The wreck lies in 80m of water and is orientated 290 (bow)/110 (stern) degrees. The wreck is upright and is c. 89m in length and 11.7m in width.

The wreck was originally identified by the UKHO as the RFA VITOL. Research by Dr Innes McCartney (2022: 186) for the Echoes from the Deep project, following a detailed survey by Bangor University in May 2019, identified the wreck as being dimensionally, positionally, and archivally consistent with the loss of the ROBERT EGGLETON, and the record has been updated to reflect that research.

Event and Historical Information:
The ROBERT EGGLETON was a steel-hulled steamship built by Short Brothers, Sunderland, in 1890. Technical and configuration specifications are given as 2274gt, 1378nt; 290ft 2in length x 39ft 1in breadth x 21ft 7in depth; 1 x deck, 4 x bulkheads, passenger deck 32ft, boat deck 78ft, forecastle 34ft; screw propulsion powered by two steam boilers linked to a triple expansion engine producing 196hp; machinery by T. Richardson & Sons, Hartlepool. At time of loss, the vessel was owned by James Westoll, Sunderland.

The ship left Glasgow on 24th December and Belfast Lough on 27th December, and was on passage to Leghorn (Italy) via Milford Haven carrying 2700 tons of coal. The attack by U 91 took place 10 miles SW (mag) from Bardsey at 4am on 28 December 1917. The crew numbered 27 all told, with two marines (Bradley and Perrey) to man the 12pdr gun. The torpedo hit the starboard side at the aft end of number 2 hold. The navigation bridge collapsed and it is presumed the 2nd officer was killed and lost overboard at this time. The starboard lifeboats were smashed, but the crew managed to get into ship's other lifeboats and were picked up by SS CARROWMORE of Belfast to be landed at Fishguard. The name commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial to the Mercantile Marine is J Soudyn, Chief Boatswain, age 39, born at Rotterdam. The intelligence collated by the Admiralty includes the deposition of the master - Stanley McLaren.

Sources include:

ADM137/4007 Home Waters Ships Attacked December 16-31 1917, The National Archives, Kew
Appropriation Books, Official Numbers 97501 - 97550 (97523)
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Great War at Sea: ROBERT EGGLETON sunk 28 December 1917, People's Collection Wales
HMSO, 1988, British Vessels Lost at Sea 1914-18 and 1939-45, p.77
Larn and Larn Shipwreck Database 2002
Lloyd's Casualty and War Losses Register 1914-1918 p.192
Lloyd's Register Casualty Returns, 1 October - 31 December 1917, p.11 (i)
Lloyd's Register of British and Foreign Shipping, 1 July 1915 - 30 June 1916, number 618 in R

McCartney, I., 2022. Echoes from the Deep. Leiden: Sidestone Press. https://www.sidestone.com/books/echoes-from-the-deep
Mercantile Navy List, 1900, p.301
Mercantile Navy List, 1910, p.432
Mercantile Navy List, 1915, p.499
Robert Eggleton, uboat.net
U-Boat Project: Commemorating the War at Sea

UKHO ID 9951: Contains public sector information, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0, from UK Hydrographic Office.

J. Whitewright, RCAHMW, April 2023

This record was enhanced in 2020 with funding from Lloyd's Register Foundation as part of the project ‘Making the Link: Lloyd's Register and the National Monuments Record of Wales’. Visit Lloyd’s Register Foundation Heritage and Education Centre for more resources.

Site Record

Robert Eggleton (UKHO 9951)