ss Lady Cory Wright prior to becoming an RFA
Previous name:
Subsequent name:
Official Number: 123697
Class: Mine Carrier
Pennant No:
Laid down:
Builder: S P Austin and Son., Sunderland
Launched: 4 August 1906
Into Service: 5 August 1914
Out of service: 26 March 1918
Fate: Sunk by German submarine UC17
Items of historic interest involving this ship: -
Background Data:
One of an additional group of ships requisitioned by the Admiralty in WW1 to augment the ships of the RFA
4 August 1906 Launched by S.P. Austin & Son, Wear Dock, Sunderland as Yard Nr 237 named LADY CORY-WRIGHT for Cory Colliers Ltd ( Wm Cory & Son Ltd, Managers) London
September 1906 completed
30 July 1914 at Hamburg, Germany discharging coal
3 August 1914 requisitioned by the Admiralty for service as a Mine Carrier
5 August 1914 Lieutenant Daniel Richardson RNR appointed in command and Engineer Lieutenant Michael J Hindmarch RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
1 March 1918 to 5 March 1918 at Devonport loaded the following cargo: -
Hold 1 -
200 'S' Mines - Mark IV
132 Service Mines
400 Depth Charges - Type D
Hold 2 -
868 Service Mines
Hold 3 -
1,000 Mines BE
Hold 4 -
100 cases of primer for BE miles
100 cases of primers for Service Mines
210 boxes of detonators for S Mines
40 cases of primers for depth charges
21 cases for detonators for S mines
26 March 1918 while sailing from Plymouth to Malta with a cargo of mines she was torpedoed by the German Submarine UC17 (Oberleutnant zur See Eric Stephan) 14 miles SSW of the Lizard at 49.45N, 05.20W. The ship sank. Of the 40 members of the crew on the ship 39 lost their lives. The crew was a mixed RFA/RN one. Those who were members of the RFA are included in the Roll of Honour for 1918.
Part of the Rothes, Morayshire War memorial
Others are remembered with pride on the Chatham, Plymouth and Portsmouth Naval Memorials and also the Anthony War Memorial, near Torpoint
