This record consists of a documentary reference to a shipping casualty which has been assigned to the maritime named location THE SMALLS REEF pending more information which may allow a more precise location for the loss to be assigned.
Event and Historical Information:
The ELLERBECK was a steel-hulled steamship built by the Blyth Ship Building and Dry Dock Company Ltd, Blyth in 1910 (yard number 157). Technical and configuration specifications are given as 1499gt, 789nt; 245ft long x 36ft 7in breadth x 16ft 3in depth; 1 deck, weather deck, 4 bulkhead, quarterdeck 123ft, boat deck 13ft, forecastle 26ft; screw propulsion powered by a single boiler linked to a triple expansion engine producing 224hp and made by North East Marine Eng Co Ltd., Sunderland. At time of loss the steamship was owned by the Sharp Steam Ship Company, Newcastle, and was on Admiralty service under the command of master Hay. The steamship was transporting a cargo of coal to the fleet operating in the Pentland Firth and from Scapa Flow, Orkney. The ELLERBECK ran aground on the Hat and Barrels, The Smalls, on 15 August 1914. The ship's distress signals were seen and the St David's lifeboat GENERAL FARREL was launched. Part of the crew took to the ship's boats and were picked up by the lifeboat. The captain and 10 volunteers remained to see of the vessel could be refloated on the next spring tide two days later. However, the ELLERBECK had received serious damage to the bow and the engine room was flooded. The Milford trawler AVONMOUTH went alongside and the remaining survivors decided to abandon ship, later being passed over to the Milford fishing smack MONARCH, who brought them ashore in the Haven.
Sources include:
The Amman Valley Chronicle, 20 August 1914, p.2
Board of Trade Wreck Return 1914, Part II, p.14 (2)
Goddard, T, 1983, Pembrokeshire Shipwrecks, p.98
Larn and Larn Shipwreck Database 2002
Lloyd's Register Casualty Returns, 1 July - 30 September 1914, p.7 (g)
Lloyd's Register of British and Foreign Shipping 1 July 1913 - 30 June 1914, number 474 in E
Maritime Officer, RCAHMW, July 2009.
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