Oxshott SS and Gallois SS (Convoy FS - 559)

Written, Research and confirmation of site by Paul Hennessey (Norfolk Wreck Research)

 Above ... The Gallois under her former name of Lord Aberconway
 
OXSHOTT AND GALLOIS
CONVOY FS-559
Researched and written by Paul Hennessey

Acknowledgements ... Underwater photography courtesy of www.sambeanimages.com
Circumstances of loss
On August 6th 1941 and in bad weather, the Oxshott and the Gallois were attached to the south bound convoy FS - 559 ,on route from Methil on the Firth of Forth to Dagenham. At the time of loss there was a great deal of dispute as to the cause. Some sources claimed a wrong course change was to blame, other sources claimed other ships forced them out of the swept channel and onto the sands through not holding position within the convoy. In addition to this, several Masters and officers claim that channel bouy no8 was never sighted and believed the lamp not to be lit. There are reports of an E Boat attack, this in turn causing the vessels to change course and ground on the sands. A report submitted by the commanding officer of the escort ship HMS Vimiera makes no mention to any such action involving E Boats. For what ever the reasons for this tragic incident, the events of the 6th August paid a heavy toll on both lives lost and the loss of ships.  The Cromer lifeboat H.F. Bailey attended the ships Oxshott and the Gallois, her efforts under the command of Coxswain Blogg were to see her rescue 31 men from the Gallois and 16 men from the Oxshott.

Vessels lost on the sands from convoy FS - 559.
SS Aberhill, SS Afon Towy, HMT Agate, SS Betty Hindley, SS Deerwood, SS Gallois, SS Oxshott, SS Taara

OXSHOTT
Position ... 52 54 647 N / 001 43 924 E
Cargo ... Coal, Seaham to Dagenham
Built ... 1915
Builder ... Campbeltown Ship Building Company, Campletown, Scotland
Construction ... Steel
Propulsion ... x1 screw
Engine ... x1 triple expansion engine (midships) 18, 27.5 & 45 x 33 inch stroke
Boiler ... x2 Scotch type boilers x 4 Corrugated furnaces in total
Engine builder ... Rankin & Blackmore Ltd Greenock
Power ... 139nhp
Speed ... 9.5 knots
Dimensions ... 70.1 x 10.91 x 5.9mtrs 
Date of loss ... 6th August 1941
Cause of loss ... Ran aground during convoy
Max depth ... 17mtrs

Overview of the Oxshott
Two miles south of the above stated position, lies a wreck stated by the UKHO as possibly being that of the Oxshott. This site sits in 35 mtrs of water. One of the rescue vessels that attended the wrecking of the Oxshott was the Cromer lifeboay H.F. Bailey. In her report of the incident she describes the Oxshott as being grounded, her two masts, funnel and upper works being the only structures of the Oxshott to be above the surface. If we are therefore to assume the H.F. Baileys account to be correct, the site two miles south cannot possibly be that of the Oxshott. If this was to be the case and the Oxshott had in fact sank in 35mtrs, she would have been fully submerged. In addition to this, in 1990 a propeller was salvaged from the wreck at the position stated above, this position also being listed as another possible site for the Oxshott by the UK Hydrographics office. Upon the propeller was engraved the name Oxshott. This in combination with the H.F Baileys report offers very compelling evidence that this is in fact the wreck of the Oxshott. 
On diving the site, measurements of the hull and engine cylinders were conducive to that of the Oxshott. She showed herself to have two boilers with a total of four furnaces combined, this holding with the bank of boilers on the Oxshott. At the stern, no propeller was to be seen, however the section of prop shaft that exits the hull and mounts the propeller is still in situ,  this in turn offering further evidence in favour of this site being that of the steamship Oxshott.

Ownership history of the Oxshott
Built in 1915 for John Hudson & Co of London as the Oxshott. Prior to the purchase of the Oxshott the company had been in the coal trade since 1905. It was not until 1915 that they became ship owners themselves. From the build date of the Oxshott, it is safe to say that she was one of the companies first purchases. In 1920 the company set up the Hudson Steamship Company, in turn with the Oxshott becoming one of the new companies fleet vessels.

Campbeltown Ship Building Company, Campletown, Scotland. Builders of the steamer Oxshott .

The yard was based at Trench Point, at the entrance to Campbeltown Loch in Scotland. It was previously the site of 17th Century earthworks. In 1877 Archibald MacEachern founded the Campbeltown yard. During the 1800's the yard built various steamers for Glasgow based companies. WW1 saw the yard build several colliers. At this time the work force had increased to 300 hundred. At the end of the war and with orders drying up the yard closed in 1922  after building 110 vessels. 

Rankin & Blackmore Ltd, Greenock. Builders of the Oxshotts engine .... Eagle Foundry, Baker Street, Greenock, were makers of steam engines for marine use.


In 1862 The Eagle Foundry of Johnstone and Leitch, makers of sugar house machinery was bought by Daniel Rankin and Edward Blackmore, who quickly diversified from the manufacture of sugar making machinery into marine engines and boilers.


 The new firm erected a boilershop on the opposite side of Baker St and engaged also in the manufacture of ship machinery, in which they were very successful. In 1874 Rankin invented a disconnecting compound engine for twin screw and paddle steamers. In 1884 his two sons John & Matthew invented several types of triple and quadruple expansion engines. With Rankin dying in 1885, Blackmore retired soon after and Rankins sons carried on. Rankin & Blackmore provided engines for paddle steamers and tugs and then cargo and passenger steamers. The works were badly damaged during the Blitz of 1941. Rankin & Blackmores became a subsidiary of Lithgow's in 1952. The foundry closed in 1954 with castings being bought from GM Hay & Co. The firm closed in 1964.
The Oxshott today
The Oxshott makes for a great dive with plenty to see and area's to explore. The bows of the Oxshott are intact and upright, standing some 7 - 8 mtrs proud of the seabed, both bow anchors are in situ. Coming away from the bow and heading towards the stern, you will swim over various broken plates and frames that stick out of the sandy seabed. Some 30mtrs or so from the bows, you will come to what was once the engine room. Here you will find the Oxshotts two Scotch type boilers and her triple expansion engine. The seabed around this area is littered with various pipework associated with the engine room.  Coming away from the engine and heading towards the stern, you will once again find yourself making your way  over frames and plates, none of which are more than a couple of feet clear of the sandy seabed. The next most recognisable section of the wreck is the stern. although the stern has now collapsed, the lower frames and plates are in evidence and protrude through the sand by about 1 mtr, this in turn showing the outline of the stern. There is no propeller, however the section of prop shaft that exits the hull to mount the propeller is still in evidence. The Propeller was salvaged in 1990.
Below ... The Oxshott today
GALLOIS Pronounced the Galwah

Position ... 52 54 380 N / 001 43 558 E
Type ... Cargo, engine midships, plumb bow, counter stern, raised quarter deck 56.3mtrs, bridge deck on raised quarter deck 19mtrs, forecastle 9.6mtrs
Cargo ... Coal, Tyne to London
Built ... 1917
Builder ... Wood Skinner & Co Ltd. Newcastle - Upon - Tyne
Construction ... Steel
Double bottom ... Yes
Propulsion ... Steam X1 screw
Engine ... X1 triple expansion engine (Engine midships) 24, 40 & 65 x 42 inch stroke, x1 screw
Boilers ...  X2 Scotch type boilers ( built by North Eastern Marine Engineers Ltd Sunderland)
Engine builder ... North Eastern Marine Engineers Ltd Sunderland
Power ... 329 nhp
Speed ... 10.5 knots
Dimensions ... 97.8 x 13.2 x 5.9 mtrs 
Date lost ... 6th August 1941
Cause of loss ... Ran aground during convoy
Depth ... 17 mtrs


Overview of the Gallois
The Gallois was the largest of the 8 vessels that grounded on Haisborough Sands on the 6th August. The Gallois was almost 28 mtrs greater in length than the Oxshott and had in the region of 1400 registered grt (gross tonnage) more than the Oxshott.  The position listed above is given by the UKHO (UK Hydrographics Office) as possibly being the site of the Gallois. From records of the incident involving convoy FS - 559 and measurments taken from the site whilst surveying and mapping by NWR (Norfolk Wreck Research) and in turn comparing the findings with available design and build data of the Gallois, it is seen as being highly likely that the wreck at the position listed above is that of the Gallois.

History of ownership of the Gallois
Built in 1917 as the Tynemouth for the Burnett Steamship Company. In 1929 she was sold to the Tredagar Associated Colliers and Shipping Company and renamed Lord Aberconway. In 1930 she was sold again, this time to French owners Etablissenents Oden de Lubersac of Rouen and renamed Gallois. In 1940 the Gallois was requisitioned in London at the begining of the war by the British government and used for war duties.

Below ... The Gallois , formerly the Tynemouth under construction.

Left ... The engine of the Gallois. Note the large section of pipe coming from the low pressure cylinder down to the condenser at the lower forefront of the picture.

Vertical Donkey Boiler ... In addition to her two main boilers, the Gallois was fitted with a deck mounted donkey boiler. Its design would have been outwardly similar to the diagram to the left, this being a Cochran boiler. The donkey boiler fitted to the Gallois was made in Darlington by Blake Boiler, Wagon and Engineering Company Ltd, the dimensions of which were, diameter 6 feet, height 12 feet. 

Wood, Skinner & Co Ltd, builders of the steamer Gallois ...  Formed in 1883 by James Skinner and William Wood at Bill Quay. Both Skinner and Wood had gained a great deal of experience working for other well-known shipbuilders. In 1897 the company was incorporated as a limited company and in 1914 the company was listed as shipbuilders and repairers at Bill Quay.

Wood, Skinner & Co went into liquidation in 1925.

North Eastern Marine Engineers, builders of the Gallois'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.

Left ... The boilers of the Gallois were fitted with 4 Deighton corrugated furnaces each, totaling 8 furnaces for the two main boilers.

Additional Data

Engine ... 3 cylinder triple expansion, 75rpm / cylinders , Hp 24, Ip 40, Lp 65 x 42 inch stroke.

Prop ... Diameter 16 feet , 4 blades.

Boilers (main) ... Working pressure 180lbs / diameter 16 feet 6 inches, length 11 feet, shell plating material steel, thickness 1 1/4 inches / x4 corrugated furnaces per boiler.

Donkey boiler ... Working pressure 100lbs / shell plate steel / length of furnace 3 feet 6 1/2 inches, height 12 feet / diameter 6 feet.

Stern of the Gallois
Below left to right .. Oxshott bow .. Gallois boilers .. Gallois engine ... Gallois engine and collapsed wreckage (Click on image to enlarge)
Underwater photography courtesy of SamBeanImages
The Gallois today (Pronounced Galwah)
As with the Oxshott, the Gallois makes for a great dive. Unlike the Oxshott, the bows of the Gallois are no longer attached to the main wreckage and are infact some some 20 - 30 mtrs off to port from where no1 and no2 holds would have met. The stern of the Gallois is very much intact and is hard over on its starboard side, so much so that the stern decking is now vertical to the seabed. On the decking you will find the spare prop, two anchors and bollards. On the port side of the stern you will find one of the blades of her prop sticking out of the sandy seabed by four feet or so. Also in evidence is the steering quadrant, this being around to the back of the stern. Navigation from this point to the engine and boilers is made easy as the prop shaft shows itself for the whole distance from the stern to the engine room area. On your way, as with the Oxshott, you will once again find yourself making your way over a sandy seabed with occasional frames, plates and the remains of the shaft tunnel protruding no more than a couple of feet through the sandy seabed. On arrival at the engine room area, you will be met by the sight of the engine, this almost towering above you, forward of the engine are the two Scotch type boilers. In this area you will find various pipe work associated with the engine room. A short distance forward of the boilers there are what appear to be either a cargo hold bulkhead or the lower section of her superstructure protruding no more than a couple of feet out of the sand? Moving forward from this point there is little of the Gallois showing above the sand. Continuing, as if you were heading towards what would have been the bow section, you will come to a deep scour, this being caused by the influence of the bow. Once you have reached this follow the top of the scour around to the left (ships port side) and you will eventually come to the bow section. The bow is intact and upright standing 7 - 8 mtrs proud of the sea bed, the two bow anchors are still in situ. Judging by the low level wreckage still attached aft of the bows and lack of wreckage forward of the boilers and the location of the bows in proximity to the main wreckage, can it be assumed that the Gallois broke her back somewhere forward or around no2 hold and the fore section broke away and came around to port and sank??

Below ... The Gallois today

Below ... Overview of both sites as they are today
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