The wreck identified as HMS CAMPINA (UKHO 7255) lies in 16m of water with its keel orientated 105/285 degrees. It has a surveyed length of 41m, a width of 14m, and a maximum height above the seabed of 3.7m.
This wreck was originally located and examined by the UKHO in 2022, and most recently in a Stena Line Ports survey of October 2024. In 1975 the wreck was noted (letter from R.S. Bufton) as standing to 4-5ft in places, and being overgrown with kelp, some live shells were also reported as remaining in-situ. A further report (also from R. S. Bufton) from 1983 recorded that there was considerable steel wreckage and that the remains stood to a height of 4m.
Event and Historical Information:
HMS CAMPINA (ex FV EMERALD H910 (1913-14), HMT EMERALD (1914-1919), FV EMERALD GY214 (1919-1922), FV EMERALD II GY214 (1922), FV CAMPINA GY214 (1922-1940) was a steel steam trawler built in 1913 at Selby by Cochrane and Sons Shipbuilders Ltd (Official No. 133143, Yard No. 555). The vessel was 289 grt, 43.3m length, 7m width, 4m depth, powered by a 3-cylinder compound expansion steam engine with a single boiler, single shaft and single screw.
The vessel initially worked as a fishing vessel before being requisioned during the First World War as HMT EMERALD, before returning to fishing until being requisitioned again in 1940, now renamed as HMT CAMPINA. On 22 July 1940 HMT CAMPINA detonated a mine near the Holyhead New Harbour lighthouse. The trawler sank with the loss of 11 crewmembers.
The initial loss location was given as bearing 088degres, 1 cable from the outer breakwater lighthouse. The wrecks location was subsequently confirmed as 53 19N, 04 36 37W (Notice to Mariners 2278/40 and 2279/40) and a buoy placed bearing 083 degrees, 100 yards from the wreck. The buoy was repositioned to bearing 60 degrees, 100 yards from the wreck in early December 1940.
Sources include:
Larn and Larn Shipwreck Database 2002
UKHO ID 7255: Contains public sector information, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0, from UK Hydrographic Office.
Wynne-Jones, I, 2001, Shipwrecks of North Wales, 4ed, pg68
https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?67035
J. Whitewright, RCAHMW, July 2025.
