January’s unknown ship brought many replies most of whom identified her as the Barrdale.

The winner of the January competition was John Jordan of Co. Cork.

John Jordan writes:

This ship is the three islander SS Barrdale, built in 1925 by Greenock Dockyard Co. Ltd. and engined by J. G. Kincaid. She was owned by Barr, Crombie and Co. of Glasgow. The Barrdale was one of two ships ordered after the company became shipless in 1917. The other vessel was Barrwhin and was a little larger than Barrdale. They were sold on to Reardon Smith in 1941 and Barrdale was sunk in the North Atlantic by U 156 on 17th May 1942 on a voyage from New York via Cape of Good Hope to Abadan. Out of 53 crew, 52 survived. Barrwhin didn’t survive the war either.

Alan Blackwood writes:

This month’s ‘unknown’ is the 5,072 grt Glasgow registered steamer Barrdale completed during November 1925 at the Cartsdyke Mid Yard of the Greenock Dockyard Co. Ltd., to the order of the Glasgow based, 1922 established Barr Shipping Company Ltd (Barr, Crombie & Co., Managers). With overall dimensions of 400’03” x 54’06”, propulsion was by a John.G. Kincaid & Co. Ltd. constructed triple expansion main engine, to return a service speed of 10 knots. At the outbreak of WWII, the Company operated four tramps with their first war loss (S.S. Barrhill) sunk by aerial bombing off Great Yarmouth during late June 1941. Shortly thereafter, their remaining three units were sold and in accordance with the then regulations, without name or PoR change, to the Reardon Smith Line (Sir William Reardon Smith & Sons Ltd., Managers) towards replacement of the 15 x Reardon Smith owned or managed vessels by then lost since the latter’s first loss (of two on the same day – 29th June 1940) of WWII. Thus ended the Barr Company’s role as shipowners, but from October 1942 until 1946 they managed the 1942 U.S. built 7,178 grt Ocean Angel on behalf of the MoWT/ MoT.

Barrdale was herself torpedoed by U- 156 and sank in 10 minutes during the mid evening of 17th May 1942 at a position some 530 NM due east of Martinique, having departed from New York on 9th May for a voyage (unescorted) to Basrah and Abadan via Table Bay, with 9,824 tons of Government and general cargo. Of her crew complement of 45 + 8 gunners, one gunner was lost as a consequence of the attack. Survivors took to the boats and were rescued by the 3,177 grt 1928 Danish built Buenos Aires registered passenger/ cargo vessel Rio Iguazu and later landed at Pernambuco.

Peter Sommerville writes:

I think this ship is the Barrdale (5,072grt) built by Greenock Dock Yard in 1925 for Barr Crombie & Co Glasgow (Barr Shipping Co). She was sold to Reardon Smith & Co in 1941 and was sunk east of Martinique by U156 on the 17th May 1942.

Laurance Ward writes:

This ship is the Barrdale, built for The Barr Shipping Co. Ltd., managers Barr, Crombie & Co. Ltd., of Glasgow. Built by Greenock Dockyard Co. Ltd., of Greenock, launched 30/09/1925 and completed in November 1925.

Registered in Glasgow. Dimensions: O’all length 400.30ft., beam 54.40ft., draught 26.30ft., grt 5,072, nett tonnage 3,007. Single screw, 10.5 knots. Engines: coal fired boilers supplying steam to a triple expansion 3cyl., NHP 475, and built by J.G. Kincaid & Co. Ltd., Greenock. In 1941 she was sold to Sir Wm. Reardon Smith & Sons. of Cardiff. I believe that due to wartime restrictions the new owners could not rename her. Her career with these owners ended on 17/05/1942, when she was torpedoed by U156 off Martinique, whilst on passage from New York to Basra/Abadan via Table Bay.

Mike West writes:

As this ship is typical of the early pre-war type, there is not much to work on. I can only guess That she is one of the Brocklebank ships, Mahratta of 1917, 6,690grt, built at Port Glasgow. On 6th October 1939, she was at anchor off the Goodwin Sands awaiting a pilot. She ran ashore and broke her back.

Doug Burn writes:

The mystery ship in Jan magazine is the Barrdale owned by Barr Shipping Co. Ltd., manager of which was Barr, Crombie & Co. Ltd. of Glasgow. She was built at Greenock Dockyard in 1925 and was 5,072 grt and a length of 400ft. She was sold to Sir William Reardon Smith in 1941,however she was torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U156 east of Martinique on 17th May 1942 in position 15.15N, 52.27W.

A.D. Frost writes:

January’s unknown ship is Barr Shipping’s (Barr, Crombie & Co.) Barrdale, built in 1925 by Greenock DY. Sold in 1941 to Reardon, Smith. On 17.5.42 she was torpedoed and sunk by U-156, east of Martinique bound from New York to Table Bay.

Christy MacHale writes:

January’s ‘mystery ship’ is the steamer Barrdale (5072 tons), completed by the Greenock Dockyard Co. in November 1925 for the Barr Shipping Co. Ltd., managed by Barr, Crombie & Co. Ltd. of Glasgow. Taken over by Wm. Reardon Smith & Sons, Cardiff, with the rest of the Barr fleet in 1941, she could not be renamed because of wartime regulations. On 17 May 1942, while on passage from New York to Basra & Abadan via Table Bay with a general cargo, she was torpedoed and sunk by U156 east of Martinique in position 15°15’N 52°27’W, with the loss of one life.