The Saint Dunstan was ordered by the Shipping Controller of the UK Government for cargo duties during World War One but was not launched until the war was over. Built by Northumberland Shipbuilding Co Ltd of Howden and launched on 29th April 1919 she measured 400.0′ x 53.0′ x 32.8′ and her tonnage was 5681 gross tons, 3563 net tons. She was powered by a triple expansions steam engine by North East Marine Engineering Company Ltd of Newcastle delivering 597 nominal horse power. Ordered and launched as SS War Keep she was immediately purchased by the Saint Line of Liverpool and named Saint Dunstan for whom she sailed successfully until the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 when she was requisitioned for convoy duties by the Admiralty.
Unfortunately for the convoy, in particular Saint Dunstan and her skipper Thomas Cookes and her 62 crewmen, they had not outrun the German U-boats lying in wait off the North Ireland coast. At 00.42am on the 24th they were attacked by U-57 commanded by Oberleutnant Erich Topp. As the moon broke through the dark night sky perfectly silhouetting the ships in the convoy Topp fired three torpedoes at the fleet of ships and succeeded in hitting and sinking the steamship Cumberland and damaging the Saint Dunstan and a third steamship, the Havildar, before he dived to escape the British warships that had been escorting the convoy. The attack is recorded in German records in position 55°45’N, 07°15’W. The same bright moon that had illuminated the convoy also lit up the German submarine as two of the destroyers quickly turned and raced toward her. On board U-57 the alarm sounded, and they crash dived at an angle of forty degrees to escape the onrushing destroyers. U-57 was damaged as depth charges exploded around her but managed to survive and return to her home base at Lorient.
Oberleutnant Erich Topp
The Cumberland sank quickly while both the Havildar and Saint Dunstan were severely damaged. Saint Dunstan, hit by a torpedo which had killed 14 of the crew, remained afloat but dead in the water. Almost a day after the attack it was decided to take off the remaining crew who abandoned ship in the ship’s boats to be picked up by the British rescue ship SS Copeland. They were later transferred to HMS Witch and were landed at Belfast.
The wreck of the Saint Dunstan lies in position 55°27.249’N, 004°58.717’W (WGS84) oriented 030°/210°. This large wreck lies in 82 metres with a least depth of 67 metres. The wreck of the Cumberland has also been discovered and lies in the North Channel in position 55°31.552’N, 07°15.222’W.
The wreck of the Saint Dunstan was first dived on 27th and 28th March 2022 by a group of six divers from Global Underwater Explorers – GUE Scotland. The divers were able to establish that the wreck remains largely intact with an average depth at main deck level of 75 metres. Conditions on the wreck were far from optimal, with visibility between 2-4 metres and very dark due to depth. The wreck is also covered in fine silt which can be easily disturbed. Dives were conducted on a different part of the wreck each day, firstly the sterncastle and then the bridge area.
