SS Gallois

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Coordinates: 52°54′N 01°43′E / 52.900°N 1.717°E / 52.900; 1.717
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

History
Ensign of United Kingdom
Name
  • Tynemouth (1917–1929)
  • Lord Aberconway (1929–1931)
  • Gallois (1931–1941)
Namesake
Owner
  • Burnett Steamship Co Ltd, Newcastle (1917–1929)
  • Tredegar Associated Collieries & Shipping Company Ltd, Cardiff (1929–1931)
  • Établissements Odon de Lubersac, Rouen (1931–1940)
  • British Government (1940-1941)
Port of registry
  • Newcastle (1917–1929)
  • Cardiff (1929–1931)
  • Rouen (1931–1940)
  • London (1940-1941)
BuilderWood, Skinner & Company Ltd., Newcastle upon Tyne
Yard number197
Launched16 August 1916
CompletedJanuary 1917
IdentificationUK official number 133590
FateWrecked on Haisbro Sands 6 August 1941 off Norfolk, England
General characteristics
Tonnage2,684 gross register tons (GRT)
Length321 ft (98 m)
Beam43 ft (13 m)
Draft17 ft (5.2 m)
Installed powerThree cylinder triple-expansion engine
PropulsionScrew propeller
Speed10.5 knots (19.4 km/h)
CrewCaptain Peard and 30 crew[1]
NotesFrench collier but technically she was under a British flag when wrecked.

SS Gallois was a French

Second World War as part of Convoy FS 559
.

History

The Gallois was a steam merchant ship built in 1917 by Wood, Skinner & Company Ltd.,

General de Gaulle's Free French Naval Forces.[4]

Final voyage

On 5 August 1941[3] Convoy FS 559 was proceeding down the East coast of Britain to London from Newcastle. The convoy was being escorted by two Royal Navy destroyers of the Rosyth escort-force. HMS Vimiera[5] was a V-class destroyer built in 1917,[3] whilst HMS Wolsey[6] was of the Thorneycroft W class built a year later in 1918.[3] Also helping with the escort duties were two trawlers, HMT Agate and HMT Arkwright.[3] The night was drawing in as the convoy made its way down the coast and the weather was poor. There was a north-north west gale in full blow with rain. It was cold and visibility was poor. By the early hours and daylight of 6 August the convoy was enveloped in a thick sea mist making visibility very poor.[7]

Disaster

There are two accounts[3] of what happened in the early hours of 6 August 1941. The first is that when Convoy FS 559 was being passed by a northbound convoy. They had come under attack by German E-boats. The standing instruction for ships in convoy under these circumstances was to scatter in groups, each with their own Royal Navy escort. HMT Agate led her group away and had either lost all notion of her position or the channel buoys had moved. The convoy had been unable to see the Haisborough Light in the poor visibility which due to wartime restrictions was only illuminated for ten minutes when a convoy was due in the area. This had caused the lead escort difficulty in plotting their position. Soon seven of the vessels were stranded on the sands. The second version and the more likely cause of the ships running aground is that the bad weather conditions, and the strong westerly drift, and the fact that the exact position of the convoy was unavailable; the ships involved just ran aground.

Rescue

The

H F Bailey put out at once with Coxswain Henry Blogg[8] in command.[8] The lifeboat arrived at Haisborough Sands at 9:40 am.[8] Above the lifeboat, the crew of H F Bailey could hear the slow drone of RAF aircraft sent to patrol above the stricken convoy.[8] As the lifeboat approached the sands, Blogg and his crew saw the seven big cargo vessels stranded with their backs broken. All that was visible was the ships' bridges as the sea broke across their decks. One of the escort destroyers had already begun rescue work[8] using one of her whaler
boats. The sea conditions the whaler came up against resulted in twelve of the seaman drowning by the time the lifeboat arrived. Before attending to the Gallois, the lifeboat took 16 men to safety from the SS Oxshott.[8] Coxswain Blogg then took the H F Bailey alongside the Gallois. The steamer was still just above water and her engines were still running. Blogg held the lifeboat alongside the ship, head to the wind, while some of the crew jumped aboard and others slid down ropes. One of the crew fell into the sea but was hauled out by one of the lifeboat men, unharmed. In total the H F Bailey rescued 31 men[8] from the SS Gallois which with the crew from the Oxshott meant she was now carrying 47 rescued seamen. The lifeboat left the sands and transferred the rescued men to a nearby destroyer. The H F Bailey then returned to the sands, her work not yet completed.[8]

Awards

Coxswain Henry Blogg and his crew were recognised for their bravery on the service to Convoy FS559 at an award ceremony held at the Regal Cinema in Hans Place, Cromer. The ceremony was attended by Vice Admiral

Great Yarmouth and Gorleston lifeboat.[8] Several other members of the Cromer crew were awarded RNLI bronze medals.[8]

Position of the wreck of the SS Gallois today

52°54′N 01°43′E / 52.900°N 1.717°E / 52.900; 1.717
24.1 kilometres (15.0 mi) North of

Caister on Sea
28.2 kilometres (17.5 mi) East of Cromer

Cromer Lifeboat Crew

The Rescue of the SS Gallois[10]
H. F. Bailey
Name Rank
Henry G Blogg Coxswain
J J Davis Snr Second Coxswain
W T Davis Bowman
H W Davis Mechanic
W Davis Assistant Mechanic
Henry "shrimp" Davies Signaller
Edward W "Boy Primo" Allen Signaller
J R Davis crew
Robert "Skinback" Cox crew
C Harrison
L Harrison
L Harrison

References

  1. ISBN 9780946148899. Archived from the original
    on 20 October 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  2. ^ SC1408 Harwich and Rotterdam to Cromer & Terschelling Admiralty Small Craft Chart Coastal planning chart of the Harwich and Rotterdam to Cromer and Terschelling Scale: 1:300,000
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i The Ship-Wrecks off North East Norfolk by Ayer Tikus: Published by Ayer Tikus Publications; ASIN B0032Z2NU0
  4. ^
    OCLC 165892922
    .
  5. ^ *HMS Vimiera
  6. ^ HMS Wolsey
  7. ^
    ISBN 1-85770-229-8
  8. ^
    ISBN 0-946148-59-7
  9. ^ "No. 35347". The London Gazette (Supplement). 14 November 1941. p. 6619.
  10. ISBN 0-946148-21-X

External links
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