The ships of the Commonwealth and Dominion Line/Port Line were to pay a heavy price for the participation in the British War effort in both world wars. No fewer than twenty vessels were lost during the two conflicts. The steel steamship Port Denison was launched from the Belfast yard of Workman Clark and Co Ltd (Yard No 352) on 18th September 1917. She measured 480.4′ x 60.3′ x 32.2′ her tonnage was 8043 gross tons, 5053 net tons. Her original twin triple expansion engines by Workman Clark were supplemented in 1930 with the addition of an LP turbine bringing her engine power to 986 nominal horse power. Her official number was 142397.
Steamship Port Denison at anchor
Lloyds register 1915
In the years between the wars she travelled the seas of the world extensively and, after the company name was changed to Port line Ltd in 1938, she continued to do so up to the outbreak of World War Two. Immediately after the outbreak of war she started convoy duty initially in UK waters but later participated in two major convoys between Freetown and Liverpool bringing large general cargo loads of supplies for the war effort.
In September 1940 she was in London and departed from there for Auckland, New Zealand. She had a valuable general cargo aboard under the command of Captain R H Walley and manned by a crew of seventy eight men. The Port Denison headed north along the east coast of Britain and reached Methil where a large convoy was assembling to head north and through the Pentland Firth on to a number of different destinations mainly on the British west coast. Convoy OA220 departed Methil with thirty eight merchant ships and six escort vessels on 26th September.
Later that day, as the Port Denison reached the area off Kinnaird Head the convoy was attacked by German aircraft and Port Denison took a direct hit. Sixteen of the crew were killed in the explosion and aftermath. The remaining sixty three crewmen were able to evacuate the ship before she drifted off and finally sank the following morning.
Tower Hill, London
The wreck of the Port Denison lies in position 57° 42.441’N, 01° 33.708’W oriented 100/280 degrees. She lies in a depth of 84 metres with a least clearance of 77 metres. The wreck, which is wrongly identified as Cape York in Hydrographic Department records and charts, was positively identified by divers who recovered the ship’s bell. She sits upright on a flat seabed with the mid section damaged, presumably from the effects of the bomb hit and perhaps a subsequent engine/boiler explosion.
We would like to acknowledge the assistance of Buchan Divers – www.buchandivers.com in the preparation of this article.
