SS Clan Chisholm (1937)

The SS "Clan Chisholm" was a British cargo steamer. She was torpedoed and sunk in the Second World War whilst carrying supplies from India to the United Kingdom.

Career and sinking

The "Clan Chisholm" was one of the Clan Line's Cameron class of steam merchant ship, built by the Greenock & Grangemouth Dockyard Co Ltd, Greenock and launched on 5 August 1937. She was homeported in Glasgow.

She was used during the Second World War to bring supplies to Britain. Her last voyage was in 1939 with convoy HG-3, from Calcutta to Glasgow, via Liverpool. She was under the command of her master, Francis T. Stenson and carried 9,550 tons of general cargo, including pig iron, jute and tea. At 20.35 hours on 17 October, she was sighted by the U-boat "U 48", sailing some 150 miles northwest of Cape Finisterre. The "U 48" struck the "Clan Chisholm" with a torpedo, sinking her in a short space of time. Four crew members were lost in the sinking, with the master and 41 of the survivors being rescued by the Swedish motor merchant "Bardaland" and landed at Kirkwall. Another 17 were picked up by the Norwegian whaler "Skudd", and the remaining 15 were rescued by the SS "Warwick Castle".

References

* [http://uboat.net/allies/merchants/71.html Clan Chisholm at Uboat.net]
* [http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=16110 Clan Chisholm at clydesite.co.uk]