SS Hilda

SS "Hilda" was a steamship owned by the London and South Western Railway which sank in 1905 with the loss of 125 lives.

"Hilda" was launched in 1882 by Aitken and Mansell of Whiteinch, Glasgow. She had a length of 72 m, 820 gross tons, and a passenger capacity of 600.

"Hilda" had left Southampton on her regular service to Saint-Malo in Brittany but was unable to enter harbour due to heavy seas and snow squalls. On 18 November 1905, she struck Le récif des Portes near the Phare du Grand Jardin at the entrance to Saint-Malo harbour. At 02.00 on 19 November she split in two and sank.

Of the 131 people on board, only six survived. Amongst the dead were 70 Breton "Onion Johnnies" returning from selling produce in England.

Another London and South Western Railway steamer, SS "Stella", was wrecked on The Casquets, Channel Islands, on 30 March 1899 with 112 fatalities. On 21 February 1907 the Great Eastern Railway suffered the loss of SS "Berlin", wrecked off the Hook of Holland with 141 fatalities.

ee also

* List of shipwrecks
* List of United Kingdom disasters by death toll

External links

* [http://hilda35.free.fr/ SS "Hilda" (in French)]
* [http://www.thisishampshire.net/hampshire/southampton/shipping/SOTON_SHIPPING_HISTORICSHIPS4.html SS "Hilda" article by Ron Wain]