Maritime record MDO20121 - Pomeranian (Grecian Monarch)

Remains of 1918 wreck of Scottish cargo vessel which foundered in a position described as 9 miles WNW, 0.5 mile W of the Bill of Portland, after being torpedoed. Bound from London to St John's, Newfoundland, with a general cargo, including whiting and fuller's earth, she was a steel-built steamer. Status: Site

Torpedoed by UC 77. Wrecjk lies in 33 metres. Famous for the diving helmets recovered from the wreck.

Position 50 33.57 N 2 41.33 W taken from (7)

Wreck Site and Archaeological Remains:

Horizontal Datum: OGB
Vertical Datum: LAT
Quality of Depth: SWS
General Depth: 32 metres
Orientation: ESE/WNW
Method of Fix: SYL (1)

She lies upright in a depth of 33m. (7)(9)

Torpedoed by UB-77 on 15-APR-1918. She sits upright on her starboard side but is starting to collapse. A diving helmet was recovered in 1970 by Ted Nicklin and the bell and a lot of other cargo has been recovered over the years. (10)

15-APR-1918: Wreck dangerous to navigation (two masts showing) position 50 33 40N, 02 41 21W.

16-APR-1918: position 50 33 30N, 02 41 30W.

6-AUG-1918: Masts now fallen. Least water over wreck 10 fathoms.

11-JUN-1952: Wire drift sweep. Clear 12 fathoms foul 13 fathoms. Least depth 74 feet general depth 16 fathoms. Length 450 feet lying NW/SE. The shallowest part is in the centre position 50 33 33N, 02 41 23W.

03-FEB-1983: Two wrecks shown in decca; 50 33 30N, 02 41 23W and 50 33 46N, 02 41 27W.

27-JUL-1984: National grid coordinates 35 12 06E, 73 55 5N obtained. Swept clear at 25.1, foul at 25.4m. Least echo sounder depth 25.2 in general depth 32m. Scour 1m deep. Side scan sonar height 8m. Wreck is in two sections. The western part tends 120/300 degrees with length of 50m; the eastern section lies approximately 090/270 degrees with length 70m. (1)

A porthole has been recovered from this wreck, position 50 33.57N 002 41.33W. (Droit A/333) (8)

Two portholes recovered from this site. (Droit A/684) (8)

A bilge pump outlet recovered from this site in West Bay. (Droit A/1131) (8)

A crucible recovered from this site in Lyme Bay. (Droit A/1141) (8)

A porthole recovered from this wreck off Portland Bill. (Droit A/1393) (8)

2 portholes recovered from this wreck, position 50 33.00N 002 41.002W. (Droit A/1959) (8)

A crucible recovered from this wreck, position 50 33.30N 002 41.23W. (Droit A/2103) (8)

An 8" diameter dinner plate with blue scalloped edges and a small Davy lamp brass recovered from this wreck, position 50 33.30N 002 41.23W (Droit A/2157) (8)

A crucible recovered from this wreck, position 50 33.57N 002 41.33W. (Droit A/2285) (8)

4 crucibles and a light recovered from this wreck. (Droit A/3281) (8)

A porthole recovered from this wreck, West Bay. (Droit A/3408)
(8)

2 brass portholes and a brass toilet roll holder inscribed "Toilet Requisites" recovered from this wreck, position 50 33.50N 002 41.38W. (Droit A/3574) (8)

A mast light and a tap handle recovered from this wreck, position 50 33.30N 002 41.23W. (Droit A/3759) (8)

A large grey pot, possibly metal or stone, recovered from this wreck, position 50 33.57N 002 41.33W. (Droit A/3852) (8)

A brass door lock, a shell case fuse unit (without explosive), a white drinking mug with P&O crest, and a wood-lined compass box with a brass surround recovered from this wreck, off Portland Bill. (Droit A/4454) (8)

A small smelting pot recovered from the wreck in 50 33.57N, 002 41.33W. (Droit 177/01) (15)

A plumbago crucible, approximately 14" in height, recovered from the wreck of the POMERANIAN in Lyme Bay. (Droit 077/03) (18)

A smelting crucible measuring 8 inches in diameter and 10 inches tall, recovered from the wreck of the POMERANIAN in 50 33.57N, 02 41.33W. (Droit 169/03) (18)

A copper frying pan, approximately 18", identified as an egg pan, recovered from the POMERANIAN in position 50 33.57N 002 41.33W. (Droit 202/06) (13)

A copper pan (minus handles which have rusted away), approximately 15" diameter by 5" deep, recovered from the POMERANIAN in Lyme Bay. (Droit 406/09) (14)

15-MAR-2015: The least multibeam depth was 26.99m in 5033.587N, 0241.372W [WGD]. General depth 32m. Length 134m. Width 9.0m. Height 5.7m. The wreck is orientated 010/190 degrees, and is in two sections. The wreck is buried and disintegrated. A moderate magnetic anomaly. (16)(17)

Charted by the UKHO as 'POMERANIAN' in 50 33.587N, 002 41.372W (WGS84). (16)(17)

Wreck Event and Documentary Evidence:

Formerly the GRECIAN MONARCH. The sole survivor of the loss of the POMERANIAN, the 2nd engineer, was attending the telegraph in the engine room when the ship was torpedoed at 5.30am by the German submarine UC-77. Finding that the ship was listing rapidly he dashed up on deck, got his lifebelt and in company with the ship's purser, stepped into the sea as she went down almost immediately. Later he found a plank and stayed afloat clinging to it, hanging on to the fore rigging of the vessel whose masts were still sticking out of the sea. There he remained until taken off by a patrol vessel and landed at Portland. The vessel had been requisitioned for troop carrying from Canadian Pacific Ocean Services. (2)(3)(11)(12)

Position of loss described as 9 miles WNW, 0.5 mile W of Portland Bill. (2)(3)

Torpedoed 12 miles SW of Portland Bill, en route London for St. John, New Brunswick, with general cargo, including whiting and fuller's earth. (4)

Torpedoed without warning 9 miles NW x W, 0.5W from Portland Bill, with the loss of 55 lives, including that of the master. (6)

Built: 1882 (2)(3)
Builder: Earle's Co. Ltd. (2)(3)
Where Built: Kingston-upon-Hull (2)(3)
HP: 316 (2)(3)
Propulsion: Screw driven, 3 cylinder triple expansion engine (2)(3)
Armament: 1 x 13ins H.A. (2)(3)(12)
Owner: Allan Lines SS. Co. (2)(3); Canadian Pacific Ocean Services Ltd., controlled by Allan Line Steamship Co. (12)
Master: A Maxwell (2)(3)
Crew: 56 (2)(3)(6)(12)
Crew Lost: 55 (2)(3)(6)(12)
Gunners: 3 (Gibbs, Jeff, Goodwin) (12)
Survivor: Second engineer William Bell (11)(12)

Date of Loss Qualifier: Actual date of loss

Additional sources:
Divers' Guide to Weymouth and Portland Area, p26;
Lloyd' Register 1917-18 No.803(P)

<1> United Kingdom Hydrographic Office, 1992, Hydrographic Office wreck index (Index). SWX4837.

<2> Larn, Richard, 1992, United Kingdom shipwreck index (Index). SWX5030.

<2> Hinchcliffe, J and V, 1999, Dive Dorset: a diver guide (3rd Edition) (Monograph). SWX1.

<3> Larn, R, and Larn, B, 1995, Shipwreck index of the British Isles, volume 1 : Isles of Scilly, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset Section 6, Dorset (AJ) Vol 1 (Monograph). SWX4541.

<4> 1990, Lloyds war losses, The First World War: Casualties to shipping through enemy causes 1914-1918, 211 (Index). SWX4540.

<5> Tennant, A J, 1990, British merchant ships sunk by U boats in the 1914-1918 war, 36 (Monograph). SDO20159.

<6> 1988, British Vessels Lost at Sea 1914-18 and 1939-45, 86 (Monograph). SWX4538.

<7> Hinchcliffe, J and V, 1984, Dive Dorset: a diver guide (1st Edition), No 40, p36 (Monograph). SWX1714.

<8> 2001, Maritime and Coastguard Agency: Receiver of Wreck Amnesty, 23-Jan to 24-Apr-2001 (Index). SWX4542.

<9> Hinchcliffe, J and V, 1990, Dive Dorset: a diver guide (2nd Edition), No 40, p36 (Monograph). SWX5640.

<10> Hinchcliffe, J and V, 1999, Dive Dorset: a diver guide (3rd Edition), 59 (Monograph). SWX1.

<11> Maw, Neil, 1999, World War One Channel Wrecks (Vessels lost in the English Channel 1914-1918), 164-165 (Monograph). SDO20146.

<12> Admiralty Records, ADM/135/2964 (Monograph). SDO20160.

<13> Receiver of Wreck, Receiver of Wreck Droit, 202/06 (Unpublished document). SWX6384.

<14> Receiver of Wreck, Receiver of Wreck Droit, 406/09 (Unpublished document). SWX6384.

<15> Receiver of Wreck, Receiver of Wreck Droit, 177/01 (Unpublished document). SWX6384.

<16> SeaZone Hydrospatial, Digital marine geographic information derived from SeaZone Hydrospatial, 16-May-17 (Digital archive). SDO20540.

<17> United Kingdom Hydrographic Office, Wreck report, 18626 (Monograph). SDO20514.

<18> Receiver of Wreck, Receiver of Wreck Droit, 077/03 (Unpublished document). SWX6384.

<19> National Record of the Historic Environment, 904638 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Apr 2 2024 12:12PM