Built by Short Brothers Limited, Sunderland (Yard No 394) and launched on 17 May 1920, this vessel measured 419.5’ x 53.8′ x 25.0′ and weighed 4882 gross tons, 2889 net tons. She was powered by a 449 net horse power triple expansion engine manufactured by J Dickinson & Sons of Sunderland. Launched as the Eugenie S. Embiricos she was owned by S.G. Embiricos of Andros, Greece and registered there.
Extract Lloyd’s Register 1941
Builders GA drawing-Lloyd’s Register
The Eugenie S Embiricos was part of convoy ON.057 which departed Liverpool on 14 January 1942, her voyage had originated in London and she was bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia in ballast. As the convoy sailed through the North Channel and out into the Western Approaches they were met by a violent storm which scattered the convoy, part returning to the Clyde, and five vessels were lost amongst the islands of the Inner and Outer Hebrides. The detail related to the Eugenie S. Embiricos is not fully documented, but we do know she grounded south of Tiree during the night of 19 January and was disabled. She was taken in tow, possibly for the Clyde, but in the horrendous conditions the tow broke and rescuers were unable to re-connect. She eventually drifted ashore off Leanish Point, Isle of Barra on 21 January and grounded on an offshore reefs.
Eugenie S. Embiricos
Word of her stranding first came through around 09:00am on 21 January when Barra lifeboat station received a call from Leanish Coastguard that another vessel had gone ashore off Leanish Point. The Barra lifeboat Lloyds was launched at 10:50am and reached the casualty around 11:40am and established that the vessel was the Eugenie S Embiricos of Andros. She had gone aground close to the steamship R J Cullen which was also part of convoy ON.057.
The crew were still aboard the Eugenie S Embiricos, the sea state was such that the lifeboat could not get along side her in the shallow waters around the reef. They stayed near Leanish until daylight on 22nd, still too rough they saw that the crew of the stricken vessel were launching one of their boats. With a combination of this boat being manoeuvred out to the lifeboat in deeper water and being taken back to the wreck, the lifeboat was able to rescue 28 of the crew in 3 trips, 2 crew had swum ashore overnight, 4 remained aboard including her master. The four remaining aboard were taken off on the 23rd by a fishing boat. A few days later, on the 26 January the lifeboat returned and rescued 16 sheep that had been aboard. The bad weather and heavy swell eventually contributed to the total loss of the Eugenie S Embiricos when she broke into three sections and was written off as a constructive total loss by Lloyd’s of London.
Lloyd’s casualty report-Lloyd’s Register
Convoy ON.057 was hit by a huge storm as it headed out into the Western Approaches, vessels were unable to stay in formation, and a number were lost. Of the 38 merchant vessels that formed the convoy, only 15 continued on and made their destinations of east coast ports in USA and Canada. A further 18 returned to the Clyde or other ports of Loch Ewe and Oban. This left 5 vessels stranded on offshore islands of the Inner and Outer Hebrides in addition to the Eugenie S Embiricos. On the Isle of Tiree the cargo steamers Ingrid and Laristan were both aground although the Laristan was later refloated. On the Isle of Barra, the steamer RJ Cullen was joined a few days later by the large cargo steamer Eugenie S Embiricos and to the south the Empire Homer on the Isle of Sandray. Stories of these shipwrecks can be found by following the links highlighted. The Barra lifeboat Lloyds had a particularly challenging period of service between the 16-26 January 1942, and we reproduce the full story from the Lifeboat Magazine below as it gives more detail of the rescue and an insight to the skill and gallantry of the lifeboat crew in what must have been frightening conditions.
The wreckage of the Eugenie S Embiricos is reported to lie in position 56° 57.418’N, 007° 25.405’W by the UK Hydrographic Office (UK HO), which is on the south west side of a reef called Sgeir a Charach. The site has been dived by a number of groups over the last 30 years and sparse diving information has been submitted and included in UK HO data sheet for this wreck. The wreckage is noted as lying between 2 and 10 metres. The wreck is well broken up although a few large sections are visible which may include the bow section.
We would like to thank Lloyd’s Register Foundation – Heritage & Education Centre for allowing us to reproduce documents from their archive in this article.
