Trevanion (1937)

Builder:
Lithgows Ltd.
Port Glasgow, Scotland
Ordered:
N/A
Keel Laid:
N/A
Year Built:
1937
Launched:
September 9, 1937
Type:
Cargo
Completed:
November 1937
Fate:
Captured and sunk Oct. 22, 1939 by the German cruiser Admiral Graf Spee.
Sunk with charges.

Location: South Atlantic, 686 miles ESE of Saint Helena, Island.
(19.40S - 04.02E)

All 32 crewmen taken POW, no casualties.


Owner
Hain Steamship Company Ltd.
London, England


Dimensions, machinery and performance
Length:
448' 6"
Engines:
3 cylinder Doxford 2SA diesel
Beam:
56' 2"
Boilers:
N/A
Draft:
24' 8" (depth)
Shafts:
1
Gross Tons:
5,299
HP:
N/A
DWT:
9,130
Speed:
10.5 knots
Crew:
N/A
Funnels:
1


Captains
From
To
Name
Oct. 22, 1939
J. H. Edwards


Notes
Oct. 22, 1939:
Trevanion was located by the Arado aircraft from the Admiral Graf Spee, the Admiral Graf
Spee approached flying the French flag until very close, then the French flag was hauled
down and the Kriegsmarine flag was raised.

Radio Officer Noel C. Martinson* sent a distress signal and continued to do so until the
radio shack was machine gunned by the Admiral Graf Spee. The cargo was 8,835 tons of
zinc and no use to the raider so the ship was rigged with charges and sunk.

Oct. 28, 1939:
The crew were transferred to the Altmark.

Nov. 29, 1939:
Capt. James N. Edwards*, N. Doye (Chief Engineer), Noel C. Martinson (Radio Officer) and
W. Venables (Chief Officer) were transferred back to the Admiral Graf Spee, they remained
POW's on the Admiral Graf Spee until released in Montevideo, Uruguay Dec. 14, 1939
following the Battle of the River Plate.

Feb. 16, 1940:
The 302 crewmen from Newton Beech, Ashlea, Huntsman, Trevanion, Doric Star and Tairoa
being held prisoner on the Altmark were rescued by the HMS Cossack F-03 in Jøssingfjord,
Norway
after the crew of the Cossack forced the Altmark to ground and boarded the ship.
*
King's Commendation for Brave Conduct. Lost in SS Stangarth on Mar. 16, 1942.

Crewmen rescued from the Altmark
Baker, R. (Cabin Boy)
Lery, W. (Ordinary Seaman)
Barrett, G. C. (5th Engineer)
Morgan, T. (General Servant)
Burns, R. (Carpenter)
Palmer, I. G. (Ship's Cook)
Burrows, H. J. (2nd Engineer)
Platten, W. H. (2nd Officer)
Cudbertson, E. C. (3rd Officer)
Riley, W. (Donkeyman)
Elcock, E. C. (3rd Engineer)
Rogers, P. (Mess-room Boy)
Faland, W. (Able Seaman)
Scott, J. C. (4th Engineer)
Filcek, P. W. (Apprentice)
Smith, A. N. (Apprentice)
Flanagan, J. T. (Able Seaman)
Spiers, E. (6th Engineer)
Howell, C. G. (Assistant Cook)
Stewart, W. J. F. (Able Seaman)
Hunt, L. J. (Donkeyman)
Surtees, T. (Ordinary Seaman)
Kennedy, M. (Donkeyman)
Symons, J. Q. (Steward)
Lafferty, William (Sailor)
Thomas, Frederick (Able Seaman)
Leigh, J. A. (Bosun)
Warwick, T. D. (Ordinary Seaman)


Additional information for this page was provided by General Enrique R. Dick and Hugo R. Sochi.


Builder's Data
Page revised Apr. 8, 2008