Maritime record MWX2467 - Aparima

Items recovered from the wreck of the Aparima located in Poole Bay: 1 x bronze cock valve (1); 1 x porthole light (broken glass) (2); 1 x porthole with glass (3); 1 x wooden lifeboat tiller with brass fitting 900x60, 1 x small plate partially reconstructed from fragments with 'USSCo' crest (4).

The Aparima was a luxury cargo and passenger liner and was built in 1902 for the Union Steamship Company of New Zealand. She measured 430ft by 54ft, with a height of nearly 40ft and a gross weight of 5704 tons. On the 19th November 1917 she was torpedoed by a German submarine while sailing from London to Barry. At least 56 of her passengers and crew were killed. (6)

Position 50 29.41N 1 55.10W derived from (7)

<1> Receiver of Wreck, Droit of the Receiver of Wreck A/2236 (Unpublished document). SWX491.

<2> Receiver of Wreck, Droit of the Receiver of Wreck A/0322 (Unpublished document). SWX252.

<3> Receiver of Wreck, Droit of the Receiver of Wreck A/0119 (Unpublished document). SWX230.

<4> Receiver of Wreck, Droit of the Receiver of Wreck A/0099 (Unpublished document). SWX227.

<5> Le Pard, G, 1995-2003, Dorset Coast Forum Maritime Archaeological Database, 032 (Digital archive). SWX8707.

<6> Hinchcliffe, J and V, 1999, Dive Dorset: a diver guide (3rd Edition), 271 (Monograph). SWX1.

<7> Wendes, D, 2006, South Coast Shipwrecks off East Dorset & Wight 1870 - 1979 (Monograph). SDO10496.

<8> Cumming, E, The Dorset shipwreck and maritime incident directory, 9 (Monograph). SDO16406.

Armed Steamship - Captain J.G.S.Doorley. (Detail in Larn:) Torpedoed and sunk by German Submarine UB-40. 6 miles S. by W. of Anvil Point. (Clarke: GPS; 50 29.46N; 01 54.96W) A total of 26 Europeans and 30 native crew members were lost. One passenger, a Pilot, survived. 26 crew were picked up by the Norwegian S.S. Selun. 16 by a patrol vessel and others survived in a small boat. Refs. Cited British Vessels Lost at Sea: WW1, p:73; : WW1, p:227; LCWLR: WW1, p:184: Lloyd's Register: 1917-18 No. 1137(A) & PRO: Kew Adm. 137/2963.

Record last edited

Sep 10 2024 3:27PM