General News
6 September, 2023
The tragedy of the SS Wimmera
The steamship SS Wimmera was built in Greenock, Scotland, in 1904, and was owned by the Australian company Huddart Parker. On Wednesday June 26 1918, SS Wimmera left Wellington, New Zealand, at 5.15am bound for Sydney, travelling by way of Three...
The steamship SS Wimmera was built in Greenock, Scotland, in 1904, and was owned by the Australian company Huddart Parker.
On Wednesday June 26 1918, SS Wimmera left Wellington, New Zealand, at 5.15am bound for Sydney, travelling by way of Three Kings Islands.
There were 76 passengers and 75 crew on board.
SS Wimmera sank 18 miles north of Cape Maria Van Diema, NZ, following contact with a German sea mine, laid by the sea raider SMS Wolf.
The mine exploded under the stern of the steamer.
With just 30 minutes, the Wimmera had gone down, taking the lives of 26 passengers and crew, including the captain, the chief officer and the chief steward.
The remaining 125 crew and passengers managed to get away in the lifeboats.
The lifeboats made it to Tom Bowling Bay, Taemaro (east of Mangonui) and Kaiamou Beach on the afternoon of the next day.
In Melbourne, information that Wimmera had been lost first reached the navy late on Wednesday night.
It was in the form of a brief message from the Naval Department of New Zealand.
This was communicated to the managing director of Huddart Parker Limited, Mr WT Appleton, at 11.40pm.
Prompt steps were taken on Thursday morning to secure the names of the passengers and members of the crew aboard the vessel from the company’s office at Auckland.
But the list was withheld until the addresses of the affected people could be located.
A cable message giving the names of the survivors who had landed had being received.
The company’s officials sent the information to the relatives of the four members of the crew.
The following article appeared in The Evening Post on July 1 1918:
Calm Courage - Heroism Displayed by the Women
Auckland June 29
The calm courage and heroism of the women made deep impressions on Mr D Bradney of Auckland - an officer on leave from the Union Steam Ship Company - who was on his way to Sydney on the SS Wimmera.
Mr Bradney said the explosion occurred at 5.10am.
His bunk was directly over the explosion and he felt the shock.
The ship seemed to stop dead.
In the darkness he hurried on deck, passing along the alleyway, and met ladies coming out in perfect calmness.
He decided to return to his cabin to find an overcoat, but fumes turned him back as they threatened to suffocate him.
He assisted in getting No 5 lifeboat out.
There was a heavy sea when the boat left the steamer’s side with 25 aboard, water was beginning to lap the main deck of the Wimmera, which was settling down heavily at the stern.
They got safely away from the ship’s side, stoppng a quarter of a mile away, safe from the suction.
At 5.30am he saw her silhouetted, and the yellow funnel stood out against the moon.
SS Wimmera was lying right down, she took a heave by the stern, the bow stood right on end out of the water, then she went down in showers of sparks, presumably from the fires.
They hoisted their sail then, and with a fair wind, headed towards Cape Maria.
When day broke, they could see women and children on the boat, scantily clothed; children with practically nothing on but their night dresses.
The seas were coming over them.
Shortly after he got into the lifeboat, Mr Bradney was almost overcome with the cold and the movement of the boat.
They beached at Tom Bowline Beach at about 12.30pm.
They carried the women and children ashore and rigged up a tent with sails, and gave them biscuits and water.
The calm courage and heroism of the women made a deep impression.
Other boats came in until there were four boats on the beach - the last arriving just about sunset.
The second officer left for assistance and a number of men went out scouting.
As night fell, those on the beach had to go up what was practically the face of a cliff, through bush and scrub; the children and women bare-footed.
Here, he remarked, the women and children were absolute heroes.
The women experienced great hardship all the way.