Results tagged “Mauritania” from Southport Visiter - Look Back

By JAMES ILLINGWORTH
A Hesketh Bank history buff claims to have solved a nautical mystery dating back to the 1940s.
In our April 27 Lookback Peter Trafford remembered spotting the Mauritania grounded in the River Douglas.
Reports had suggested that the ship was on her way to be refitted in Liverpool in the 1950s which would explain her appearance off the Fylde coast.
Peter was keen to find out what happened to the ship and if anyone had any memories of the day.
But Southport's David Bryant said: "As a resident of Hesketh Bank at the time I suggest the 'large' ship Peter saw was not the Mauritania but was actually the Theseus, a 6,500-tonne cargoship. She was being towed up the River Ribble to Thomas Ward Ltd. for scrapping in late 1946, early 1947.

There was a high tide with a strong gale blowing and she broke away from the tug boats.
She ended up drifting into the junction between the Ribble and the River Douglas."
After the tide went out, David was able to get a closer look: "Later I went with Keith Garlick from Hesketh Bank boatyard in his dinghy and we went right out to take some photographs. The ship was well and truly grounded."
The Theseus was later towed to Preston and scrapped.

LOOKBACK is hoping that a Hesketh Bank history buff might be able to shed some light an event in the 1950s.
Pauline Trafford's father remembers seeing the Mauritania run into trouble and is keen to find out more.
She says: "It was around 1950, my Dad recollects he was about 12, when one morning on looking out of his bedroom window of McCloeds butchers, at the railway bridge in Hesketh Bank, a giant was in the fields over near the river. He said it looked like a huge hotel jutting out in to the sky.
"With the great excitement of a young boy he raced over the fields to have a look, it was a ship, a huge ship, it was also a huge stuck ship, grounded in the small, narrow River Douglas." 
The Mauritania was built by Camell Lairds in Birkenhead and was launched in 1938 as a successor to the RMS Mauretania.
During the war she was called into service as a troop carrier, ferrying soldiers across the globe and dodging U-boats.

Reports generally agree that the ship was scrapped in 1965 - but was refitted in Liverpool in the 1950s, which could explain why she was sailing the Fylde coast when Mr Trafford McCloed saw her.
Pauline adds: "The Mauritania, the story went, was being towed to the breakers yard, when they took a wrong turn up the Douglas and the large liner got stuck.
"My dad Peter Trafford McCloed is interested to know if anyone else has memories of this happening, or if there are any photos. What happened to the ship?"