Letters from Walter C. Smith sent to family in England concerning the search for the missing ship `S.S. Waratah', 10 October-8 December 1909, 26 February 1910-26 July 1910

MLMSS 9570/1X

fonds

10 October-8 December 1909 , 26 February 1910-26 July 1910

1121633

0.37 metres of textual material (1 box)

The SS Waratah was sometimes referred to as Australia’s Titanic a 500-foot (150m) long steamship that operated between Europe and Australia in the early 1900s. It was built by Barclay Curle & Co in Whiteinch, Glasgow (Scotland). In July 1909, the ship, en route from Durban to Cape Town, disappeared with 211 passengers and crew aboard. To this day, no trace of the ship has been found.

On 27 April 1909, the Waratah set out on her second trip to Australia with the return voyage leaving Melbourne on 1 July 1909. She was bound for the South African ports of Durban and Cape Town and was then to return to London. Initially it was believed that the Waratah was still adrift. The Royal Navy deployed cruisers HMS Pandora and HMS Forte (later HMS Hermes) to search for the Waratah.

A search was made by His Majesty’s ships with full Admiralty approval, as follows: HMS Forte from 1st August continuously up until 17th August, HMS Pandora from the 3rd August continuously until 23rd August 1909, HMS Hermes flagship, arrived at Durban from Beira on 12th August; employed on search from 12th – 17th August. In September 1909, the Blue Anchor Line chartered the Union Castle ship Sabine to search for the Waratah. The search of the Sabine covered 14,000 miles, but yielded no result. In 1910 relatives of the Waratah passengers chartered the Wakefield and conducted a search for three months, which again proved unsuccessful.

The letters are written by Yeoman signaler Walter Smith of the Royal Navy ship HMS Hermes which was in port at Durban (SA). He was the only man to have searched for the Waratah aboard both the S.S Sabine and the S.S. Wakefield.

The letters are dated 10th October-8th December 1909 on the search ship S.S. Sabine and 26th February-26 July 1910 on the S.S. Wakefield. The letters describe the search for the ship stopping off at old seal and waling stations, various islands (Marion Island, Prince Edward Island) with a map of the areas they searched.

Reference:
The lost ship SS Waratah : the search for the Titanic of the south / Penny D'Arby Smith. Stroud : The History Press, c2009

FOLDER 1
Letters written aboard the S.S. Sabine, 10 October-8 December 1909 (30 pages)

FOLDER 2
Letters written aboard the S.S. Wakefield, 26 February 2010-26 July 1910 (67 pages)

Copyright status:: In copyright
Research & study copies allowed: Author has been deceased for more than 50 years
Copyright holder:: Jean Gaisford
Approval for reproduction required: No publication without prior written approval of copyright holder
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales

The lost ship SS Waratah : the search for the Titanic of the south / Penny D'Arby Smith. Stroud : The History Press, c2009