View source for SS Irwell

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2017}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image               = SS Irwell Postcard scan.jpg
| Ship caption             = Postcard depicting the SS Irwell
}}
{{Infobox ship career
| Hide header              = 
| Ship name                = 1906–1954: SS ''Irwell''
| Ship country             = United Kingdom
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|United Kingdom|civil}}
| Ship operator            = 
*1906–1922: [[Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway]]
*1922–1923: [[London and North Western Railway]]
*1923–1935: [[London, Midland and Scottish Railway]]
*1935–1948: Associated Humber Lines
*1948–1954: British Transport Commission
| Ship registry            = {{flagicon|UK|civil}}
| Ship route               = 
| Ship ordered             = 
| Ship builder             = [[Swan Hunter|Swan Hunter and Wigham Richardson]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tynebuiltships.co.uk/I-Ships/irwell1906.html|title=SS Irwell (1906)|publisher=www.tynebuiltships.co.uk|accessdate=15 Jun 2017}}</ref>
| Ship original cost       = 
| Ship yard number         = 758
| Ship way number          = 
| Ship laid down           = 
| Ship launched            = 10 May 1906
| Ship completed           = May 1906
| Ship christened          = 
| Ship acquired            = 
| Ship maiden voyage       = 
| Ship in service          = 
| Ship out of service      = 3 April 1954
| Ship identification      = 
| Ship fate                = Scrapped
| Ship notes               = 
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
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| Header caption           = 
| Ship type                = 
| Ship tonnage             = {{GRT|1040|disp=long}}
| Ship displacement        = 
| Ship length              = {{convert|255|ft|m}}
| Ship beam                = {{convert|36|ft|m}}
| Ship draught             = {{convert|16.3|ft|m}}
| Ship depth               = 
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| Ship ramps               = 
| Ship ice class           = 
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}}
|}

'''SS ''Irwell''''' was a freight vessel built for the [[Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway]] in 1906.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Duckworth |first1=Christian Leslie Dyce |last2=Langmuir |first2=Graham Easton |date=1968 |title=Railway and other Steamers |language=English |location=Prescot, Lancashire |publisher= T. Stephenson and Sons }}</ref>

==History==

She was built in 1906 by [[Swan Hunter|Swan Hunter and Wigham Richardson]] as a sister ship to [[SS Mersey]], and launched on 10 May 1906 for the [[Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway]] to provide freight services from Goole to Rotterdam. She made her maiden voyage from the River Tyne to Goole on 13 June 1906.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=The new steamer Irwell |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000324/19060614/131/0007 |newspaper=Hull Daily Mail |location=Hull |date=14 June 1906 |access-date=22 October 2015|via = [[British Newspaper Archive]] |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

In June 1907, two stowaways were discovered when she had departed [[Hamburg]]. Clowes Enoch of [[Schleswig Holstein]], and Joseph Todhunter of Birkenhead were found among the sails in the after part between decks<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Enoch likes England. But Goole sends him away |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000324/19070621/029/0003|newspaper=Hull Daily Mail |location=Hull |date=21 June 1907 |access-date=22 October 2015|via = [[British Newspaper Archive]] |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

In December 1913, she was returning to Goole from [[Ghent]] when she reversed forcefully into the north wall of the dock. A small boat was smashed and some pieces of the wall were dislodged.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Steamer runs into dock wall |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000273/19131205/141/0005 |newspaper=Yorkshire Evening Post |location=Yorkshire |date=5 December 1913 |access-date=22 October 2015|via = [[British Newspaper Archive]] |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

In 1914, she was engaged in the potato trade from [[Jersey]], bringing the produce directly into [[Kingston upon Hull]].<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=The steamer Irwell |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000324/19140624/076/0008 |newspaper=Hull Daily Mail |location=Hull |date=24 June 1914 |access-date=22 October 2015|via = [[British Newspaper Archive]] |url-access=subscription }}</ref> She was transferred to the [[London and North Western Railway]] in 1922 and to the [[London, Midland and Scottish Railway]] in 1923.

On 15 May 1929, she left Goole for Copenhagen, but became stuck in ice off the Danish Coast north of [[Sjaelland]] with a broken rudder and the steward was reported as dead.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Goole Ship's Plight |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000324/19290319/052/0009 |newspaper=Hull Daily Mail |location=Hull |date=19 March 1929 |access-date=22 October 2015|via = [[British Newspaper Archive]] |url-access=subscription }}</ref> The mate of the ship fell overboard, striking his head against one of the anchor chains, and was killed.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Mate killed at sea |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000329/19290321/082/0009 |newspaper=Western Morning News |location=England |date=21 March 1929 |access-date=22 October 2015|via = [[British Newspaper Archive]] |url-access=subscription }}</ref> On 18 October 1934, she collided with the British [[sloop]] ''Edna'' in the [[Humber]] estuary at [[Whitton, North Lincolnshire|Whitton]], [[Lincolnshire]], [[England]]. ''Edna'' sank.<ref name=Times191034a>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Casualty reports |date=19 October 1934 |page=24 |issue=46889 |column=E }}</ref>

She was transferred to Associated Humber Lines in 1935. She was based in [[Iceland]]ic waters as a naval supply ship during [[World War II]]. In 1946, she switched to [[Larne]] to [[Loch Ryan]] service.

On 28 December 1947, she was on a voyage from [[Rotterdam]] in heavy seas; the second officer reported seeing a [[yacht]] tossing helplessly flying distress signals. The American vessel, the ''Seafarer'' had set out from Cowes to sail to Norway. During the crossing, their engine failed, and the sail was blown away by the westerly [[gale]]. They had drifted for two days before being spotted by ''Irwell''. The crew of ''Irwell'' managed to get a line aboard ''Seafarer'', and they towed the yacht to [[Masslius]].<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Goole Ship in Dramatic Rescue |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000324/19471230/036/0003 |newspaper=Hull Daily Mail |location=Hull |date=30 December 1947 |access-date=22 October 2015|via = [[British Newspaper Archive]] |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

In 1948, she was transferred to the [[British Transport Commission]] and she was scrapped in March 1954 at [[Gateshead]].

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{LYR Ships}}
{{1929 shipwrecks}}
{{1934 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Irwell}}
[[Category:1906 ships]]
[[Category:Passenger ships of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Steamships of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Ships built on the River Tyne]]
[[Category:Ships of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway]]
[[Category:Ships of the London and North Western Railway]]
[[Category:Ships of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1929]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1934]]