Vasco Gallery

This section will, in time, contain the stories of more than 450 merchant ships built or owned in the Hartlepools, and which were lost during the First World War. As an illustration of the truly global nature of shipbuilding, these ships were owned by companies from 22 different countries, including more than 30 sailing under the German flag at the outbreak of war.

Masters: 1898 RB Neill: 1900-02 WH Green: 1905 RL Webster: 1908-11 FW Horncastle: 1916 William Donaldson.

On a voyage from Hull for Naples with a general cargo & a crew of 26 Vasco struck a mine laid by German submarine (UC-16 Egon von Werner) & sank west by south of Beachy Head on 16 November 1916. The wreck lies in 50.39.31N/00.02.00W; depth-33m. 17 lives lost.

Lives lost November 1916: Bridegroom, George William, boatswain, 44, Northumberland Ave. Hull; Brooks, HV, ordinary seaman; Burton, John Henry, engineer’s steward, 18, Goulton St. Hull; Cooper, Leonard William, 3^rd engineer, 52, b. Leeds, resided Hull; Cooper, Leonard William, sailor, 34, Mersey St. Hull; Coulter, William Alex, able seaman (Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve) aged 24, Glasgow; Donaldson, William, master, 45, Anloby Road, Hull; Foster, Robert Henry, able seaman, 23, b. Seaton, Yorkshire; French, T, fireman, 36, b. Nottingham; Johnson, John William, donkeyman, 46, Kings Lynn; Lawton, J, ship’s cook, 41, b. Hull; Madsen, Neils, fireman, 23, b. Denmark; Nimbley, T, fireman, 20, b. Lagos; Press, Albert Reginald, 2^nd engineer, 30, b. Hull; Ramsey, W, chief engineer, 56, b. Dundee, resided Hull; Tago, Prince, fireman, 27, b. Accra; Wood, James William, able seaman, 49, b. Rawcliffe