RFA Lady Cory-Wright

History
United Kingdom
Name	Lady Cory-Wright
Namesake	either Lady Mima Cory-Wright or Lady Elizabeth Cory-Wright
Owner	Wm Cory & Son (1906–14); British Admiralty (1914–18)
Operator	Wm Cory & Son (1906–14); Royal Fleet Auxiliary (1914–18)
Port of registry	London [1]
Builder	SP Austin & Son Ltd [2] [3]
Yard number	237 [3] [4]
Launched	4 August 1906 [4]
Completed	September 1906 [4]
Maiden voyage	1906
Fate	torpedoed 26 March 1918 [2]
General characteristics
Type	collier (1906–14); mine carrier (1914–18)
Tonnage	2,516  GRT, 1,523  NRT [1]
Length	310.0 ft (94.5 m) [1]
Beam	44.1 ft (13.4 m) [1]
Depth	20.3 ft (6.2 m) [1]
Decks	1 [1]
Installed power	251 NHP [1]
Propulsion	3-cylinder triple expansion steam engine, single screw [1]
Crew	40

RFA Lady Cory-Wright was a cargo steamship that had been built as a civilian collier in 1906, became a mine carrier in 1914 and was torpedoed and sunk with significant loss of life in 1918.

History

SP Austin & Son Ltd of Sunderland built her in 1906 for William Cory and Son. ^{[2] [3]} She was named Lady Cory-Wright after either Lady Mima, wife of Sir Cory Cory-Wright, 1st Baronet or Lady Elizabeth, wife of Sir Arthur Cory-Wright, 2nd Baronet.

In August 1914 the War Department requisitioned Lady Cory-Wright who used her as a mine carrier. ^[3] On 26 March 1918 she was in the English Channel steaming from Plymouth to Malta laden with a cargo that included 2,762 mines, 370 depth charges, 2,100 torpedo detonators and 1,000 primers B.E. ^[3] when the German submarine UC-17 torpedoed her about 14 miles off The Lizard. ^{[2] [3]} Lady Cory-Wright's Master and all but one of her crew were killed. ^[3]

After Lady Cory-Wright sank many of her mines were left floating in the area, and her one survivor reportedly was found clinging to a floating mine. In 2009 her wreck still contained many unexploded mines and detonators. ^[3]

References

1. "Steamers". Lloyd's Register of Shipping. Vol. I. London: Lloyd's Register of Shipping. 1914. LAC–LAD.
2. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit during WWI: Lady Cory-Wright". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
3. Lettens, Jan; Racey, Carl (9 February 2011). "SS Lady Cory-Wright [+1918]". WreckSite. wrecksite.eu. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
4. Searle, Peter. "Ships Built by Peter Austin & by later names thru Austin & Pickersgill Limited (1954>)". The Sunderland Site. Retrieved 28 June 2011.

49°45′N05°20′W / 49.750°N 5.333°W / 49.750; -5.333