J
James Maxwell
Guest
Hi to all you guys,
Hi to all you guys,
Just a short note to remind all the folk out there with a N.Ireland connection that today is the Anniversary of the sinking of the Princess Victoria off the mouth of Belfast Lough.
For those who don't know the story, The Princess Victoria was a car ferry sailing between the Scottish port of Stranraer and Larne on the coast of N.Ireland. She set sail at 07:45 on 31st Jan. 1953 and as she came out of the mouth of Lough Ryan was hit my an enormous storm, which burst her badly designed cargo doors.
She sent out maydays,which were answered by lifeboats in the area. However when the lifeboats arrived at her stated position they could not find her as she had continued to make what progress she could on one engine and was therefore quite some distance from her given position. She foundered off the Copeland Islands near the mouth of Belfast Lough with the loss of 133 souls. 44 were rescued. The skipper of the Donaghadee lifeboat at the time was awarded the British Empie Medal for his efforts in the rescue. At the time this was the greatest British maritime disaster for a quarter of a century.
regards.
Jim Maxwell
Hi to all you guys,
Just a short note to remind all the folk out there with a N.Ireland connection that today is the Anniversary of the sinking of the Princess Victoria off the mouth of Belfast Lough.
For those who don't know the story, The Princess Victoria was a car ferry sailing between the Scottish port of Stranraer and Larne on the coast of N.Ireland. She set sail at 07:45 on 31st Jan. 1953 and as she came out of the mouth of Lough Ryan was hit my an enormous storm, which burst her badly designed cargo doors.
She sent out maydays,which were answered by lifeboats in the area. However when the lifeboats arrived at her stated position they could not find her as she had continued to make what progress she could on one engine and was therefore quite some distance from her given position. She foundered off the Copeland Islands near the mouth of Belfast Lough with the loss of 133 souls. 44 were rescued. The skipper of the Donaghadee lifeboat at the time was awarded the British Empie Medal for his efforts in the rescue. At the time this was the greatest British maritime disaster for a quarter of a century.
regards.
Jim Maxwell