The Upwey Grange was operated by Houlder Brothers & Co, a shipping line which at one time included routes from the United Kingdom to the USA, New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Islands. A later route added was the River Plate passenger and cargo trade which would eventually become their mainstay route and one with which the Upwey Grange would be very familiar.
The Upwey Grange was built by Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd, Glasgow during 1925 as hull number 617. This vessel was one of the first of the motor vessels used to replace the Houlder Line’s fleet of coal-fired steamships. When built this was the largest refrigerated motor ship and the highest powered motor cargo vessel afloat at 9,130 tons gross and 6,400 horsepower. The ship would sail from Gravesend for Rio and Santos of Brazil and the Falklands as well as the usual ports in Uruguay and Argentina.
Sailed in Convoy OA 23 from Southend on October 21st 1939 and dispersed on October 26th 1939 in the Atlantic some 750 miles west of Lands End, the convoy contained nineteen ships including the Upwey Grange whose destination was St Vincent.
Late in July 1940 the Upwey Grange (Master William Ernest Williams) sailed from Buenos Aires for London with a cargo of 5,380 tons of frozen meat and 51 cases of tinned meat. The ship travelled unescorted and unmolested until August 8th when it was detected by the U37 some two hundred miles west Achill Head, County Mayo, Ireland. At about 9.50 a.m. she was struck by two torpedoes in quick succession, both on the port side, the first exploding in the engine room and the second in way of No. 6 hatch. The vessel settled by the stern with a list to port and orders were given to abandon ship. With bad weather and a rough sea the boats were got away with some difficulty, the submarine surfacing and a member of her crew taking photographs.
The ship sank at position 54.20N/15.28W, from the complement of 86 (75 crew & 11 passengers) on board 33 crew including the Master and three passengers would be reported missing. The rough seas caused the lifeboats to separate, one was lost, the other navigated approximately 150 miles prior to rescue by the British trawler Naniwa of 340 tons, later transferred to HMS Vanquisher (D 54) and disembarked at Liverpool. The U-37 had been on patrol west of Ireland since August 1st after departing from Wilhelmshaven, it reached Lorient on August 12th 1940, the Upwey Grange being its only victim on this patrol.
Built: Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co, Glasgow
Launched: 1925
Displacement: 9,130 tons
Length: 431 feet
Breadth: 62'5"
Draught: 35'3"
Propulsion: Two 2-cycle single acting Fairfield/Sulzer 6ST71 diesel engines totalling 6,400 hp at 115rpm
Screws: Two
Speed: 15 knots
O/N 148703
Page added May 28th 2007
Last updated August 18th 2009
Sources:
Convoy Web.
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