Left, the Belvidere Shipyard ... The Belvidere (or Belvedere) shipyard was situated on the west bank of the Itchen just off Belvidere Road in Northam. Established by Ransom and Blaker in about 1823, James Blaker continued to work there after the partnership was dissolved in 1826. Other members of the Blaker family managed the yard after James' death in December 1841, until John Ransom bought the yard in 1852. By 1900, when this photograph was taken, the yard was occupied by James Dibble & Sons, and in 1918 came under the ownership of Dibles 1918 Ltd, builders of the Afon Towy.
Afon Towy SS (Convoy FS - 559)
AFON TOWY (Convoy FS-559)
Position ... 52 54 066 N / 001 43 888 E
Cargo ... Coal, Blyth to Queensborough (2 miles south of Sheerness)
Built ... 1919
Tonnage ... 684 grt
Dimensions ... 54.25 x 8.84 x 3.44 mtrs
Construction ... Steel
Engine ... x1 triple expansion engine / 3 cylinders / 14, 23, 39 x 27 inches
Boilers ... x2 / x4 plain furnaces in total
Power ... 82 hp
Speed ... 9 knots
Yard no ... 112
Lost ... 6th August 1941
Cause of loss ... Ran aground
Builder ... Dibles (1918) Ltd , Belvidere Shipyard, River Itchen, Northam (suburb of Southampton)
Engine builder ... Mac Call & Pollock Sunderland
Owner ... W. Coombs & Sons - Afon Lliedi SS. Co
Type ... Cargo. Long raised quarter deck, bridge midships, engine aft, x2 holds, plumb bow, counter stern.
Afon Towey
One little known shipbuilder on the Itchen was Dibles (1918) Limited, which operated from the Belvidere Shipyard in
Northam. The company appears to have been the successor to J. Dible & Sons, which between 1888-1912 built a couple
of small sailing vessels and about 10 non-propelled barges/pontoons. After the Great War, between 1919-22, the new
Dibles company built several barges, four small coasters and later a tug in 1927. The AFON TOWY appears to be the
second of four sister ships built by Dibles and the one with the shortest life.
Launched on 25th September 1919 as Yard number 112, AFON TOWY was completed in December 1919 for Afon S.S.
Co. Ltd, managed by William Coombs and Sons of New Dock, Llanelly, ownership transferred in 1928 to Afon Lleili SS
Co Ltd under the same management.
In August 1941, carrying a coal cargo from Blythe to Queenborough on the Thames, she was part of the 39-ship
southbound Convoy FS 559, supported by naval warships and trawlers. The convoy was caught in very heavy weather and
on 6th August, eight ships grounded on Haisborough Sands off the Norfolk coast. Nine of the Afon Towy's crew members lost their lives in the incident, all of whom are included on the Merchant Navy Memorial at Tower Hill in London.
UKHO
The UKHO have this site listed as that of the Afon Towy and that of the Deerwood (Possibly), Two wrecks together. The Deerwood being one of the vessels also lost on the 6th August 1941 as part of the convoy FS-559.
Below are the UKHO survey details of the site for the Afon Towy.
16/9/41 ... Back broken. Well deck awash at HW. Foremast, funnel, part of stern and part of bow show at HW. Listing to port.
14/4/44 ... Not located in sonar search.
21/3/90 ... Bell marked Deerwood recovered from one of the wrecks.
16/11/93 ... Completely buried with no height. Length 10mtrs, breadth 2mtrs. Chart as foul.
Circumstances of loss
Oxshott and Gallois
Part of the ill fated convoy FS-559. Click on link below (Oxshott and Gallois) for circumstances of loss)
Vessels lost from convoy FS-559 ... Aberhill, Afon Towy, Betty Hindley, Deerwood, Gallois, Oxshott, Taara, Agate.
The Afon Towy today
Awaiting divers report