The steel cargo steamship Blaydonian was launched from the South Shields yard of J P Rennoldson & Sons Ltd (Yard No 295) on 16th February 1915. She measured 135.3′ x 23.6′ x 9.1′ and her tonnage was 315 gross tons, 119 net tons. She was powered be a 2 cylinder compound steam engine by her builders delivering 75 registered horse power. Her official number was 133570.
Builders GA drawing – Lloyd’s Register
The Blaydonian had been launched to the order of the Blaydon & London Steam Ship Company who retained her until 1918 when she was sold to Smith, Patterson & Company of Newcastle and renamed Pattersonian. In 1940 ownership transferred to J & A Gardiner & Company in Glasgow who retained her until loss.
SS Pattersonian underway
The Pattersonian was en route from Ayr to Port Ellen and Tiree with stores for the RAF bases on the islands in the last days of World War Two when she stranded on the Mull of Oa on 11th September, 1945. She was caught in the vicious tides off Rubha nan Leacan in dense fog and was swept ashore among rocks to the east of the headland. The crew managed to get ashore safely but the ship was doomed. Salvage crews boarded the ship on the 13th but found her tidal throughout and, as she was exposed to the continual buffeting of Atlantic swells and was working on the rocks in a reported four knot tide, she was abandoned as a constructive total loss.
Lloyd’s casualty report
The remains of the Pattersonian lie scattered in shallow water of 5-6 metres among the rocks north east of Rubha nan Leacan in position 55°38.810’N, 006°15.917’W (GPS). The tidal rips off the point here are extremely fierce and great care must be taken by both diver and boat handler in the vicinity of the wreck. Some wreckage may still exist among the rocks in the tidal zone.
We would like to thank Lloyd’s Register Foundation – Heritage & Education Centre for allowing us to reproduce documents from their archive in this article.
