Daily Event for February 27, 2012

The steel bark Galgorm Castle was built at Belfast by Workman, Clark & Company in 1892. She was over 256' long (between perpendiculars) and registered at 1,507 tons. The ship was owned by John Stewart & Company of London. On February 27, 1917 she was approaching Ireland from Buenos Aires when she was shelled by SMS
U-49. According to statements made by survivors, the U-boat began shelling without warning from a distance of two miles scoring several hits. The crew launched two lifeboats, the master, Captain Frampton, his wife and ten men in one boat and twelve men in the other, including two Americans.

The boats became separated during the course of the evening and lost sight of each other. About 530 p.m. the next day the masters lifeboat was found, overnight the sea had become heavy and in order to stay afloat three men had to continually bail out water. The second lifeboat could not be located and it was feared that it was lost. Survivors claimed that the U-boat fired on that lifeboat, however they also claimed that they saw the lifeboat alongside the U-boat as well. It was not until March 7 that the missing lifeboat was located, but only one man, a Russian, was still alive.

U-49 and her commander, Kapitänleutnant Richard Hartmann, having sunk 38 ships for a total of over 86,000 tons, ended up the same as all his victims. U-49 was rammed and sunk with all hands in the Bay of Biscay on Sept. 11, 1917.
© 2012 Michael W. Pocock
MaritimeQuest.com



Roll of Honour
In memory of those who lost their lives in Galgorm Castle
"As long as we embrace them in our memory, their spirit will always be with us"

Name
Rate
Notes
Davies, Thomas L.
3rd Mate
de Rijcke, Cornelius
Ordinary Seaman
Netherlands, Age 16
Fuller, Frederick A.
Apprentice
Age 15
Hockly, Nigel A.
Apprentice
Age 17
Hyde, Fred
Apprentice
Jackson, William
Ordinary Seaman
United States
Johnson, E. A.
Seaman
Narvig, Jens
Seaman
Norway
Rudverg, Arne
Able Seaman
Norway
Rundell, Nicholas W.
Mate
Walker, David
2nd Cook
United States


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