Victoria City (2)

Comments from the forum - 1

We do not have much information about this ship because of the short time that it was in service, and would appreciate anything that you can add.

We know that Lionel Wainwright was the Chief Engineer. He had joined the vessel only a few days before on the boat train and British Rail ferry and was able to claim against their insurance for his lost luggage.
Suggestions have been made about some of the officers on board at the time of the sinking and if you can confirm any of this or add some names this would help.

Captain: Dixon, C/O: D.L.G.Jones, 3/O: Laurie Judd, C/E: L. Wainwright, 2/E: Brookbank,

Suggested names but not confirmed: 3/E: Arthur Thompson, 2/O: W. D. Jones.

I was 3rd mate on the Victoria City 2 when she sank off the island of Ameland. No loss of life. We were outward bound from Hamburg at the start of voyage no. 5. I joined the Victoria City in the shipyard of William Docksford and after an uneventful 4 voyages we were in collision with an Italian liberty ship.We were struck on the port side and sank within 20 minutes.The mate on watch was D L G Jones. Laurie Judd. Posted on forum 16th February 2015.

I sailed as 2nd Mate with D.L.G. Jones Mate on the "Welsh City" (Doxford built sister ship of the Victoria) and recall discussing the collision with him, because he was on watch at the time of the collision. On asking his reaction on seeing the bow of the "Valentino Bibolini" making great inroads into the side of the Victoria, his reply was "This is going to be a big repair job, boyo !" Some 20 minutes later she was gone. Tony Lightfoot. Posted on forum 21st January 2009.

Sailed with W.D Jones on the Atlantic City his first trip back with Smith's in 1970, can remember him talking about the sinking and commenting on the hardest job during the abandonment of the vessel was persuading the crew that the sewing machines etc they had purchased during the course of the voyage would not fit in the lifeboats if they were going too as well.
Wally Hutchings. Posted on forum 22nd January 2009.

Lionel Wainwright wrote an account of the collision in the RSL Newsletter of April 1976, and it is now reprinted on page 2.

Disclaimer: The statements on this page are the views of the person who posted them on the forum. The events took place many years ago and in most cases rely on those people's memories, and so we cannot guarantee the accuracy although every effort is made to check it.

Victoria City. Page [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]
Memories from RSL staff. Page No. [1] [2] [3]