# Uk shipping casualties



## stevo7 (Nov 7, 2006)

Dear All
Does anyone have any recollections or details of the following three UK ships or their casualties:

The Burtonia which foundered with four men lost in 1972

The supply vessel LM Gemsbok which went down with eight men off the Cape Good Hope in 1972

The Hawarden Bridge which was found flooded without the crew of five in 1978

Regards
Stephen


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## ted nutt (Dec 4, 2008)

Morning Stevo7,from Marine News May1978.Hawarden Bridge 297/1940 mv owned by I.W.Marshall,was found 14/3/78 drifting in a postion 20.02 N 79.05 W with her engine room flooded and no sign of her crew.Taken in tow for Miami no trace has been found of her crew.Working on the other two vessels.Ted


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## ted nutt (Dec 4, 2008)

Burtonia(launched as Jacoba M) 498/58-60 mv owned by Trent Lighterage company;capsized and sank 8.5 mls off Southwold 30/11 72 in a pstn 52.22N 01.54 E after her cargo had shifted in heavy weather o.vGunness to Ghent.4 of the 8 crew lost.(M.News Jan 73).Ted


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## ted nutt (Dec 4, 2008)

L M Gemsbok 314/65 m.v salvage vessel owned by Causeway Shpg Co capsized and sank about 3.25mls S.W of Green Pt Cape Town 3/9/1975 with loss of 8 crew while loading anchor and cable aboard Cetra Centarus 88,089/71 m.v.Subsequently abandoned as a total loss.M News Oct&Dec 1975.If you need any other info let me know and will have a search.Ted


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## stevo7 (Nov 7, 2006)

Thanks Ted

That's greatly appreciated. Do you have any details of the cargoes that the Burtonia and the Hawarden Bridge were carrying?

Regards

Stephen


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## ted nutt (Dec 4, 2008)

Stephen,there was no mention of the caroges in Marine News but Ill trawl Sea Breezes.As they where small vessels they sometimes get a mention.Ted


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## stevo7 (Nov 7, 2006)

Thanks

Regards

Stephen


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## ted nutt (Dec 4, 2008)

Morning Steve,from Sea Breeze Dec 1981.Burtonia had loaded lead concentrate at railway wharf,Keadby.Jan 1982,formal investigtion loss was attributed to shifting of cargo due to improper trimming,and in part to some of the cargo liquefying and flowing.If you want Ican type out the whole article but it will take some time.Still on the trail of the H/Bridge.Ted


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## ted nutt (Dec 4, 2008)

Stephen,the USCG Cape Knox stopped the H/B the previous month and found traces of marijuna,she was found abandoned a month later in a report dated 3/4/1978 to a Ruth Barriskill of the Guildhall library.H/B was found hold dry,engine room flooded,2 liferats missing,no gyro,magnetic compass removed,no communications equipment,crime might be involved.Scuttled in November 1978.Question were had she been and were was she going?Ted


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## andysk (Jun 16, 2005)

stevo7 said:


> ..... The Burtonia which foundered with four men lost in 1972 .....


Hi Stevo 7 

I have just picked up on this thread, and have some info for you. That excellent publication "Ships in Focus Record" carried a three part article on J Wharton (Shipping) Ltd by Ken Garrett in Vol 35/36/37 (Nov 2006, Mar & Jul 2007)

There are 2 pics of BURTONIA in Vol 35, pp 158/163, and her loss is covered in some depth in Vol 36, pp 252/3

PM me if you would like to know more ...

Cheers

Andy


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## christo2024 (Apr 27, 2009)

*Loss of Burtonia*

As a 16 year old Inshore fisherman I used to keep a radio next to me at night in bed at home to listen into MF discussions between trawlers on 2226 khz. On that stormy night, no one was out so I tuned to 2182 khz, the distress frequency. 
I heard pretty much the whole radio discussions between North Foreland radio and the Burtonia and other vessels.
I now have the official report into the loss of the Burtonia, the events of which have stayed with me all my life.


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