RFA Lady Cory-Wright

RFA Lady Cory-Wright was a cargo ship that had been built as a civilian collier in 1906, became a Royal Fleet Auxiliary mine carrier in 1914 and was torpedoed and sunk with significant loss of life in 1918.

History
United Kingdom
Name:
  • SS Lady Cory-Wright (1906–14);
  • RFA Lady Cory-Wright (1914–18)
Namesake: either Lady Mima Cory-Wright or Lady Elizabeth Cory-Wright
Owner:
Operator:
Builder: S.P. Austin & Son Ltd.[1][2]
Yard number: 237[2][3]
Launched: 4 August 1906[3]
Completed: September 1906[3]
Maiden voyage: 1906
In service: 1906
Out of service: 1918
Fate: torpedoed 26 March 1918[1]
General characteristics
Type:
  • collier (1906–14);
  • mine carrier (1914–18)
Tonnage: 2,516 GRT[1]
Length: 310 ft (94.5 m)
Beam: 44 ft (13.4 m)
Draught: 20 ft (6.1 m)
Installed power: 3-cylinder triple expansion steam engine
Propulsion: Single screw
Crew: (in RFA service) 40

History

S.P. Austin & Son Ltd. of Sunderland built her in 1906 for William Cory and Son.[1][2] She was named Lady Cory-Wright after either Lady Mima, wife of Sir Cory Cory-Wright, 1st Baronet or Lady Elizabeth, wife of Sir Arthur Cory-Wright, 2nd Baronet.

In August 1914 the War Department requisitioned Lady Cory-Wright for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, who used her as a mine carrier.[2] On 26 March 1918 she was in the English Channel steaming from Plymouth to Malta laden with a cargo that included 2,762 mines, 370 depth charges, 2,100 torpedo detonators and 1,000 primers B.E.[2] when the German submarine UC-17 torpedoed her about 14 miles off The Lizard.[1][2] Lady Cory-Wright's Master and all but one of her crew were killed.[2]

After Lady Cory-Wright sank many of her mines were left floating in the area, and her one survivor reportedly was found clinging to a floating mine. In 2009 her wreck still contained many unexploded mines and detonators.[2]

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References
  1. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit during WWI: Lady Cory-Wright". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  2. Lettens, Jan; Racey, Carl (9 February 2011). "SS Lady Cory-Wright [+1918]". WreckSite. wrecksite.eu. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  3. Searle, Peter. "Ships Built by Peter Austin & by later names thru Austin & Pickersgill Limited (1954>)". The Sunderland Site. Retrieved 28 June 2011.

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