Wreck of The SS Wilson

Wreck of The SS Wilson

Clive Carter´s "Cornish Shipwrecks, The North Coast" states: This wreck´s tragic story began at 2.30 am on the 22nd January 1939 when St. Just coastguard sighted a large steamer smothered by breaking seas 2 miles north of Cape Cornwall. At the time there was a WNW storm force 10 blowing with winds of over 90mph. The St. Ives lifeboat John & Sarah Eliza Stych, aided by 80 volunteers working chestdeep in freezing water, was launched from the harbour. Four hours later the lifeboat, three times capsized and six of her crew drowned, was tossed ashore broken and gutted on to Godrevy rocks, leaving only one survivor. The big steamer had come within a few hundred yards of the shore before making off seawards. She had made neither rocket or radio signals and had apparently escaped unscathed. But other bodies than those of the lifeboatmen were coming ashore, and heavy wreckage was found near Zennor. A lifebouy enscribed Fosca was picked up, but this Italian steamer was unharmed. Under Wicca Cliffs a broken lifeboat marked Becheville was found, but this 2,561 ton London steamer had already limped in to Falmouth with 6 of her crew badly injured. Further wreckage indicated a French trawler. At Tregurthen a farmer found a broken lifebuoy, one half bearing SS Wilston and the other "Glasgow". The Wilston was last positvely sighted 20 miles NNW of the Longships, however no distress signal of any kind was ever received from her. Source: wrecksite: https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?76142

Morrab Library

1939-01-22

Morrab Library

Print

Photograph

M.2503

Cape Cornwall