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  • 21 Aug, 2019

  • By, Wikipedia

RFA Lady Cory-Wright

RFA Lady Cory-Wright was a cargo steamship that had been built as a civilian collier in 1906, became a mine carrier in 1914 and was torpedoed and sunk with significant loss of life in 1918.

History

SP Austin & Son Ltd of Sunderland built her in 1906 for William Cory and Son. She was named Lady Cory-Wright after either Lady Mima, wife of Sir Cory Cory-Wright, 1st Baronet or Lady Elizabeth, wife of Sir Arthur Cory-Wright, 2nd Baronet.

In August 1914 the War Department requisitioned Lady Cory-Wright who used her as a mine carrier. On 26 March 1918 she was in the English Channel steaming from Plymouth to Malta laden with a cargo that included 2,762 mines, 370 depth charges, 2,100 torpedo detonators and 1,000 primers B.E. when the German submarine UC-17 torpedoed her about 14 miles off The Lizard. Lady Cory-Wright's Master and all but one of her crew were killed.

After Lady Cory-Wright sank many of her mines were left floating in the area, and her one survivor reportedly was found clinging to a floating mine. In 2009 her wreck still contained many unexploded mines and detonators.

References

  1. ^ "Steamers". Lloyd's Register of Shipping. Vol. I. London: Lloyd's Register of Shipping. 1914. LAC–LAD.
  2. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit during WWI: Lady Cory-Wright". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  3. ^ Lettens, Jan; Racey, Carl (9 February 2011). "SS Lady Cory-Wright [+1918]". WreckSite. wrecksite.eu. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  4. ^ Searle, Peter. "Ships Built by Peter Austin & by later names thru Austin & Pickersgill Limited (1954>)". The Sunderland Site. Retrieved 28 June 2011.

49°45′N 05°20′W / 49.750°N 5.333°W / 49.750; -5.333