Heritage - Shipwrecks

Guernsey's shores are often swept by treacherous tides, blanketed in dense fog and battered by ferocious winds. Hundreds of ships have come to a tragic and violent end in these waters. The island has always been a busy trading port, with even a shipwrecked Gallo-Roman ship having been found in Saint Peter Port Harbour.  This festured on the BBC's Digging  for Britain' series in 2010.

On March 30th 1899 the passenger steamer Stella was making its first daylight crossing of the season from Southampton to Guernsey. On board were around 100 passengers, travelling to spend Easter in the Channel Islands. The conditions were foggy, but the journey was going well. At around 4:00pm, the ship was travelling at full speed when it found itself in a much denser bank of fog. Even though the visibility was very poor, the ship apparently didn’t slow. Suddenly, looming out of the gloom, the Casquet Rocks, a well known shipping hazard northwest of Alderney, came into view…

With no time to slow, the Stella struck a rock amidships and immediately began to sink. Within 12 minutes she had disappeared beneath the surface, her boilers exploding with a tremendous boom as she sank.

As crew and passengers scrambled or swam to get to the safety of the lifeboats tales of heroism and tragedy were forged. One survivor recounted how as he drifted in a small lifeboat, he watched the vessel disappearing stern first into the sea, the captain standing calmly on the bridge still giving his orders. Another tells of how a stewardess named Mrs. Rogers gave up her life for her. Realising how desperate the situation was, Mrs Rogers had got all the ladies from her cabin to the side of the ship, ensured they were all equipped with lifebelts and assisted them into the small boats. She then spotted the survivor who relates the story and seeing that she was without a lifebelt insisted on giving up her own for her and then took her to the rapidly filling boat. The crew urged Mrs Rogers to also get into the boat to which she replied: “No. No; if I get in, the boat will sink. Goodbye, goodbye.” With uplifted hands she said “Lord have me!” and immediately the Stella sank beneath her feet.

It is thought that over 86 people lost their lives that day, with 112 being saved.  Accusations flew that the captain had been racing another ship in the fog. The sinking of the Stella has since been dubbed the Titanic of the Channel Islands.

A British submarine, the Affray, sank north of Alderney, killing all 75 crew onboard in 1951.

In January 1974, MV Prosperity foundered on rocks off Perelle Bay with the loss of all sixteen crew. The ship had a full cargo of timber which was washed up on the islands west coast. The Elwood Mead was a brand new ship on its maiden voyage with 125,000 tons of iron ore. She grounded onto the rocks on Christmas Day 1973 and it took 95 days to free the massive vessel.

The oil drilling rig Orion, ran aground off Guernsey in 1978. The rig, which was welded to a barge, was being towed and broke loose in high winds.

In more recent years the shipping lanes have been moved northwards, and as a result the island sees less ships running aground on its rugged west coast.

There are many more tales of how the power of nature has drawn seafarers to their deaths off the coast of Guernsey. Details of these can be found at Fort Grey, the Island's Shipwreck Museum.