooper, of Hemyock, Devon.
MORRELL, Able
Seaman, JOSEPH THOMAS OLDFIELD, D/JX 257052, Age 32.
Son of Eleanor
Morrell, and stepson of James Seddon;
Husband of
Marjorie Morrell, of Blackpool, Lancashire.
SMITH, Convoy
Signalman, ARTHUR, C/JX 228633, Age 22.
Son of Allan
and Jessie A. Smith, of Preston, Lancashire.
WORBOYS,
Convoy Signalman, DENNIS EDWARD, C/JX 174073, Age 23.
Son of Herbert
Edward and Hilda Annie Worboys, of Bassingbourn, Cambridgeshire.
~~~o0o~~~
GALE, Captain -
Commodore 2nd Class, NEWELL HERBERT, DSO & RD
Royal Naval
Reserve HMS Eaglet, Age 54
Son of William
James and Elizabeth Gale;
Husband of
Ethel Gale, of Salcombe, Devon.
CALLOW, Gunner
Royal Artillery 4/2 Maritime Regt., JOSEPH, 3864561, Age 32
Son of James
Richard and Elizabeth Callow, of Douglas, Isle of Man.
SUTTON, Gunner,
FRANK Royal Artillery 2 Maritime Regt., 1653163, Age 32
JENKINS, Bombardier
Royal Artillery 3/2 Maritime Regt., JOSEPH, 1579893
LEE, Convoy
Leading Signalman Royal Navy MV Athelsultan, RAYMOND JACKSON, C/JX 186263
O'NEILL, Able
Seaman Royal Navy MV Athelsultan, CHARLES, C/JX 312378, Age 20
Son of Charles
and Margaret O'Neill, of Glasgow.
JONES, Convoy
Yeoman of Signals Royal Navy MV Athelsultan, LEONARD BRADLEY, C/JX 172477, Age
23
Son of Ernest
and Kate Jones;
Husband of
Mabel Jones, of Walkden, Lancashire.
CHARLTON, Telegraphist
Royal Navy MV Athelsultan, GEOFFREY, C/JX 201144, Age 29
Son of Edward
and Isabella Mary Charlton;
Husband of
Wirlifred Mary Charlton, of Whitley Bay, Northumberland.
Athelsultan(1)
By kind permission of
Bibliothek fur
Zeitgeschichte, Stuttgart
Collection Raul Maya (Montevideo)
http://www.wlb-stuttgart.de/bfz/marine/index.htm
Athelsultan
1929
2 ATHELSULTAN
GSN
20007815
ON 183804
Built
1951 Smiths Dock Co, Middlesbrough.
9,149
grt
474ft
6ins x 63ft 7ins
Single
screw
1965
scrapped Japan.
Athelsultan (2)
Raymond
Forward
Thanks to Andy
Proudfoot
Thanks to Mark
Jenkins