The steel cargo steamship Thala was launched from the South Shields yard of John Readhead and Sons (Yard No 494) on 14 November 1928. She measured 370.0’ x 52.3’ x 25.9’ and her tonnage was 4399 gross, 2736 net. She was powered by a triple expansion steam engine developing 341 nhp also built by the builders. Her official number was 160623. The Thala was built to the order of Cory & Stick (Steamers) Limited of Leadenhall Street in London who retained ownership of her until date of loss.
Extract Lloyd’s Register 1940
SS Thala
On the 8 February 1941 the Thala was on the final leg of her voyage from Pepel in Sierra Leone to Middlesborough with an unspecified general cargo. She had travelled as part of a ‘SL‘ convoy and parted company off the west coast to join another smaller convoy to head north round Scotland and south to the Tees. While heading up the lower Minch in bad weather she strayed off course and ran aground off the east side of the Isle of Eriskay in the early hours of the morning. Word of the grounding reached the Coastguard who alerted the Barra lifeboat which launched around 06:00 hrs and headed out to the general area off Eriskay. In the gloom they found the Thala hard aground to the south of a small islet called Hartamul. The crew of the Thala were already in the process of abandoning ship, and the lifeboat was able to rescue all her 37 crew as well as three lifeboats, and convey all back to Castlebay.
Service record for Barra lifeboat – Feb 1941
We are not clear what happened next, but the the registry on the Thala was closed in 1941, so one can assume she was written off as a constructive total loss. Some salvage work may have taken place soon after as there was a salvage team already on the islands looking at refloating the SS Politician which had gone ashore on 5 February in the Sound of Eriskay. The Barra lifeboat had been busy in early February 1941, the crew rescuing 87 persons from the two ships and saving three lifeboats which, during war time would be put back into service.
The Wreck Today
The remains of the Thala are reported to lie on the south side of Hartamul in position 57° 04.932’N, 007° 13.708’W. The remains lie between 2-15 metres of water, with the remains of her engine and two boilers around 10 metres. It is likely the wreck will have been commercially worked post war and there are also reports of further salvage operations during the early 1970’s. It is likely the site will be levelled and covered in dense kelp during summer months.
