The iron steamship Brier built by D and W Henderson & Company in Glasgow was launched on 14th September 1882 for Alex Laird and Co Ltd., Glasgow and eventually registered to Burns and Laird Line Ltd in 1922 who changed her name to Lairdsoak in 1929. In 1931 she was sold to Michael Murphy Ltd, Dublin who renamed her Enda. She measured 209.8′ x 30.2′ x 15.3′ and her tonnage was 710 gross tons, 256 net tons. She was powered by a 2 cylinder inverted compound steam engine by D and W Henderson delivering 177 nominal horse power.
Steamship Enda underway
Lloyds register 1933
Despite the ownership change Enda continued to operate under hire by Burns & Laird Line Ltd. On Saturday 25th February 1933 she ran ashore near Gounie Point, south of Clanyard Bay. She had departed from Londonderry the previous afternoon, bound for Heysham, with a cargo of linen, dairy products and 150 head of livestock. She was under the command of Captain McKellar and had a crew of twenty three men aboard. While crossing the North Channel she encountered gale force winds accompanied by blinding snow and eventually ran aground around 5am.
Although distress rockets were immediately fired they failed to attract attention and the twenty three crew members and a young mother and child climbed down onto the rocks. At daybreak some of the crew returned to the Enda and set off more flares. These were answered by the ICI steamer Sodium which had been at anchor in Clanyard Bay nearby. A lifeboat was sent inshore and picked up five of the crew and the young mother and child who were later landed at Stranraer.
Enda aground at Gounie Point, Galloway
Shortly after, the Drummore Lifesaving Crew arrived on the scene after struggling through deep snow. Relieved that their services were not required, they escorted the remainder of the crew back to the Shipwrecked Mariners’ Home in Drummore where they received hot food and dry clothes.
An interesting aside to this story concerns the early days of marine radio communications. Ships in distress could broadcast their SOS messages on the BBC Home Service frequency and so be heard on a normal domestic radio. Such a message was transmitted from the Enda that morning and simply stated “ship ashore at Port Logan – will anybody in the vicinity inform coastguard and lifeboat.” Among the listeners was the wife of coxswain of the Donaghadee lifeboat who immediately informed her husband. The lifeboat was quickly launched and battled into the easterly gale for three and a half hours across the North Channel. When the lifeboat arrived at the scene they found the Enda deserted, except for the livestock. They later returned to the Irish coast after receiving news that the crew were safe.
Enda shortly after she went aground with salvage crew aboard
The Enda remained ashore for the next two weeks. A Dundee based salvage company succeeded in saving a portion of the cargo but abandoned their attempts to refloat the ship when she broke up during bad weather at the beginning of March.
The remains of the Enda lie in approximate position 54° 41.444’ N , 004° 58.263’ W, close to the shore and 200 metres north east of Gounie Point. The wreck can only be approached from the sea and boats can be launched at Port Logan. Tidal streams in the area can be strong even close inshore over the wreck. Good boat cover is essential.
