A ship’s bell from the wreck of a steam vessel which sunk in a World War One torpedo attack off the Anglesey coast will be on public display for the first time in a major maritime exhibition.
More than 10 men lost their lives when the Conargo, formerly known as the Altona, was hit on Easter Sunday, 1918, as it approached the Calf of Man, an island just off the southwest coast of the Isle of Man.
Ten of the brave crew were in a lifeboat waiting for the order to abandon the ship after she came under attack from the German U-boat. The next hit killed all of the lifeboat’s occupants although other crew members managed to escape in separate boats and eventually reached safety in Dublin and Holyhead. The ship was towed after the first attack towards Holyhead but close to the North Wales coast, it was hit once again and sunk.
The bell of the Conargo was brought to the surface covered in barnacles and sea bed muck in 2003 by Simon Rodger, a member of the Hazel Grove Sub-Aqua Club, which has organised the exhibition along with Simon’s company – Bowstone Diving Products. The club is one of more than 1,000 branches across the UK and abroad which are part of the British Sub-Aqua Club (BSAC). BSAC is the UK governing body of the sport and trains and represents 35,000 active scuba divers and snorkellers.
The event, on March 17, will showcase around 40 ship bells, lamps, helms and other artefacts sourced from divers all over the UK.
BSAC Chief Executive, Mary Tetley, said: “I think this promises to be a fascinating and informative exhibition which explores some very important maritime history which might otherwise have been lost if our divers had not explored the wrecks and researched the background to what they have found.
“The Conargo bell tells its own rich and engaging story and I have no doubt that other exhibits will have their own tale to tell making this a must attend event for anyone who in interested in diving, maritime history or the secrets of the sea.”
Simon has been diving for more than 30 years and the bell is one of his most treasured finds in a large collection of maritime artefacts.
Simon said: “I only ever see myself as a custodian of objects like the bell of the Conargo. They will stay with me until I pass them on to my children and if that is not possible, then I will find a museum for them because they are an integral part of maritime history.
“That’s why it is nice to put it on public display for the first time and let others see the bell which still bears the name given to it by its original German owners which is ironic given that it was sunk by them in the end.”
The cargo ship, which was on route from Liverpool to New Orleans to collect wheat for the UK, remained afloat the first time it was struck and a nearby armed yacht, the Vanessa II, led by Lord Newborough is thought to have came to her rescue.
It is believed the renowned master mariner, who was the son of the fourth Baron Newborough, went aboard the stricken vessel and came across the awful sight of more dead crew members. However, he managed to rescue a live ram and the ship’s cat which he took back onto his ship with him.
During an attempt to tow the ship back to Holyhead, the Conargo’s anchor released itself and the ship became rooted to the sea bed. While hopelessly stationary, the ship was hit for the final time and sunk just off the shores of the North Wales coast on March 31, 1918.
From information which Simon has gathered about the Conargo, he believes she was built in 1902, at a German shipyard. Originally named the Altona, the cargo ship sailed between Hamburg and Australia. When war broke out, the Australian navy captured the ship which was then at Port Phillip Bay in Melbourne, Victoria. She was used throughout the war to ferry different cargo, including wheat, coal, wool and foodstuff all over the globe.
She was handed over to the Commonwealth Government on March 12, 1918, and the British Shipping Controller sent her on what was to be her final voyage.
Her bell, which is 17 inches high, 17 inches in diameter and weighs 93 pounds, will be one of the prize exhibits at the exhibition on March 17, from 12 to 8 pm at Brookdale Social Club in Bridge Lane, Bramhall.
Simon spent several hours polishing up the bell to its former glory using specialist equipment.
He said: “The ship’s bell is a great prize for any diver because it is how you name a ship and feel sure the wreck you have found is the one you think it is.
“When you restore it back to how it would have been, it is all worth it, and most importantly it helps preserve the story of the Conargo and the brave men who sailed on her for future generations.”
Entrance to the exhibition is £2. For more information or for advance tickets, call 07791 023612 or email [email protected]
