Vessels Lost in WW1

Birtley was a 1,438 GRT steam cargo ship completed in 1906 by Wood, Skinner & Co. Ltd. for Burnett Steamship Co. Ltd. She departed Dunkirk bound for The Tyne in ballast and was last seen on 3 January 1918 in Yarmouth Roads. She is presumed to have been torpedoed by a submarine - possibly UB-38 as reported by Uboat.net [2].

There were no survivors

Biruta was a 1,732 GRT steam cargo ship completed in 1889 by Palmers Shipbuilding & Iron Co. Ltd. Ellerman Wilson Line who appear to have continued to manage her for the Shipping Controller. She was sunk on 6 August 1918 approximately 8 nautical miles North-West by West of Calais. It is not clear from the accounts I have examined whether she was sunk by a torpedo or a mine. There are also doubts about ownership and management of this ship that I have been unable to resolve. She was en route from Calais to Barry in ballast.

Bishopston was a 2,513 GRT steam cargo ship completed in 1916 by Clyde Shipbuilding and Engineering Co. for Swansea Steamers Ltd. and managed by Richards Turpin (Shipping) Ltd. She was sunk on 4 September 1917 by torpedo fired by German submarine UC-16 at position 50° 08' N, 00° 57' W - approximately 30 nautical miles South by East of St.Catherine's Point. She was en route from Havre to Portsmouth in ballast.

Blagdon was a 1,996 GRT steam cargo ship completed in 1893 by W.Gray & Co Ltd. for Pyman Bros. By 1917 she was owned by Hansen Shipping Co. Ltd. According to Uboat.net - [2] - she had been abandoned by the crew when attacked by German submarine U-78 on 9 August 1917 and sunk on the same day by torpedo fired by U-100 approximately 75 nautical miles East by South of Muckle Flugga. She had been en route from Lerwick to Archangel with a cargo of herring.

Blake was a 3,740 GRT steam cargo ship completed in 1906 by W.Doxford & Co. for Blake Steamship Co. Ltd. From 1917 she was owned by Zodiac Shipping Co. Ltd. and managed by Moller & Co. She was sunk on 24 July 1917 by torpedo fired by German submarine UC-49 approximately 30 nautical miles North by West of Cape Wrath. She was en route from Penarth to Archangel with a cargo of coal.

Boldwell was a 3,056 GRT steam cargo ship completed in 1901 by Nederlandsche SB of Amsterdam for Franco-Ottoman Sailing Co. Ltd. as Voorburg. By 1917 she had been renamed Boldwell and was owned by Byron Steamship Co. Ltd. She was sunk on 27 May 1917 by torpedo fired by German submarine UC-20 at position 36° 12' N, 13° 24' E - approximately 35 nautical miles North-East of Linosa Island. She was en route from the Tyne to Alexandria with a cargo of coal.

Boltonhall was a 3,595 GRT steam cargo ship completed in 1900 by Irvine’s SB. & DD. Co., Ltd. for West Hartlepool Steam Navigation Co. Ltd. She was sunk on 20 August 1918 by torpedo fired by German submarine UB-92 approximately 34 nautical miles South-West by West of Bardsey Island. She was en route from Manchester to Gibraltar with a cargo of coal.

Boniface was a 3,506 GRT steam passenger/cargo ship completed in 1904 by Barclay, Curle & Co. for Booth Steamship Co. Ltd. She was sunk on 23 August 1917 by torpedo fired by German submarine U-53 at position 55° 08' N, 08° 27' W - approximately 7 nautical miles North-East by North of Arranmore. She was en route from New York to the Clyde carrying a general cargo.

Boorara was a 6,570 GRT steam cargo ship completed in 1913 by Bremer Vulkan of Germany for Norddeutscher Lloyd as Pfalz. From 1915 she was owned by the Australian Government and renamed Boorara. She was damaged on 20 March 1918 by torpedo fired by German submarine UB-31 approximately 2.5 nautical miles South-East of Beachy Head. She was en route from London to Sydney with a general cargo. She was damaged again on 23 July 1918 by UC-70 whilst 12 nautical miles South of the Tees but there were no casualties on this occasion.

Border Knight was a 3,730 GRT steam cargo ship completed in 1899 by D. & W. Henderson & Co. for J.Little & Co. She appears to have been owned by Ellerman & Bucknall Steamship Co. Ltd. by the time of her loss. She was sunk on 4 November 1917 by torpedo fired by German submarine UC-17 at position 49° 58' N, 05° 09' W - approximately 1.5 nautical miles East-South-East of The Lizard. She was en rouge from London to Barry in ballast.