Porthole recovered from the Cormead, courtesy of Lincoln and Julian Barnwell. The inscription reads J & J Woods Ltd, also known as the Reliance foundry. The foundry was located at Rainhill in Lancashire. The buisiness was estabished in 1906 and ended in 1972.
SS Cormead
RESEARCHED AND IDENTIFIED IN 2004 BY LINCOLN AND JULIAN BARNWELL AND THEIR FATHER, THE LATE MIKE BARNWELL
Additional research ... Paul Hennessey (Norfolk Wreck Research) 2020
Type ... Cargo. Cruiser stern, raked bow, x 4 holds, bridge midships, engine aft, raised quarter deck
Position ... 52 30 267 N / 02 15 893 E
Built ... 1939
Builder ... Burntisland Shipbuilding Co Ltd
Yard no ... 232
Official number ... 167369
Launched ... 14 / 9 / 1939 ... Completed ... 13 / 12 / 1939 ... Keel laid 5 / 5 / 1939 ... (Build time 7 months)
Tonnage ... 2848 grt / 1660 nrt / 4350 dwt
Dimensions ... 96.01 x 13.53 x 6.01 mtrs
Engine builder ... North Eastern Marine Engineering Co (1938) Ltd
Engine ... 3 cylinder triple expansion / 18.5 , 29, 52 x 39 inch stroke
Boilers ... x2 Scotch type / x 6 corrugated furnaces in total
Owner at time of loss ... Cory Colliers
Power ... 244 nhp
Speed ... 10 knots
Lost ... 26th December 1941
Cause ... Mine
Casualties ... None
Armed ... Yes
Depth ... 44 mtrs to the seabed / 36 - 38 mtrs to the deck
History and circumstances of loss
Built in 1939 for Cory Colliers ( W M Cory & Son Ltd) of London by the Burntisland Shipbuilding Company, sister ship to the Cormarsh. At the time of the Cormead's loss, she was little more than two years out of her builders hands. Prior to her sinking in December 1941 she had encountered several near misses in the same year. In March 1941 she was damaged in an air launched torpedo attack off Southwold. In September 1941, she sustained damage from two bombs that failed to explode, these ending up sat in her empty holds. In addition to this, on the same day she had a near miss during an aerial bombing attack. On the 25th December 1941 the Cormead's luck was to run out. Whilst en route from London to the Tyne in Ballast she hit a mine east of Lowestoft. With hope of saving the vessel, the Cormead was taken in tow. On the 26th December and with the effects of the mine proving fatal, the Cormead went to the bottom. All of the Cormead's crew survived , along with her four DEMS gunners.
Of note .... The position given by both the UK Hydrographics Office and the position published in the book "The Shipwrecks Of North East Norfolk"as being the Cormead ,are now, due to extensive research on the part of Lincoln, Julian and Mike Barnwell believed not to be that of the Cormead. The position given at the head of this page provided by Lincoln and Julian Barnwell should now be considered to be the correct position of the Cormead, this position being listed as an unknown by the UKHO (wreck number 11015)
Cormarsh, sister ship to the Cormead
Below ... Dive boat Penertrater (2004)
Identification
In the summer of 2004, Lincoln, Julian and their father Mike Barnwell set out on their dive boat Penertrater to investigate an unidentified wreck east of Lowestoft. During the dive it was observed that the wreck was approximately 90mtrs long, fitted with a single triple expansion engine (aft), two scotch type boilers, a deck gun and had a cruiser type stern. During the dive, for research purposes, a porthole was recovered along with a plate, upon the face of plate was printed a flag with a black diamond. Further investigation into the plates origins led to it being identified as being that of Cory Colliers. On the back of the plate now being identified as belonging to Cory Colliers, the team set about researching Cory vessels lost in the local area that were fitted with their engines aft. To this end three vessels came to light, the Corbrook, Cormarsh and the Cormead. The Corbrook and Cormarsh were instantly dismissed as possible vessels, the Corbrook being built with a counter stern and the Cormarsh, sister ship to the Cormead , also built with a cruiser type stern had been well documented as being lost north of the Sherringham shoal, this in turn leaving the Cormead as the only possible candidate. With all that the team had recorded on their dives fitting the profile of the Cormead perfectly, length, 90mtrs (approx), armed , cruiser stern, engine aft, bridge superstructure midships, x4 holds, raised quarter deck plus the plate bearing the Cory diamond flag, it can be safe to conclude that the Barnwell's identification of the Cormead and in turn the position listed at the head of this page is that of the Cormead . In addition to the teams identification of the Cormead in 2004, doubts started to be voiced in other areas in 2007 as to the UKHO listing of the identification of the Cormead.
Below ... The clinching piece of evidence, the plate recovered from the Cormead bearing the Cory Colliers black diamond flag, courtesy of Lincoln and Julian Barnwell.
Below ... Lincoln (right) and Julian (left) in 2012 onboard Penertrater with their Father Mike.
Below .... Newspaper article featured in the London Gazzette in 1972 reporting the closure of J & J Woods Ltd (Manufacturers of the Cormeads portholes)
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Burntisland Shipbuilding Co Ltd, builders of the SS Cormead. Burntisland West Dock, Fife, home of Burntisland Shipbuilding Co.
1918 Yard opened as an emergency shipyard during World War 1.
The yard was managed by the brothers, Amos Ayre and Wilfrid Ayre. They built a four berth yard and this enabled them to build ships up to 450 feet in length. This hi-tech shipbuilding "factory" also included an extensive railway system to carry steel to the various parts of the yard.
1918 The first three ships to be built were standard "C" types, the yard then went on to build five-hold three-island tramps and twenty four-hold engines-amidship colliers. the yard also built "Arch-deck" colliers.
1920s The yard built a number of large tramps and from 1921 to 1929 the yard made 12 such vessels. The orders for colliers and coasters were constant during the inter-war years and this managed to keep the yard solvent.
In 1929 the "Burntisland Economy" ship design made its debut, trading on its reputation for effective fuel economy. The yard made a number of design innovations to the basic "Burntisland Economy" design.
1930s The yard made a number of "flat-iron" colliers and coasters. In the mid 30s the demand for "Burntisland Economies" continued, and over a dozen of these were completed from 1935 to 1939.
WWII The yard made three "Loch" class frigates and sixty merchant hulls, tramps and colliers. In addition a number of orders were received from he Government for tramps, merchant aircraft carriers and a coaster. The yard was also making ships for private customers.
1942 Burntisland Shipbuilding Co took over the yard of Hall, Russell and Co.
1940s The Ayre Brothers continued in control of the yard in post-war years.
From 1945 to 1965 the Burntisland Yard consolidated its reputation for high quality tramps and cargo-liners by making over 50 vessels.
1950s The Scottish and Mercantile Investment Co became the majority shareholder in the yard.
1953 Took over Alexander Hall and Co
1961 Shipbuilders. 1,000 employees.
1963 Sir Wilfrid resigned in 1963 after 45 years in charge.
1960s The yard made a number of motor-coasters for Metcalf Motor Coasters along with petroleum gas carriers, and tankers.
1968 The Burntisland Yard ran into difficulties and went into receivership. The yard equipment was then sold to Robb-Caledon of Leith and Dundee. (Credit Graces Guide)
North Eastern Marine Engineers, Builders of the Cormead's engine. Formed in 1867 by John Frederick Spencer, the North Eastern Marine engineering Company were Marine engine builders of Sunderland. In 1882, the Northumberland engine works and forge were established by the company at Wallsend. In 1889, the combined efforts of both the Sunderland works and the Wallsend works had supplied in the region of 100 triple expansion engines to various ship builders. In 1909 the company were the first to install an electrically operated cantilever crane in the North East of England. In 1938, N.E.M was, along with George Clark, another engineering company aquired by Richardson Westgarth and Co and became Clark & NEM Ltd, this in turn becoming part of the Richardson Wetgarth Group.
Funnel of the Cory Colliers vessels ... Black funnel, white band with a black diamond.
Cory Colliers Ltd (W. M. Cory & Sons) London, owners of the Cormead. The house flag of Cory Colliers Ltd, London. A red, rectangular flag with a white diamond in the centre. Cory Colliers were a branch of William Cory and Son. Originally in the coal trade, they became tug operators, taking over several other companies. In 1985 they were consolidated under the control of Cory Towage Limited, and the flag emblem was altered from a white diamond to a blue one edged white. They were taken over and absorbed by Bureau Wijsmuller in February 2000.
UKHO
Position listed as an unknown by the UKHO (Wreck no 11015)
Year of detection 1969
1969 ... Located in 52 30 15 N / 02 15 53 E
1971 ... Examined in 52 30 15 N / 02 15 53 E / Least depth 31.2mtrs, in a general depth of 42.5mtrs. Wreck stands clear of bottom
1972 ... Upright with gun. Wreck split about 30 feet from the stern. Forward section almost over on port side
1994 ... 52 30 12,49 N / 02 16 01,67 E Swept clear at 32.5mtrs / foul at 32.9mtrs. General depth 42.5mtrs. Appears whole and upright
2017 ... Examined in 52 30 . 238 N / 02 15 . 909 E Least depth 33.72mtrs / general depth 42mtrs / Length 105mtrs, width 16.9mtrs, height 10.5mtrs. Wreck is large and intact.
The wreck today
Having not been dived by the Barnwell's since the vessels identification in 2004, an up to date account of the condition of the wreck cannot be given. For more information, please refer to the 2017 UKHO survey above.