Site Record

The wreck is noted as having been dispersed in November 1950. No significant wreckage was found during a resurvey of the area in 1981.

Event and Historical Information:
The vessel was built as the GOLETA for La Tunisienne Steam Navigation Co Ltd. It was launched on 3 February 1927 and had been completed by the end of March 1927 by the Burntisland Shipbuilding Company Ltd. Dimensions are given as 298ft long x 44ft wide x 21 depth, powered by a 2 boilers linked to a triple expansion engine producing 259hp. The ship's configuration is recorded a 1 deck, poop deck 26ft, back deck 79ft, forecastle 26ft. Its name was changed in 1936 to STANHOLME, or in 1939 with a change of ownership. At time of loss the vessel was owned by J A Billeir & Co Ltd , London, or the Stanholme Steamship Co Ltd (sources differ). It was carrying 4500 tons of coals from Cardiff to London when it struck a mine laid on 9 November by U-33 (captained by Hans-Wilhelm von Dreskey) at 07.45am on 25 December 1939. The location given was within the grid AM9947 - position 51 20N 03 39W. Of the crew of 24, 12 survived including the master Captain David Llewellyn Hook. The survivors were picked up by the Norwegian merchant ship LIV and landed at Cardiff. The wreck was located by HMS SEAGULL in August 1949 at 51 20 36N, 03 37 36W. In July 1950, it was reported that dispersal was proceeding, and a Notice to Mariners correcting the position and noting a safe navigational clearance of 46ft was issued in November 1950 (NM 2258/50). The area was surveyed by HMS WOODLARK in March 1981.

Sources include:
HMSO, 1988, British Vessels Lost at Sea 1914-18 and 1939-45, Section IV pg 3
Larn and Larn shipwreck database 2002
Maritime records transferred from the EH AMIE database, RCAHMW collections.
Lloyd's War Losses: the Second World War 3 September 1939 - 14 August 1945 Vol 1, pg 30
UK Hydrographic Office Wrecks and Obstructions Database. ? Crown Copyright and database rights. Reproduced by permission of the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office and the UK Hydrographic Office (www.ukho.gov.uk).

Maritime Officer, RCAHMW, February 2009.