SS Eaglescliffe Hall

The SS "Eaglescliffe Hall" was a bulk freighter initially built to serve for the Canadians on the Great Lakes. She had an active life, leaving the lakes during the Second World War to transport goods around Britain.

Early and wartime career

The "Eaglescliffe Hall" was built in 1928 at the yards of Smith's Dock Co., South Bank, Middlesbrough. She was sailed across the Atlantic to enter service with Hall Corporation, based in Canada. On the outbreak of war she was fitted to cross the Atlantic to support the merchant navy in British waters. She joined the ill-fated convoy SC-7 which sailed from Sydney, Nova Scotia on 5 October 1940. She was carrying a cargo of timber. The poorly escorted convoy came under heavy u-boat attack, and a number of the ships were sunk. "Eaglescliffe Hall" was straggling behind the main convoy and was able to pick up survivors from the torpedoed Greek merchant SS "Aenos". She safely reached port. [ [http://uboat.net/allies/merchants/599.html SS Aenos at Uboat.net] ]

She was soon busy on a number of local convoys, including trips from Seaham to London, carrying coal for the London power stations. Whilst at anchor off Sunderland on 10 August 1941 the "Eaglescliffe Hall" was attacked by German bombers. One bomb fell into the hold but did not detonate, the second hit the side and fell into the water. A third bomb struck the engine room, killing two people, including the chief engineer, and wounding several others. [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/56/a4078956.shtml BBC.co.uk - The People's War] ] The "Eaglescliffe Hall" was towed to Sunderland on 13 August and from there to the Tyne on 20 August for repairs. "Eaglescliffe Hall" again found herself in trouble later that year, when the Sheringham lifeboat "Foresters' Centenary" had to rescue 15 men from her on 29th/30th October. The lifeboat's coxwain, a man named Dumble, was awarded the RNLI's Bronze Medal for the rescue. [ [http://www.sheringhamlifeboat.co.uk/history.htm Records of the Sheringham lifeboat] ]

Postwar

"Eaglescliffe Hall" remained in service, and in 1955 was sold to Colonial Steamships Ltd, where she was renamed "David Barclay". She then operated for Scott Misener from 1959, having returned to the Canadian Lakes. She left the Lakes in 1961 when she was sold to Kingcome Navigation Ltd., Vancouver, where she was reduced to a log barge. She sank whilst under tow in waters off British Columbia on 25 October 1961.

References

* [http://www.dalnet.lib.mi.us/gsdl/cgi-bin/library?e=d-000-00---0shipping--00-0-0-0prompt-10---4---Document---0-1l--1-en-50---20-help---001-011-1-0utfZz-8-0&a=d&cl=CL5.51&d=HASH3a35bd09e266a27fa5f550 Specifications of Eaglescliffe Hall]
* [http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/hague/index.html Eaglescliffe Hall's convoys at Convoyweb.org]