The wreck identified as the PAMELA lies in 47m of water and is orientated 280 (bow)/100 (stern). The wreck was originally located in 1987 and had a surveyed length of 42m with a strong magnetometer reading. It was reported by divers in 1993 as having its bow to the west, and with archaeological material visible comprising galley plates and cups, and a British made telegraph. In 1994 it was considered by divers to be the wreck of the CLYTIE (NPRN 272098), subsequently identified further to the east. By 1995 the identification had been revised to the PAMELA on the basis of structural comparison, and ammunition and a telescope found on the wreck, dating to 1943. The empty hold was considered consistent with a cargo of barley which would have degraded and dispersed following sinking. Amongst the items recovered in the 1990s are the ship's telegraph, ammunition, a telescope and galley plates and cups. Items recovered and reported to the Receiver of Wreck include portholes, a steam whistle, 4 lamp fittings and a gas torch.

The wreck was surveyed by Bangor University in September 2012 with subsequent analysis undertaken by Innes McCartney for the Echoes from the Deep Project. McCartney concluded (2022) that the wreck was dimensionally consistent with the PAMELA, as was the presence of ammunication from 1943, but highlighted the fact that the bows faced west, which was inconsistent with the last known voyage of the vessel to Liverpool.

The wreck was re-examined by the UKHO in 2021 when it had a surveyed length of 49m, a width of 10m and a height of 6.5m above the seabed. It is described by the UKHO as being an upright wreck, with the stern uplifted and the bow starting to become buried.

Event and Historical Information:
The PAMELA was a steel-hulled single-screw steamship built in 1921 by Scott & Sons of Bowling (Yard No. 287, Official No. 135349). The vessel was 407grt, 45.7m in length, 7.6m wide, and 2.7m depth. It was powered by a 3-cylinder, single boiler, triple-expansion steam engine, single shaft and screw. At the time of loss the ship was owned by the Anglesey Shipping Co (Baron Penrhyn), and registered at Beaumaris.

The PAMELA departed Sharpness (Gloucs) on the 10 October 1944 with a cargo of barley, bound for Liverpool. The ship never arrived and was not heard from following its departure. The Board of Trade investigation could not determine the cause of loss. 

Sources include:

Lloyds Register 1944-45, No. 82254.

Lloyds Register Casualty Returns, Oct-Dec 1944, I, Table C.

Lloyds Register Documentation LRF-PUN-W256-0213-W: https://hec.lrfoundation.org.uk/archive-library/ships/pamela-1921-ramela/

McCartney, I., 2022. Echoes from the Deep. Leiden: Sidestone Press. https://www.sidestone.com/books/echoes-from-the-deep

Receiver of Wreck Droits letter and printout April 2001, TCIM6/2/5/4

UKHO ID 7442: Contains public sector information, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0, from UK Hydrographic Office.

https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?67218

J. Whitewright, RCAHMW, July 2024.