Shipwreck, The Trentbank, c. 1964

The sinking of the Bank Line ship the Trentbank circa 1964. It shows the second mate on the lifeboat; he was known for being involved in another rescue. The crew and passengers were picked up by the Haarald H Helm, an American ship. I'm the wee girl, I'm with my mum & brother. My dad was Robert Christie, cheif engineer.
The 4th engineer was lost. RIP.
Trentbank;1929
Built by Workman & Clark (1928) Ltd she was sunk in the Mediterranean on 24th November,1942.
Thanks for loading the film June - a rare "document"
CTX Casualty Database www.c4tx.org gives the following:
Collision between Portuguese 17,557 grt steam tanker Fogo and British freightor Trentbank on 18th September 1964. Both ship had just gone through the Suez Canal in the same convoy. They had departed Port Said with tha fully loaded Fogo in the lead doing 11 knots. The Trentbank was doing 14.5 knots. Both ships were on a course of 288. The weather and visibility were good. The Trentbank altered slightly to pass the Fogo, but the separation was only about 250 m. Just after the Trentbank passed the Fogo, the Trentbank's steering gear failed, the ship turned to starboard directly into the path of the Fogo. The officer of the watch was working on the log book at the time. The Fogo hit the Trentbank midships starboard, flooding her engine room. The Trentbank was taken in tow but ended up sinking as the weather worsened.
It came out that the Trentbank's steering gear had suffered several recent failures.
"The attitude of the master of the trentbank and her chief officer was most lamentable towards automatic steering. The master had given no orders to ensure that somebody was on lookout all the time. The chief officer, according to his own story saw nothing wrong in undertaking a clerical task and giving only an he was the only man on this ship who was keeping any semblance of a lookout at all. The automatic pilot can lead to disaster if left to look after itself while vigilance is relaxed it is on men that safety at sea depends and they cannot make a greater mistake than to suppose that machines
can do all their work for them."
Mr Justice Cairns, giving judgement in the Trentbank-Fogo case, 1967,
__________________
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
George Santayana (1863 - 1952)

[@davefairchild1578]

I have just found this amazing video on You Tube. I was there June & in fact was in the lifeboat that took you & you're brother across to the Harold Helm. I was the 5th engineer, or fiver as you're dad used to call, sorry to hear of his passing. Amazing to see you & to get the memories reawakened after all these years. Have you ever heard from any other crew members, I remember most of them. Well done June. David Fairchild.

[@Squarerig]

Justjuneable.Thank you for your reply.Having overhauled the Fogo at a distance of just over a cable it would appear that the dreaded "bernoulli" effect also contributed to the collision.A similar fate befell HMS Curacao when escorting the Queen Mary during WWII.Increased flow leads to lack of pressure and thus the two ships are drawn together..I also experienced later in my seagoing time "wandering " automatic St.gear.Very frightening under the wrong circumstances.

[@2569navig]

Wow awesome cine, heard about the sinking while working for bank line 71 to 78, but see it on cine, rare vid and thanks for sharing it.

[@charlesmortlock6387]

Fascinating thanx

[@richardhumby8704]

Bank Line 73-83...when I started this sinking was relatively recent.

[@JuneMcEwan]

Duncan112 Senior Member Organisation: Merchant Navy Department: Engineering Active: 1981 - 2003 Thanks for loading the film June - a rare "document" Collision between Portuguese 17,557 grt steam tanker Fogo and British freightor Trentbank on 18th September 1964. Both ship had just gone through the Suez Canal in the same convoy.

[@JuneMcEwan]

..the same convoy. They had departed Port Said with tha fully loaded Fogo in the lead doing 11 knots. The Trentbank was doing 14.5 knots. Both ships were on a course of 288. The weaher and visibility were good. The Trentbank altered slightly to pass the Fogo, but the separation was only about 250 m. Just after the Trentbank passed the Fogo, the Trentbank's steering gear failed, the ship turned to starboard directly into the path of the Fogo.

[@davefairchild1578]

Hi June, further to what I posted the other day, I have been hunting old pictures & I have found one of you, you're brother & dad, shark fishing in the Pacific & a couple of nice pics of the Trentbank in happier times. Hope I can make contact with you. Dave

[@JuneMcEwan]

Fantasic to chat with you on Facebook. It clarified the death of the man. My parents rarely spoke of it and it wasn't even mentioned in the judges report- the only written thing I have ever found regarding the tragedy, despite it making worldwide news at the time.

[@matthewholland1290]

My dad was on the ship at that time he was down in the engine room when the tanka hit the ship he had just gone to get a coffee for him and who ever he was with and unfortunately killed when that happened

[@JuneMcEwan]

John Almond Organisation: Merchant Navy Department: Radio Officer Active: 1960 - 1972 Good Afternoon June, As you were only a very small girl when you sailed on the Trentbank you will not remember me John Almond Radio Officer. I was attending a Bankline reunion a couple of months ago and was informed that your dad had died. Would be very interested to see the vidio, it sure will bring back some memories. Please pass on my best wishes to your mother and brother. Best regards, John

[@JuneMcEwan]

@janice2213 Us kids weren't scared at all! My best memory is that Roderick, my brother didn't want to leave his custard! As you can see, everyone was extraordinarily calm. There were very few crew as it was a cargo vessel. My mum and us were allowed because dad was the Chief Engineer, (I believe it was unusual at the time). She had bought lots of stuff including a white Persian rug for my room. Everything was lost along with my favourite teddy - a koala bear : ( Dad filmed it for the record.

[@JuneMcEwan]

..of the Fogo. The officer of the watch was working on the log book at the time. The Fogo hit the Trentbank midships starboard, flooding her enginer room. The Trentbank She was taken in tow but ended up sinking as the weather worsened. It came out that the Trentbank's steering gear had suffered several recent failures.

[@JuneMcEwan]

Alex Salmond Senior Member Organisation: Merchant Navy Department: Engineering Active: 1970 - 1989 What an incredible record of the last minutes of a lovely old cargo ship ,no panic everyone as calm as ,a catalogue of mistakes leading to it as all these incidents usually seem to consist off,were there any consequences for those involved does anyone know,

[@JuneMcEwan]

@Squarerig She was holed by a tanker who couldn't stop in time. We were in the wrong lane. I believe no one 'blamed' amyone, despite rumours of drink while on watch. The ship had been fitted with the new invention of unmanned steering and placed all their faith in it. No one kept watch. The judge ruled that ships should never rely on remote steering alone.

[@JuneMcEwan]

Ships Nostalgia have kindly passed on some info which I have added to the description. You maybe know John Almond and Alaisair MacNab who have also responded (via Ships Nostalgia)?

[@JuneMcEwan]

..lookout at all. The automatic pilot can lead to disaster if left to look after itself while vigilance is relaxed it is on men that safety at sea depends and they cannot make a greater mistake than to suppose that machines can do all their work for them.” Mr Justice Cairns, giving judgement in the Trentbank-Fogo case, 1967, __________________ “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” George Santayana (1863 - 1952)

[@Squarerig]

I asked because I served my time with Bank LIne from 1952-1959 before the age of fly-by-wire.No radar,Just the time-proven three Ls.And where did this collision occur?

[@JuneMcEwan]

1964 collided with Portuguese tanker FOGO near Alexandria

[@JuneMcEwan]

..recent failures. “The attitude of the master of the trentbank and her chief officer was most lamentable towards automatic steering. The master had given no orders to ensure that somebody was on lookout all the time. The chief officer, according to his own story saw nothing wrong in undertaking a clerical task and giving only an he was the only man on this ship who was keeping any semblance of a lookout at all.

[@Squarerig]

What was the cause of her foundering?

[@JuneMcEwan]

Sorry to take so long replying - I hardly ever log into this. Here are some replies I had on the 'Ships Nostalgia' site