SS Tiberton

The SS "Tiberton" was a British steam cargo ship.

Working Life

Registered to owners R. Chapman & Son, Newcastle upon Tyne, Great Britain, the SS "Tiberton" was launched in 1920 and served in Great Britain's Merchant Navy through the 1920s and '30s. Operating from her homeport of Newcastle, she sailed to numerous countries including Chile, Australia and Norway.

inking

It is believed that (whilst transporting her cargo of iron ore to Middlesbrough (or Immingham, Humberside) Great Britain from Narvik, Norway) the SS "Tiberton" was struck by a single torpedo from a German U-boat, sinking "without trace".

The SS "Tiberton" was not sailing in convoy, nor was she well protected when U-23 (on her eighth sailing and active patrol in the North Sea) launched the G7e torpedo that caused her to sink at 04:05hrs (CET) on the 14th (or 19th) February 1940. All 34 of her crew were killed.

On 10 April 1940 the SS "Tiberton" was officially registered with Lloyd's as Missing / Untraced and a Joint Arbitration Committee considered her a “war loss”. The crew were commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial in London (Panel 108).

Final Crew

ABDUL HASSEN, Boy, S.S. Tiberton (Newcastle-on-Tyne). Merchant Navy. 14th February 1940. Age 38.

BRETT, Ordinary Seaman, NORMAN GEORGE, S.S. Tiberton (Newcastle-on-Tyne). Merchant Navy. 14th February 1940. Age 18. Son of Albert K. and Elizabeth Brett, of Hull.

CARR, Sailor, STANLEY, S.S. Tiberton (Newcastle-on-Tyne). Merchant Navy. 14th February 1940. Age 37.

CROSSLAND, Deck Boy, HAROLD, S.S. Tiberton (Newcastle-on-Tyne). Merchant Navy. 14th February 1940. Age 16. Son of Andrew and Rebecca B. Crossland.

CURRAN, Fireman and Trimmer, LAURENCE, S.S. Tiberton (Newcastle-on-Tyne). Merchant Navy. 14th February 1940. Age 29.

CURRAN, Fourth Engineer Officer, WILLIAM, S.S. Tiberton (Newcastle-on-Tyne). Merchant Navy. 14th February 1940. Age 45.

DAVISON, Chief Engineer Officer, JOSEPH HAROLD, S.S. Tiberton (Newcastle-on-Tyne). Merchant Navy. 14th February 1940. Age 30.

DAY, Fireman and Trimmer, THOMAS GEORGE, S.S. Tiberton (Newcastle-on-Tyne). Merchant Navy. 14th February 1940. Age 39.

DILLON, Donkeyman, HUGH, M M, S.S. Tiberton (Newcastle-on-Tyne). Merchant Navy. 14th February 1940. Age 57. Son of Patrick and Mary Ann Dillon; husband of Ester Dillon.

GLEGHORN, Fireman and Trimmer, LEWIS, S.S. Tiberton (Newcastle-on-Tyne). Merchant Navy. 14th February 1940. Age 57.

GRAY, Fireman and Trimmer, THOMAS, S.S. Tiberton (Newcastle-on-Tyne). Merchant Navy. 14th February 1940. Age 27. Son of George and Bridget Gray; husband of Mary Georgina Irene Gray, of Hull.

HARDIE, Mess Room Boy, ALEXANDER, S.S. Tiberton (Newcastle-on-Tyne). Merchant Navy. 14th February 1940. Age 16. Son of Alexander and Elsie Hardie, of Hessle, Yorkshire.

HARDY, Fireman and Trimmer, GEORGE W. M., S.S. Tiberton (Newcastle-on-Tyne). Merchant Navy. 14th February 1940. Age 25. Husband of Henrietta Hardy.

HINKS, Second Officer, WALTER EDWARD, S.S. Tiberton (Newcastle-on-Tyne). Merchant Navy. 14th February 1940. Age 23. Son of James Thomas Hinks and Sarah Elizabeth Hinks, of Hull.

HISCOCK, Third Officer, FREDERICK GEORGE, S.S. Tiberton (Newcastle-on-Tyne). Merchant Navy. 14th February 1940. Age 58.

HITCH, Deck Hand, HENRY MARTIN, S.S. Tiberton (Newcastle-on-Tyne). Merchant Navy. 14th February 1940. Age 31.

JOHNSON, Sailor, JOHN WILLIAM LYTH, S.S. Tiberton (Newcastle-on-Tyne). Merchant Navy. 14th February 1940. Age 24. Son of John William Lyth Johnson, and of Beatrice Marie Johnson, of Hull.

JONES, Fireman and Trimmer, JOHN HENRY, S.S. Tiberton (Newcastle-on-Tyne). Merchant Navy. 14th February 1940. Age 24. Husband of Hannah Jones, of Hessle, Yorkshire.

KERR, Apprentice, JAMES GORDON, S.S. Tiberton (Newcastle-on-Tyne). Merchant Navy. 14th February 1940. Age 20. Son of James Taylor Mackee Kerr, and of Elizabeth Kerr, of Bridge of Don, Aberdeenshire.

LAWSON, Cook, CHARLES, S.S. Tiberton (Newcastle-on- Tyne). Merchant Navy. 14th February 1940. Age 54.

LEAKE, Deck Boy, THOMAS WILLIAM, S.S. Tiberton (Newcastle-on-Tyne). Merchant Navy. 14th February 1940. Age 18. Son of Elsie Maria Leake, of Hull.

MARSHALL, Chief Officer, JOHN THOMAS REDSTONE, S.S. Tiberton (Newcastle-on-Tyne). Merchant Navy. 14th February 1940. Age 31.

MASON, Master, HUGH, S.S. Tiberton (Newcastle-on-Tyne). Merchant Navy. 14th February 1940. Age 47. Son of James and Jane Mason; husband of Ethel Mason, of Jesmond, Northumberland. Awarded Lloyd's Silver Medal.

MILLER, Radio Officer, DAVID OGILVIE, S.S. Tiberton (Newcastle-on-Tyne). Merchant Navy. 14th February 1940. Age 19. Son of Douglas Gordon Miller and Violet Edith Miller, of St. Annes, Lancashire.

McCARTHY, Sailor, NORMAN, S.S. Tiberton (Newcastle- on-Tyne). Merchant Navy. 14th February 1940. Age 22. Son of Norman and Margaret McCarthy; husband of Jessie McCarthy, of Primrose, Jarrow, Co. Durham.

NORRIS, Galley Boy, ALBERT WILLIAM, S.S. Tiberton (Newcastle-on-Tyne). Merchant Navy. 14th February 1940. Age 17.

PEARS, Apprentice, JAMES WESTGARTH, S.S. Tiberton (Newcastle-on-Tyne). Merchant Navy. 14th February 1940. Age 19. Son of John Graham Pears and Margaret Thomson Pears, of Culgaith, Cumberland.

ROBINSON, Steward, STEPHEN WILLIAM, S.S. Tiberton (Newcastle-on-Tyne). Merchant Navy. 14th February 1940. Age 41. Son of Catherine and John Robinson; husband of Isabella D. Patterson (nee Robinson).

SAUNDERS, Boatswain, FRANK, S.S. Tiberton (Newcastle-on-Tyne). Merchant Navy. 14th February 1940. Age 42. Son of Charles Oliver Saunders and Mary Ann Saunders.

SJULD, Fireman and Trimmer, PETER, S.S. Tiberton (Newcastle-on-Tyne). Merchant Navy. 14th February 1940. Age 48.

STONE, Fireman and Trimmer, FREDERICK, S.S. Tiberton (Newcastle-on-Tyne). Merchant Navy. 14th February 1940. Age 26. Husband of Joan Stone, of Hull.

WATSON, Second Engineer Officer, JOHN WOODROW, S.S. Tiberton (Newcastle-on-Tyne). Merchant Navy. 14th February 1940. Age 26. Son of James and Jessie Watson, of Sunderland, Co. Durham. His brother Ernest also fell.

WOOD, Sailor, WILLIAM, S.S. Tiberton (Newcastle-on-Tyne). Merchant Navy. 14th February 1940. Age 40. Son of William and Millicent Beatrice Wood; husband of Marie Wood, of Hull.

Location of Sinking

There are several estimations of the location of her sinking in the North Sea.

*1. "coord|58|55|00|N|01|53|00|W"
*2. "coord|58|07|00|N|02|39|00|W"
*3. "coord|58|57|00|N|01|48|12|W"
*4. Grid AN 1634

Details

*Name: "Tiberton"
*Built by: "Richardson Duck & Co Ltd, Stockton on Tees, England. 1920 (B50)"
*Type: "B Steam Freighter" (Steamship)
*GT: "5,225t"
*DWT: "DWT|8,500|metric|first=yes"
*Len: "414.5"
*Beam: "52.4 x 28.4"
*Engine: "397 n.h.p Triple-expansion engines- 11.0 knots"
*Bldr: "B50"
*Completed: "March 1920"

External links

* [http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/WWIStandardShipsL-W.htm SS Tiberton Details (and many other ship details)]
* [http://www.rapidttp.co.za/museum/jmmc/jmmct.html SS Tiberton Photographs (and many other ship photographs)]
* [http://www.ubootwaffe.net/ops/ships.cgi?boat=23;nr=7 SS Tiberton details from German perspective]
* [http://uboat.net/allies/merchants/271.html SS Tiberton photos and details]
* [http://perso.wanadoo.fr/cdasm.56/dictionnaire/700.pdf Notice announcing SS Tibertons presumed sinking]
* [http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/WWIShipBuildersUK.htm UK Shipbuilding Yards]
* [http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/ww2_u-boats.htm U Boat Histories]
* [http://perso.wanadoo.fr/sous.marin/u-23.htm U23 Details]