ROYAL SCEPTRE - 1937

[northeast]

1937, 4853grt
J. L. Thompson, Sunderland (583) for Hall Bros. S.S. Co., Newcastle
An early war loss, shelled and torpedoed by U.48 on 5/9/1939, 46.23N 14.59W,
Rosario for Belfast with grains

[fitter]

Build cost £87,180. I have this as the first British tramp ship to be lost in WW2
Wonder if any of its cargo here still survives as timber or furniture in homes today.

[magoonigal]

ATHENIA (13,581 Gross) was the first vessel sunk by a Submarine. She was attacked on the 3rd September 1939 but she was General Cargo/Passenger. Voyage Clyde and Liverpool for Montreal with General and Passengers.
The Danish Fishing Vessel NORDSTRAND (30 Gross.) was sunk by a Mine on the 3rd..

Two ships were lost on the 5th September. First on the list is the British vessel BOSNIA of 2,407 Gross, Licata for Manchester with Sulphur in bulk, so she's not really a Tramp.
Next is the ROYAL SCEPTRE, British (4853 Gross) Rosario for Belfast with Wheat and Maize.

6th September.

RIO CLARO British (4,086 Gross.) Sunderland for Montevideo with Coal.
and
MANAAR British (7242 Gross) Clyde and Liverpool for Calcutta and Rangoon with General (Agricultural Equipment and General Stores.)

[fitter]

Thank you for clarification. My deceased friend was wrong and if he wasn't deceased he would have been told. I have a 150 page list of Thompsons ships that I update as and when new information is found. Mike had a copy of it and we were going to combine our lists when we thought we had as much info as justified it. Very sadly he passed away and returned his list to me before he did. He had an amazing knowledge of ships, shipbuilding and shipping companies. Since he died I have used his list to update and this is where the information came from. I never bother to check his work, it is invariably always correct. I really do miss his enthusiasm and selfless sharing of everything he knew. Thank you again for the correction.

[magoonigal]

I would not say he was wrong, Tom.

The BOSNIA was a General Cargo Ship built by Thompsons in 1928 for the Cunard White Star Line.

Lloyds War Loss does not give the time of loss so ROYAL SCEPTRE could indeed have been the first "TRAMP" to be lost.

[magoonigal]

I assume you have seen this, Lorraine............

http://www.maritimequest.com/daily_even ... ceptre.htm

[CLYDEBRAE]

This year's Alnwick Flower Festival in St.Paul's Church has a display commemorating Captain James Gair, Master of the "Royal Sceptre" at the time of her loss. Although not the first merchant ship to be lost, due to enemy action, in World War II, Captain Gair was the first in command to lose his life, in his case being mortally wounded from shrapnel. Born in South Shields, he lived in Alnwick at the time of his death.

[northeast]

Very nice to be remembered some 85 years after his loss.