At 4 a.m. on May 29, 1917, under the command of Captain John E. Woodall, while en route from Port Pirie, S. Australia to Belfast with a cargo of wheat, the vessel was torpedoed by UC 55, Oberleutnant zur See Theodor Schultz in command, 40 miles W x S of Fastnet  At 50.57N, 10.21W.

It was armed with just one recently installed gun.

The Captain & the 3rd officer, A. G. MacPherson, were 'blown off the bridge by the force of the explosion'.

The Captain recovered somewhat, stopped the engines, went below to destroy the code books & was never seen again. MacPherson was taken aboard UC 55, & taken to Germany as a prisoner and possibly  the 3rd Engineer as well.

64 persons died - nearly all on those on board.

Torpedoed and Sunk  - 1917

Master

Date

Left

Destination

A J Barham

1897 - 1899



S Beer

1899 - 1901



E C Ody

1901 - 1901



S Beer

1901 - 1903



A Williamson

1903 - 1905



D Dall

1905 - 1908



S A Jones

1908 - 1909



H R East

1909 - 1910



J E Woodall

1910 - 1917



J E Woodall

10/1914

Liverpool

Bombay


4/1917

Port Pirie

Belfast

Torpedoed & sunk

   Crew List

Vessel

Built

Tonnage

Official No

Ship Builder

Engine Builder

Engine Type

HP

Screws

Clan Murray (2)

1897

4835

106077

Wm Doxford

Sunderland

Wm Doxford

Sunderland

Triple Expansion Steam

437 NHP

2800 IHP

1

Clan Murray (2)

PRHT

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