# MONGABARRA in collision with Brit tanker



## scorcher (Jul 2, 2007)

I have uploaded a photo of Red A/B Transatlantic"s
MONGABARRA and a SN member has left a posting to say
she collided with a British tanker. She sank in 1960.
I am curious as to the name of the tanker.Any suggestions very welcome.


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## melliget (Dec 3, 2006)

Scorcher.

According to The Times, the tanker was the British Workman:

The Times, Friday, May 20, 1960
COLLISION IN NORTH SEA FOG
THE HAGUE, May 19.- The 8,575-ton
London-registered tanker *British Workman*
was on her way to Bremen today after
being in collision with a Swedish freighter.
Five British members of the tanker's crew
were at one time reported missing in thick
fog in the North Sea, in a ship's boat which
had been lowered after the collision off the
German coast.
They had gone to the aid of the 5,029-
ton freighter *Mongbarra*, which settled on
the bottom in eight fathoms with her fore-
part under water.
Thirty-three men from the Swedish vessel
had abandoned ship leaving only a few on
board. One of the Swedish ship's boats was
found by the 485-ton Dutch vessel *Wegro*
and 16 survivors were taken on board.
Seventeen others were picked up later after
being adrift for almost six hours.- Reuter


They seem to have got the name of the Swedish ship wrong (your spelling confirmed by Miramar).

regards,
Martin


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## scorcher (Jul 2, 2007)

Many thanks for uploading that article Martin and so quickly too !..Would that be 1960 ?.


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## melliget (Dec 3, 2006)

Yes, sorry, it was. I normally put the date on articles but missed on this one, for some reason. Have now added it in.

regards,
Martin


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## jimmyjenk (May 19, 2007)

My Dad was one of the five missing off the Workman. I don't know who else was in the boat, but the 2nd mate (from Dunoon) was. They were adrift from about 1.30am until the fog lifted about 11am on the 19th May, when they were able to get back onboard. The whole time they were adrift, they were in a minefield in the Nordeney Channel. So, nobody fancied a kip ! The Workman had sailed from North Shields on Friday 13th May 1960.


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## jimmyjenk (May 19, 2007)

My father has emailed me with further info on this incident;

The second mate was not on board the lifeboat, it was the third mate, Bill Maddox from Guildford. They were not actually IN the mine field, but in a bouyed cleared channel. The Workman’s lifeboat towed the 16 men in the Mongabarra lifeboat, to the rescue ship (the report got the wrong name, my Father is trying to remember her name) then towed a second lifeboat, to the same ship, eventually finding the wreck again to stand by. During this time, they managed to return to the rescue ship, to bring back the Chief Engineer for assistance with any hope of salvage, but of course that was not to be. They were lowered a basket of soft drinks and finally invited aboard by the mate and given tea and cold mashed potatoes. Back in their lifeboat as the fog cleared, they saw they were surrounded by several other lifeboats, and ships, all around the wreck. Then they returned to the Workman, to everyone aboard her's relief. Especially the Old Man who had been worried sick!


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## scorcher (Jul 2, 2007)

Thank you for your postings jimmyjenk. It is fascinating to know of the great dramas that lie behind a ships image. Even better to learn that some of those involved are thankful for their generous deeds being acknowledged today. I can understand "Fletcher" eating cold porridge, it don"t seem so appetising on the North Sea.


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## jimmyjenk (May 19, 2007)

Scorcher,

The crew list of the British Workman for May 1960 is in SN member Graham Wallace's excellent BP Apprentices website, under Crew Lists, 1960, Vol 1, no. 2.

Rgds


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## jimmyjenk (May 19, 2007)

Can I apologise to anyone who is fed up with me posting on this thread, anyway, here I am again, with more info/clarification.

The bucket of soft drinks was passed down from the Mongabarra contained seven bottles of beer and two bottles of lemonade. Incredibly, my father kept the bucket and one bottle of lemonade as souvenirs, the lemonade was chucked away 25 years later.

The Workman's lifeboat towed the first Mongabarra lifeboat to the *Wegro*, (my father recollects this vessel as being the *Welgo*), this boat had sixteen souls, including a fair number of women who were understandbly distressed and uncomfortable with the swell running. Sometime later they found and towed the 2nd Mongabarra lifeboat to a vessel called the *Nicola*. The second boat had 17 onboard including the C/E of the Mongabarra. The Mongabarra's master had stayed aboard the wreck, and later asked for the C/E to be returned from the Nicola. My father recalls he took quite a lot of persuading. When the fog lifted, there were eight vessels around the wreck, (salvage !!).

Scorcher asked me if any thanks was given from the Mongabarra's owners/managers, the answer is no. However, when the Workman's lifeboat was released from standing by the wreck when the fog had lifted, all the survivors from the Mongabarra lined up along the decks of the Wegro and Nicola and gave them a rousing send off, as they put-putted back to the now visible, anchored British Workman. If any member of the Swedish government is reading this and wants to send a belated thank you letter, it will of course be graciously received. PM me.

The wreck of the Mongabarra was still visible at least until 1967, when my father sighted it whilst on the British Fulmar.

Apologies again, now, does anyone want to buy an antique bucket ?


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