Part of the Acorn Archive

Hearts of Oak

 

 

 

Athel Line Ships

 

Atheltarn

2 ships of this name

 

1  ATHELTARN 

ON  139184

Built 1917  Barclay, Curie & Co. Ltd., Glasgow

Yard Nr  539;  built as BOXLEAF

For Lane McAndrew Ltd

( Fleet sister ship, LIMELEAF became ATHELRILL )

7385 grt; 4580 nrt; 10280 dwt

450ft x 58ft x 35ft 5ins

900 nhp

Triple expansion engines

Call Sign : TFBG

1919  14th Dec : Renamed INDIA;  Dutch company

1924 Renamed ATHELTARN; British Molasses Co Ltd

1928 Renamed  ZUIYO MARU; Nippon Tanker K.K

1944  1st October : Torpedoed and sunk by submarine USS CABRILLA position 16.11N 119.44E; off Olongapo, Philippines. On voyage to Cape Bolinao (Luzon).

 

Atheltarn (1) ex Boxleaf

 

2  ATHELTARN

ON 161116.
1,179 grt

221ft 9ins x 36ft 4ins

Built 1929  Cammell, Laird & Co, Birkenhead
Vessel Nr V0958

For United Molasses Co, Liverpool

1933   20th March  The Times : Trawler Sunk in Collision - Eight Lives Lost.

Aberdeen Correspondent March 19th

Eight memebers of the crew of the Granton trawler SUCCESSION lost their lives when their vessel sank after a collision with the Liverpool tanker ATHELTARN, 104 miles north-east by east of Aberdeen, this morning.

The names of the lost men are ...

Thomas Lees, skipper and

owner of the vessel, Park Road, Newhaven.

David Falconer, deck hand, and

William Falconer ( brothers ) of Granton.

Adam Smith, deck hand, Harbour Street, Findochty.

Malcolm Buchan, chief engineer, Cannon Street, Leith.

James Gordon, fireman, Loch End, Leith.

William Nicholson, cook, Balfour Street, Leith.

Two members of the crew, William Smith, the mate, Graham street, Leith and James Swanney, second fisherman, Lapicide Place, Leith, escaped. The collision occurred at about 5 am in a heavy sea during a snowstorm. The ATHELTARN, which is of 1179 tons gross, struck the trawler amidships on the starboard side, penetrating lamost to the wheelhouse. Smith, the mate, was in the wheelhouse. Swanney, who was on deck attending the trawl board, saw the ATHELTARN loom up out of the darkness and shouted to Smith. The tanker was only 50 or 60 feet away, and a collison could not be avoided thought the mate swung the trawler over as far as he could. Swanney shouted to the men sleeping in the forecastle that the trawler was sinking, as it was obvious that she could not remain afloat for many minutes. Smith said afterwards that “the tanker's bow was close to the wheelhouse. I grasped the rail, got an arm around a bollard and succeeded in pulling myself on board. I caught sight of the skipper and shouted to him, but I immediately lost sight of him again, for the ship became involved in steam as the main steam pipe of our trawler was broken. Swanney came on to the veranda of the wheelhouse and I succeeded in catching hold of him and pulling him on board the ATHELTARN. Before he came up, however, he was struck by the wheelhouse and severely bruised on the side”. The ATHELTARN, which was on her way from Danzig to Garston, near Liverpool, belongs to the Molasses Company, Ltd..

1940 Owners restyled Athel Line Ltd, Liverpool.

1952 Sold to Everard Shipping Co, London renamed ACCLIVITY.

1966 Scrapped at Boom, Belgium.

 

Atheltarn 1928

 

Atheltarn(2)

 

Photograph Courtesy of  Joe McMillan

 

 Go also to  http://www.m-navydays.com

 

Raymond Forward