Official Number: 99970
Class: Stores Carrier
Laid down:
Builder: Harland & Wolff Ltd, Belfast
Launched: 20 January 1894
Into Service: 15 August 1914
Out of service: 14 September 1914
Fate: 20 April 1917 sunk
Items of historic interest involving this ship: –
Background Data: One of an additional group of ships requisitioned by the Admiralty in WW1 to augment the ships of the RFA
20 January 1894 Launched by Harland & Wolff Ltd, Belfast as Yard Nr 274 named TORR HEAD for Ulster Steamship Co Ltd (G. Heyn & Sons Ltd, Managers) Belfast
7 April 1894 completed
12 April 1894 sailed Cardiff for Bombay arriving on 7 May 1894
26 May 1894 at the European Hospital, Bombay Able Seaman James Stewart discharged dead – natural causes
15 June 1894 passed Gibraltar while on passage from Bombay to Antwerp
21 June 1894 passed Dungeness
1 July 1894 ay Ymiden, Holland Ordinary Seaman Henry Matchef discharged dead – fell from aloft
23 July 1894 at Red Sea Cabin Boy S W Turner discharged dead – natural causes
27 July 1894 passed Malta while on passage from Cardiff to Singapore
8 October 1894 arrived Suez while on passage from Singapore to Marseilles
9 March 1895 passed Gibraltar while on passage from Singapore to Amsterdam and Hamburg
24 February 1896 sailed Baltimore for London
26 September 1897 grounded on the ‘Frying Pan’ but refloated with the aid of another ship – no further details known at this time
11 February 1899 hit an iceberg a glancing blow while underway, dead slow, in heavy snow at 46°07’N 47°09’W while on passage from New Orleans to Belfast – suffered minor damage
7 March 1901 grounded at Port Eads when on passage to Belfast
28 August 1901 sailed Belfast for New Orleans
31 January 1902 A special meeting of the Local Marine Board at Belfast was held in the Custom House for the purpose of presenting awards for gallantry by the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Sir Daniel Dixon and the German Consul Herr A M Ferrar, to Captain Thompson, Sub-Lieutenant H. L. Butt, second officer; Mr. J. G. Brew, third officer; and several of the crew of the steamship Torr Head for gallantry in saving life at sea, on the 1st February last, when, in very heavy weather, the crew of the German sailing ship Helene were rescued in mid-Atlantic. The presentations were a magnificent gold watch, suitably inscribed, and bearing a portrait of H.I.M. the German Emperor to Captain Thompson; each of the officers received a pair of handsome and good binocular glasses in a suitable case; Quarter-masters James Morgan and Thomas Hughes each received £6; and three seamen named Thomas Lavery, Andrew McKay, and William Laverty were given £5 each – all the gifts being from the German Emperor.
3rd Officer Brew’s medal
12 October 1904 berthed at Belfast with a cargo of 3,000 hogsheads of tobacco from Kentucky, USA
28 November 1907 sailed Valparaiso for Liverpool
2 July 1909 arrived Belfast from New Orleans with two passengers. Captain W A Brennan was the ship’s Master
8 August 1911 arrived Belast from New Orleans with one passenger. Captain S. Orr was the ship’s Master
31 August 1912 Seaman Alexander Picken allegedly discharged dead at New Orleans. His death is recorded on a grave stone in Ballykeel graveyard, County Antrim, N. Ireland. The ships articles show that in fact he deserted from this ship on 1 November 1912 at New Orleans
9 February 1913 sailed Liverpool to Calcutta with three passengers. Captain S. Orr was the ship’s Master
18 May 1913 arrived at London from Calcutta with twelve passengers. Captain S Orr was the ship’s Master
15 August 1914 requisitioned by the Admiralty for service as a Stores Carrier
14 September 1914 returned to her owners
11 October 1915 in collision with the Norwegian barque Seileren. The barque sank but all her crew were rescued
29 October 1915 arrived at Dublin from Montreal, Canada with one passenger. Captain Harry L Butt was the ship’s Master
Captain Harry L Butt
26 March 1916 arrived at Dublin from St Johns, New Brunswick with four passengers. Captain J McCracken was the ship’s Master