View source for Engineering:SS Gallois

{{Short description|Merchant steamer wrecked on  Haisbro Sands of the Norfolk coast}}
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|Ship flag=[[File:Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg|60px|Ensign of United Kingdom]] [[File:Civil and Naval Ensign of France.svg|45px]]
|Ship name=
*SS ''Tynemouth'' (1917–1929)
*SS ''Lord Aberconway'' (1929–1931)
*SS ''Gallois'' (1931–1941)
|Ship owner=
*Burnett Steamship Co Ltd, Newcastle (1917–1929)
*Tredegar Associated Collieries & Shipping Company Ltd, Cardiff (1929–1931)
*Etablissements Odon de Lubersac, Rouen (1931–1941)
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|Ship registry=Rouen, {{wipe|France}} (1931–1941)
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|Ship builder=Wood, Skinner & Company Ltd., Newcastle upon Tyne
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|Ship yard number=No: 197
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|Ship launched=16 August 1916
|Ship completed=January 1917
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|Ship out of service=
|Ship fate=Became stranded becoming a total Wreck on Haisbro Sands 6 August 1941 off Norfolk, {{wipe|England}}
|Ship notes=
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|Ship length={{convert|321|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam={{convert|43|ft|m|abbr=on}}
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|Ship draft={{convert|17|ft|m|abbr=on}}
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|Ship power=Three cylinder triple expansion engine
|Ship propulsion=Twin Screw
|Ship speed=10½
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|Ship crew= Captain Peard and 100 crewmen/passengers
|Ship notes=French collier but technically she was under a British flag when wrecked.
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'''SS ''Gallois''''' was one of seven [[Engineering:Merchant vessel|merchant vessel]]s which became stranded and then wrecked on Haisbro Sands<ref>SC1408 Harwich and Rotterdam to Cromer & Terschelling Admiralty Small Craft Chart Coastal planning chart of the Harwich and Rotterdam to Cromer and Terschelling Scale: 1:300,000</ref> of the Norfolk coast on 6 August 1941 during the Second World War. The SS ''Gallois'' had been part of a convoy with the designation Convoy FS 559.

==History==
The ''Gallois'' was a steam merchant ship built in 1917 by Wood, Skinner & Company Ltd., Newcastle upon Tyne, {{wipe|England}}.<ref name="srok1">The Ship-Wrecks off North East Norfolk by Ayer Tikus: Published by Ayer Tikus Publications; ASIN B0032Z2NU0</ref> She was {{GRT|2,684|disp=long}} and {{convert|321|ft|m}} long. Her yard number was No:197. She had been ordered by the Burnett Steam Ship Co. Ltd., (Burnett & Co) of Newcastle upon Tyne. Her original name was the SS ''Tynemouth''.<ref name="srok1"/> In 1929 she was sold to Tredegar Associated Collieries & Shipping Co. Ltd (A Capel & Co., Ltd.) of [[Place:Cardiff|Cardiff]], Wales. This company renamed her SS ''Lord Aberconway''.<ref name="srok1"/> In 1930 she was again sold to Etablissenents Oden de Lubersac of Rouen, {{wipe|France}}, who renamed her SS ''Gallois''.<ref name="srok1"/> The ship was requisitioned in [[Place:London|London]] in July 1940 by the British Government during the Second World War.

==Final voyage==
On 5 August 1941<ref name="srok1"/> Convoy FS 559 was proceeding down the East coast of Britain to London from Newcastle. The convoy was being escorted by two Royal Navy destroyers of the Rosyth escort-force. {{HMS|Vimiera|1917|6}}<ref>*[http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-10DD-09VW-Vimiera.htm HMS Vimiera]</ref> was a V-class destroyer built in 1917,<ref name="srok1"/> whilst {{HMS|Wolsey}}<ref>[http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-10DD-09VW-Wolsey.htm HMS Wolsey]</ref> was of the Thorneycroft W class built a year later in 1918.<ref name="srok1"/> Also helping with the escort duties were two trawlers, {{ship|HMT|Agate|1933|6}} and HMT ''Arkwright''.<ref name="srok1"/> The night was drawing in as the convoy made its way down the coast and the weather was poor. There was a north-north west gale in full blow with rain. It was cold and visibility was poor. By the early hours and daylight of 6 August the convoy was enveloped in a thick sea mist making visibility very poor.<ref name="srok2">The Rescues of Henry Blogg and the crews of the Cromer Lifeboat:By Mick Bensley: Published by Bengunn:{{ISBN|1-85770-229-8}}</ref>

==Disaster==
There are two accounts<ref name="srok1"/> of what happened in the early hours of 6 August 1941. The first is that when Convoy FS 559 was being passed by a northbound convoy. They had come under attack by German [[Engineering:E-boat|E-boat]]s. The standing instruction for ships in convoy under these circumstances was to scatter in groups, each with their own Royal Navy escort. HMT ''Agate'' led her group away and had either lost all notion of her position or the channel buoys had moved. The convoy had been unable to see the Haisborough Light in the poor visibility which due to wartime restrictions was only illuminated for ten minutes when a convoy was due in the area. This had caused the lead escort difficulty in plotting their position. Soon seven of the vessels were stranded on the sands. The second version and the more likely cause of the ships running aground is that the bad weather conditions, and the strong westerly drift, and the fact that the exact position of the convoy was unavailable; the ships involved just ran aground.

==Rescue==
The Cromer lifeboat had been alerted to the unfolding disaster out on Haisbro Sands at 8:00 am on 6 August.<ref name="srok2"/> The Cromer Number 1 boat ''H F Bailey'' put out at once with Coxswain Henry Blogg<ref name="srok3">"Henry Blogg, the Greatest of the Lifeboatmen", Jolly, C., Pub: Poppyland Publishing, new edition 2002, {{ISBN|0-946148-59-7}}</ref> in command.<ref name="srok3"/> The lifeboat arrived at Haisborough Sands at 9:40 am.<ref name="srok3"/> Above the lifeboat, the crew of ''H F Bailey'' could hear the slow drone of {{wipe|Royal Air Force}} aircraft sent to patrol above the stricken convoy.<ref name="srok3"/> As the lifeboat approached the sands, Blogg and his crew saw the seven big cargo vessels stranded with their backs broken. All that was visible was the ships' [[Engineering:Bridge (nautical)|bridges]] as the sea broke across their [[Engineering:Deck (ship)|decks]]. One of the escort destroyers had already begun rescue work<ref name="srok3"/> using one of her [[Engineering:Whaleboat|whaler]] boats. The sea conditions the whaler came up against resulted in twelve of the seaman drowning by the time the lifeboat arrived.
Before attending to the ''Gallois'', the lifeboat took 16 men to safety from the SS ''Oxshott''.<ref name="srok3"/> Coxswain Blogg then took the ''H F Bailey'' alongside the ''Gallois''. The steamer was still just above water and her engines were still running. Blogg held the lifeboat alongside the ship, head to the wind, while some of the crew jumped aboard and others slid down ropes. One of the crew fell into the sea but was hauled out by one of the lifeboat men, unharmed. In total the ''H F Bailey'' rescued 31 men<ref name="srok3"/> from the SS ''Gallois'' which with the crew from the ''Oxshott'' meant she was now carrying 47 rescued seamen. The lifeboat left the sands and transferred the rescued men to a nearby destroyer. The ''H F Bailey'' then returned to the sands, her work not yet completed.<ref name="srok3"/>

==Awards==
Coxswain Henry Blogg and his crew were recognised for their bravery on the service to Convoy FS559 at an award ceremony held at the Regal Cinema in Hans Place, Cromer. The ceremony was attended by Vice Admiral Sir John Cunningham<ref name="srok3"/> and a large audience. Ironically the proceedings were interrupted by the lifeboat being called out to service. After a short while it was announced that the call-out had been cancelled and the ceremony continued. Henry Blogg received a second bar to his RNLI Gold Medal<ref name="srok3"/> and was also awarded the British Empire Medal.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=35347|page=6619|date=14 November 1941 |supp=y}}</ref> Jack Davis was awarded the RNLI silver medal, as did coxswain Charles Johnson of the Great Yarmouth and Gorleston lifeboat.<ref name="srok3"/> Several other members of the Cromer crew were awarded RNLI bronze medals.<ref name="srok3"/>

==Position of the wreck of the SS ''Gallois'' today==
*{{coord|52|54|N|01|43|E}} at a depth of {{convert|7|m|ft|abbr=on}}. on Haisborough Sands.
{{coord|52|54|N|01|43|E|type:landmark_source:dewiki|display=title}}
<br>{{convert|24.1|km|mi}} North of Hemsby<br>{{convert|24.2|km|mi}} East-north east of North Walsham<br>{{convert|27.9|km|mi}} North of Caister on Sea <br>{{convert|28.2|km|mi}} East of Cromer

==Cromer Lifeboat Crew==
{| class="wikitable"
|-----
! colspan="3" | The Rescue of the ''SS Gallois''<ref>The Cromer Lifeboats, by Bob Malster & Peter Stibbons,:Poppyland Publishing, {{ISBN|0-946148-21-X}}</ref>
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! colspan="3" | H. F. Bailey
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! Name
! Rank
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| Henry G Blogg || Coxswain||[[File:Henry Blogg 1 Feb 2008 (1).JPG|25px]]
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| J J Davis Snr || Second Coxswain||
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| W T Davis ||Bowman||
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| H W Davis|| Mechanic||
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| W Davis|| Assistant Mechanic||
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| Henry ''"shrimp"'' Davies|| Signaller||[[File:Henry Shrimp Davies photo in the Henry Blogg Museum 16 Feb 2008 (2).JPG|25px]]
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| Edward W ''"Boy Primo"'' Allen || Signaller||[[File:Edward Walter Allen (1).JPG|25px]]
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| J R Davis || crew||
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| Robert ''"Skinback"'' Cox || crew||[[File:Robert skinback Cox.JPG|25px]]
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| C Harrison || crew|
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| L Harrison || crew|
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| L Harrison || Stand-by Coxswain|
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.cromerlifeboats.org.uk/07/index.php The Cromer Lifeboat]
*[http://www.rnli.org.uk/rnli_near_you/east/stations/CromerNorfolk/ Cromer Lifeboat Station]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090712123629/http://freespace.virgin.net/david.cragie/cromershed.html The Old Cromer Lifeboat Shed]


{{DEFAULTSORT:Gallios Ss}}
[[Category:Steamships]]

{{Sourceattribution|SS Gallois|1}}