Maritime record MWX1603 - St Dunstan

1) Crew : 21 Crew Lost: 2 Propulsion: Screw driven x 2, 3 cylinder triple expansion engines Owner: Royal Navy (2)(3) ST DUNSTAN was steaming under escort when a violent explosion took place under her port quarter at 11.30am, the vessel sinking in 4 minutes. No submarine was sighted and whilst it is possible that she was torpedoed, it was probably due to a mine from UC21. Two men drowned and two were injured, the remainder were rescued by the escort and landed at Weymouth. The W/T code books and confidential papers went down with the vessel. (2) Position 50 37 30N, 02 38 20W, approximately.(1)

Survey History:
20-JUN-1961: Wreck, in 50 38 16N, 02 41 56W, identified by diver as an old bucket dredger. Drift swept [not yet cleared] foul at 64 feet. Least echo sounder depth 69 in general depth 91 feet. Scour depth 95 feet. Approximately 200 feet long. Lies E/W with high point near east end.(1)

17-JUL-1961: Wreck is a bucket dredger which appears to have been there for many years. Greatest height above seabed 22 feet. Lies with keel uppermost. Bucket and debris lie alongside. Hull heavily corroded and broken athwartships 30 feet forward of the stern. Approximately 100 x 40 feet. Twin props and rudder. Lies NE/SW and is partially buried. Considered to be a hazard to vessels anchoring in vicinity.(1)

31-OCT-1961: Drift swept - clear at 64, foul at 64 feet. Least echo sounder depth 68 in general depth 91 feet. Dimensions - approximately 230 x 130 feet. Lies NE/SW.(1)

12-MAY-1975: Above reports confirmed. Wreck is certainly a bucket dredger. Lies on side. Props still attached. Depths confirmed.(1) 25-JUL-1984: National grid co-ordinates - 35 05 21E, 82 28 7N obtained. Swept clear at 20.5, foul at 20.8m. Least echo sounder depth 21.0 in general depth 27m. No scour. Side scan sonar height 5.5, length 60m, beam 20m. Lying 070/250 deg. (1) A lamp bracket, a brass guard, and a handwheel recovered from this wreck in Lyme Bay. (Droit A/1145)(6) An oiler and a brass object recovered from this wreck off Portland. (Droit A/1397).(6) A shot weight recovered from this wreck off Bridport (Droit A/2408) (6) A valve recovered from this wreck 1.5 miles south of West Bexington, position 50 38N 002 42W. (Droit A/2469).(6) A brass light assembly, including ceiling rose and bulb, recovered from this wreck, position 50 38.27N 002 41.93W. (Droit A/3577).(6) Additional sources: PRO KewAdm 137/2963

The building date for this vessel is an estimate based on an average age at wrecking of twenty years. This average is derived from those vessels wrecked on the Dorset coast whose age at wrecking is known.

<1> United Kingdom Hydrographic Office, 1992, Hydrographic Office wreck index, Extracted 23-NOV-1992 (Index). SWX4837.

<2> Larn, Richard, 1992, United Kingdom shipwreck index, Extracted 23 November 1992 (Index). SWX5030.

<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, p173 (Index). SWX4540.

<5> 1988, British Vessels Lost at Sea 1914-18 and 1939-45, p67 (Monograph). SWX4538.

<6> 2001, Maritime and Coastguard Agency: Receiver of Wreck Amnesty (Index). SWX4542.

<7> Le Pard, G, 1995-2003, Dorset Coast Forum Maritime Archaeological Database, Shipwreck 28 (Digital archive). SWX8707.

<8> Receiver of Wreck, Droit of the Receiver of Wreck 238/00 (Unpublished document). SWX79.

<9> Receiver of Wreck, Droit of the Receiver of Wreck A/2469 (Unpublished document). SWX522.

<10> Receiver of Wreck, Droit of the Receiver of Wreck A/2408 (Unpublished document). SWX517.

<11> Receiver of Wreck, Droit of the Receiver of Wreck 254/00 (Unpublished document). SWX91.

<12> Receiver of Wreck, Droit of the Receiver of Wreck 285/00 (Unpublished document). SWX124.

<13> Receiver of Wreck, Droit of the Receiver of Wreck 282/00 (Unpublished document). SWX122.

<14> Receiver of Wreck, Droit of the Receiver of wreck 304/00 (Unpublished document). SWX131.

<15> Receiver of Wreck, Droit of the Receiver of Wreck A/1397 (Unpublished document). SWX434.

<16> Receiver of Wreck, Droit of the Receiver of Wreck A/1145 (Unpublished document). SWX402.

<17> Receiver of Wreck, Droit of the Receiver of wreck 343/00 (Unpublished document). SWX150.

<18> National Record of the Historic Environment, 904667 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Sep 19 2023 3:20PM