Wreck of the Thistlegorm

(The photos were taken during dives on the Thistlegorm in October 2003, click to enlarge)


Bow Section 700 X 475 26 KB	Anchor Winch and Chains 700 X 360 25 KB	Stanier 8 F Locomotive 700 X 467 36 KB	Stanier 8 F Locomotive 347 X 500 21 KB

Stanier 8 F Locomotive 699 X 467 30 KB	Stanier 8 F Locomotive Wheels 700 X 467 64 KB	Universal Carrier MkII Tank 624 X 500 29 KB	Tank Tracks 700 X 424 44 KB

40mm Anti Aircraft Machine Gun 700 X 398 28 KB	4.7-inch Light Anti Aircraft Gun 700 X 466 33 KB	40mm Anti Aircraft Machine Gun 699 X 361 26 KB	40mm Anti Aircraft Machine Gun, (Ginny in foreground) 700 X 467 26 KB

4.7-inch Light Anti Aircraft Gun 700 X 471 44 KB	Propellors 700 X 467 40 KB	Propellor Blade 700 X 307 32 KB	Barracuda 700 X 497 39 KB

Shai from Israel 334 X 500 18 KB	Bollards 700 X 467 49 KB	Bow Steps 333 X 500 27 KB	Bow Cabin and Steps 700 X 467 40 KB

Ascending Shot Line 700 X 467 36 KB	Deck Hatch 700 X 467 39 KB	Bollards 700 X 467 29 KB	Me on Shot Line 333 X 500 24 KB

Ginny on Shot Line 700 X 467 57 KB	Ginny in Strong Current on Shot Line 700 X 467 41 KB	Dive Boat 700 X 467 49 KB	Sinai 700 X 467 34 KB

Ginny 700 X 467 47 KB	Descending 700 X 467 27 KB	Tank Wagon 700 X 467 31 KB	Trucks and Rifles 700 X 467 44 KB

Railway Coal Tender 700 X 467 19 KB	Paravane 700 X 467 42 KB	Railway Coal Tender 700 X 467 16 KB	Covered Walkway 700 X 467 50 KB

Army Supplies - Boots 700 X 467 53 KB	Ships Hold - Truck Cab 700 X 467 41 KB	Ships Hold - BSA Motorbikes 700 X 467 53 KB	Ships Hold - Truck 620 X 500 49 KB

Ships Hold - BSA Motorbike 700 X 467 57 KB	Ships Hold - Me 700 X 467 44 KB	Trucks 700 X 467 48 KB	Me behind the wheel of a truck in ships hold. 699 X 405 44 KB

Leaving Holds 700 X 467 32 KB	View from Shotline 700 X 467 23 KB

Thistlegorm's final journey started in in September 1941 when she left Glasgow bound for Egypt. She was delivering desperately needed war supplies for the British 8th Army in North Africa and was laden with all kinds of military equipment (including Bedford gun carriers, vehicle spares, aircraft and aircraft parts, motorbikes, gun carriers, radios, guns, railway stock, rubber boots, and an abundance of ammunition).

At this time of the war, the Germans and Italians virtually controlled both the seas and skies of the Mediterranean and it was far too dangerous for Allied merchant ships to take the shortest, fastest route to Egypt. As a result, the Thistlegorm had to make a 12,000 mile diversion around South Africa to Suez, where she would go up the Suez Canal to reach Alexandria.

Thistlegorm made excellent time and stopped off at Cape Town in South Africa where she picked up her escort, the cruiser H.M.S. Carlisle, for the remainder of the voyage. By the 4 October they were in the Red Sea and only a day out from Suez.

On 5 October they entered the calm zone alongside Sha'ab Ali to wait for orders to move up the canal. In the early morning hours of October 6, the Thistlegorm was discovered by a long-range German bomber. As a result of the discovery, a pair of German Heinkel bombers were deployed from Crete and headed south-east towards Egypt.

The bombers were low on fuel as they approached the Shab'ab Ali area, and had to choose the first target they came across. Unfortunately, this was the Thistlegorm.

Two of the four bombs released landed close together and penetrated the aft of the ship, one directly on the cover of the ship's fourth hold in which the ammunition had been stowed. The resultant explosion ripped away the stern section and set the ship ablaze. The fire reached the lower holds and the ammunition stored there exploded.

One crew member, a gunner, owed his life to an act of heroism by able seaman Angus McLeay from Stornaway, who spotted the man lying unconscious by the poop winch and then picked him up bodily and carried him through the flames to the safety of the life boats. McLeay was badly burned during the rescue and his bravery was recognised by the award of the George medal and the Lloyds War Medal for bravery at sea.

A subsequent explosion blew the entire stern midsection of the ship apart and her bow and stern pointed skywards before she sank to her underwater grave together with nine of the crew members. The surviving crew members were picked up and transported to Port Tewfick, just outside the Suez Canal. For many years after the sinking of the Thistlegorm, British navy vessels passing that spot would lower their flags in respect to those who had lost their lives.

Shab'ab Ali, Gubal Straits, Gulf of Suez