SS Rohilla

Last updated

SS Rohilla, Port-Said.jpg
transport ship Rohilla at Port Said, 1914
History
Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svgGovernment Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
NameRohilla
OwnerBritish India Steam Navigation Co
Port of registryGlasgow
Route1906: London – Calcutta
Builder Harland & Wolff, Belfast
Yard number381
Launched6 September 1906
Completed16 November 1906
Identification
FateOn 30 October 1914, struck a reef at Saltwick, near Whitby, and sank.
Notes [1]
General characteristics
Type Passenger ship/troopship, later hospital ship
Tonnage7,114  GRT, 3,970  NRT
Length460.1 ft (140.2 m)
Beam56.0 ft (17.1 m)
Depth30.6 ft (9.3 m)
Installed power8,000  ihp (6,000 kW)
PropulsionTwin Harland & Wolff quadruple expansion engines
Speed16.6 knots (30.7 km/h; 19.1 mph)
Capacity167 passengers; later about 1,600 troops
Notes

Rohilla was a passenger steamer of the British India Steam Navigation Company which was built for service between the UK and India, and as a troopship. After becoming a hospital ship in the First World War, She ran aground in October 1914, near Whitby, with the loss of 83 lives.

Contents

History

Rohilla was ordered in 1905 by the British India Steam Navigation Company (BI) from Harland & Wolff of Belfast, at the same time as sister ship Rewa from William Denny & Bros at Dumbarton. They differed mainly in their engines: Rewa was triple-screw with steam turbines, while Rohilla had a pair of quadruple expansion steam engines, also made by Harland & Wolff, and twin screws. Rohilla's engines totalled 8,000 indicated horsepower (6,000 kW), producing 16.6 knots (30.7 km/h; 19.1 mph) on sea trials. Although ordered for the London to Calcutta service, increased competition prompted BI to design the two sisters to be suitable also as troopships. [1]

The ship was named Rohilla in honour of the Rohillas, Pashtun highlanders who lived in Rohilkhand, east of Delhi, in the modern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. [1]

After entering service, the sisters were soon taken up for trooping, in 1908 for Rohilla as 'Troopship No.6'. Two years later they were the first BI ships to have wireless telegraphy installed, and were both hired in that year for the Coronation Fleet Review, carrying members of the House of Lords (Rewa) and House of Commons (Rohilla). [1]

Loss

Rohilla grounded off the coast of England, 1914 Rohilla (steamship) grounded 1914.JPG
Rohilla grounded off the coast of England, 1914

Rohilla was called up at the outset of the First World War and converted into a naval hospital ship. [1] HMHS (His Majesty's Hospital Ship) Rohilla had only a short life in that role. On 30 October 1914, sailing from South Queensferry, Firth of Forth for Dunkirk to evacuate wounded soldiers, the ship ran aground on Saltwick Nab, a reef about a mile east of Whitby, North Riding of Yorkshire, during a full North North East gale and with the lighthouses unlit due to the war. The reef is about 400 yards (370 m) offshore and the ship soon broke her back. [1] [2] [3]

The conditions made rescue extremely difficult, but six lifeboats the John Fielden, Robert and Mary Ellis (Whitby), William Riley of Birmingham and Leamington (Upgang), the motor lifeboat Bradford Middlesbrough, Queensbury Scarborough, North Yorkshire, but it was the motor lifeboat Henry Vernon Tynemouth that was to take off the final souls and attempted to close on the wreck. [2] [4] Over the next three days, some of those who attempted to swim to safety in the raging seas were rescued, though many were lost, and lifeboats were able to rescue others. [5] In all, 146 of the 229 on board, including Captain Neilson and all the nurses, as well as Titanic survivor Mary Kezia Roberts, survived. [2] [6] [7] [8]

Captain Nielson believed that the ship had struck a mine before grounding. [9] An inquest jury exonerated Nielson from all blame and recommended that all passenger vessels carry rocket apparatus rather than rely on rockets fired to the ship from shore, and also that a motor lifeboat be stationed at Whitby. [9]

The Gold Medal of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, the Institute's highest honour, was presented to Superintendent Major H. E. Burton and Coxswain Robert Smith of the Tynemouth lifeboat Henry Vernon and to Coxswain Thomas Langlands of the Whitby lifeboat. The Empire Gallantry Medal (subsequently changed to the George Cross) was awarded to Burton and Smith in 1924. [10] [11] In 1917 a monument was erected at Whitby by the British India Steam Navigation Company, commemorating all those who lost their lives in the tragedy. [12]

Memorial to the dead in Whitby RohillaCemeteryMonument.jpg
Memorial to the dead in Whitby
The wreck in 2008 Shipwreck, The Scar - geograph.org.uk - 683154.jpg
The wreck in 2008

See also

Related Research Articles

HMHS <i>Britannic</i> Olympic-class ocean liner

HMHSBritannic was the third and final vessel of the White Star Line's Olympic class of steamships and the second White Star ship to bear the name Britannic. She was the youngest sister of the RMS Olympic and the RMS Titanic and was intended to enter service as a transatlantic passenger liner. She was operated as a hospital ship from 1915 until her sinking near the Greek island of Kea, in the Aegean Sea, in November 1916. At the time she was the largest hospital ship in the world.

SS <i>Ceramic</i>

SS Ceramic was an ocean liner built in Belfast for White Star Line in 1912–13 and operated on the Liverpool – Australia route. Ceramic was the largest ship serving the route until P&O introduced RMS Mooltan in 1923.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walmer Lifeboat Station</span> Lifeboat station on the East coast of England in the UK

Walmer Lifeboat Station is located on The Strand on Walmer promenade, in the county of Kent.

SS <i>Mount Ida</i>

The SS Mount Ida was a cargo ship built in 1938 by William Hamilton & Co. Ltd of Glasgow. Launched in 1938 as Arcscott, she was renamed Mount Ida after being bought by the Atlanticos Steam Ship Company Ltd, of Athens, Greece. She was wrecked in 1939 after being in service for only about 18 months.

<i>Olympic</i>-class ocean liner Trio of ocean liners

The Olympic-class ocean liners were a trio of British ocean liners built by the Harland & Wolff shipyard for the White Star Line during the early 20th century. They were Olympic (1911), Titanic (1912) and Britannic (1914). All three were designed to be the largest and most luxurious passenger ships at that time, designed to give White Star an advantage in the transatlantic passenger trade.

SS <i>Suevic</i> British and Norwegian Jubilee-class ocean liner

SS Suevic was a steamship built by Harland and Wolff in Belfast for the White Star Line. Suevic was the fifth and last of the Jubilee-class ocean liners, built specifically to service the Liverpool-Cape Town-Sydney route, along with her sister ship Runic. In 1907 she was wrecked off the south coast of England, but in the largest rescue of its kind, all passengers and crew were saved. The ship herself was deliberately broken in two, and a new bow was attached to the salvaged stern portion. Later serving as a Norwegian whaling factory ship carrying the name Skytteren, she was scuttled off the Swedish coast in 1942 to prevent her capture by ships of Nazi Germany.

HMHS <i>Rewa</i>

HMHS Rewa was a steamship originally built for the British-India Steam Navigation Company for their mail and passenger service but requisitioned in August 1914 and fitted out for use as a British hospital ship during the First World War. On 4 January 1918, she was hit and sunk by a torpedo from the German U-boat U-55.

HMHS <i>Glenart Castle</i> 1900 liner used as a hospital ship

HMHS Glenart Castle was a steamship originally built as Galician in 1900 for the Union-Castle Line. She was renamed Glenart Castle in 1914, but was requisitioned for use as a British hospital ship during the First World War. On 26 February 1918, she was hit and sunk by a torpedo fired from the German U-boat UC-56.

SS <i>Monte Nevoso</i>

SS Monte Nevoso was a cargo steamship that was launched in 1920 in England, owned in Italy, and wrecked in 1932 in the North Sea off the coast of Norfolk.

SS Gallois was a French collier built in 1917 as Tynemouth and later Lord Aberconway. She was one of seven merchant vessels which became stranded and then wrecked on Haisbro Sands off the Norfolk coast on 6 August 1941 during the Second World War as part of Convoy FS 559.

SS Devanha was a passenger liner and cargo vessel operated by the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company.

Takliwa was a 7,936 GRT cargo liner that was built in 1924 by Barclay, Curle & Co Ltd, Glasgow, Scotland for the British India Steam Navigation Company. She was converted to a hospital ship during the Second World War, serving until she was wrecked in October 1945.

HMAS <i>Mallina</i>

HMAS Mallina was a 3,213 GRT cargo ship built by Harland & Wolff, Belfast in 1909 as Mallina for the Australian United Steam Navigation Company for the Rockhampton to Sydney cargo route. She was requisitioned by the Royal Australian Navy in 1914, as a store carrier and collier. She was returned to her owners in 1915. She was sold in 1935 to Machida Shokai Kisen Kaisha, Japan and renamed Seiko Maru, before being sold to Kita Nippon Kisen Kaisha and renamed Siberia Maru No. 3, which was later shortened to Siberian Maru. While steaming in the Sulu Sea, Philippines on 24 September 1944, she was attacked by American aircraft of Task Force 38 and sunk with the loss of 158 of the 2,382 people on board.

RNLB <i>Foresters Centenary</i> (ON 786) Ship

RNLB Foresters Centenary is a retired Liverpool-class lifeboat of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), stationed in the English coastal town of Sheringham in the county of Norfolk in the United Kingdom. The lifeboat was on station for 25 years between 1936 and 1961 when she was sold. She has been restored to her original condition and is exhibited in Sheringham Museum.

SS Stolwijk, a Dutch cargo ship of 2,489 tons, was wrecked off the coast of County Donegal, Ireland on 6 December 1940. She was part of a Convoy SC 13 sailing from the Dominion of Newfoundland to Liverpool, England, when her rudder was damaged in a fierce storm. Attempts to rescue her by her destroyer escort failed and she went on the rocks off Tory Island, County Donegal, Ireland. Ten of her crew were lost but the remaining 18 were rescued the following day by Arranmore Lifeboat and landed safely in Burtonport. The rescue of the survivors was conducted in terrible weather conditions and both the RNLI and Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands awarded medals to the Irish lifeboat crew.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saltwick Bay</span> Bay in North Yorkshire, England

Saltwick Bay is a north-east facing bay approximately one mile (1.6 km) to the east of Whitby, on the east coast of North Yorkshire, England. The bay contains the Saltwick Nab alum quarries, listed under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The bay is part of the Saltwick Formation and known for its collections of fossils. The SS Rohilla hospital ship sank in the bay in 1914, and the fishing trawler Admiral Van Tromp was shipwrecked there in 1976. The bay is accessible through Whitby Holiday Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scarborough Lifeboat Station</span> Lifeboat station in North Yorkshire, England

Scarborough Lifeboat Station is a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) operated lifeboat station in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England. A lifeboat was established at Scarborough in 1801, which makes it the third oldest lifeboat station in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whitby Lifeboat Station</span> Lifeboat station in North Yorkshire, England

Whitby Lifeboat Station is a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboat station located in Whitby, North Yorkshire, England. It is one of nine situated along the Yorkshire coast. Whitby has had a lifeboat station since 1802, with the RNLI responsible since 1861. In its 200 plus year history, Whitby has had five different lifeboat stations. A sixth lifeboat and station was located at Upgang, just up the coast from Whitby, and whilst it was considered separate from Whitby, it was crewed by men from the Whitby lifeboat.

SS Tilawa was an ocean liner of the British India Steam Navigation Company launched in 1924. She was sunk by a submarine of the Imperial Japanese Navy in the Indian Ocean on 23 November 1942, with the loss of 280 lives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tynemouth Lifeboat Station</span> Lifeboat station in Tyne and Wear, England

Tynemouth Lifeboat Station is located on the River Tyne, at Fish Quay, North Shields, in the county of Tyne and Wear.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Laxon, W A (Bill); Perry, F W (Fred) (1994). B I: The British India Steam Navigation Company Limited. Kendal: World Ship Society. pp. 100–101, 245. ISBN   0-905617-65-7.
  2. 1 2 3 Hocking, Charles (1969). Dictionary of Disasters at Sea During the Age of Steam: Vol II. London: Lloyd's Register of Shipping. p. 594.
  3. "Seventy lost when British hospital ship is wrecked". The Fort Wayne News (Fort Wayne, Indiana). Underwood & Underwood. 18 November 1914. p. 2. Retrieved 6 January 2020. Among those who were brought ashore by the life guards was the Rev. Holland Allen, chaplain of the Rohilla.
  4. BBC: Coast, Series 7
  5. "The Rohilla Wreck". Shields Daily News. 2 November 1914. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
  6. "Titanic Survivors". Encyclopedia Titanica. 9 September 2002. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  7. "The Wrecked Hospital Ship". The Times. London. 1 November 1914. p. 1.
  8. "Hospital Ship Wreck". The Times. London. 2 November 1914. p. 3.
  9. 1 2 "The Rohilla Mined". The Times. London. 6 November 1914. p. 5.
  10. "Lifeboat-men's Gallantry, Court Circular". The Times. London. 1 July 1924. pp. 13 & 19.
  11. "Memorial to a Lifeboat Hero". The Times. London. 6 June 1928. p. 21.
  12. "A 'Rohilla' Monument at Whitby". Craven Herald. 15 June 1917. Archived from the original on 30 July 2014. Retrieved 30 July 2014.

Further reading