Losses in WW1

Rapio was a 170 GRT steam trawler completed in 1909 by Cook, Welton & Gemmell for G F Sleight and registered at Grimsby as GY.400. She departed Grimsby on a fishing trip on 8 February 1915 and was not seen again.

I was contacted by Graham Bedford in February 2025 who provided additional information about his great-grandfather John Frankish that is not recorded by the CWGC and I have added it to the table of casualties.

There were no survivors

Rappahannock was a 3,884 GRT steam cargo ship completed in 1893 by A. Stephen & Sons for Chesapeake & Ohio. At the time of her loss she was owned by Furness, Withy & Co. Ltd. She was sunk on 26 October 1916 by torpedo fired by German submarine U-69 approximately 70 nautical miles off the Scilly Islands. She was en route from Halifax to London.

There were no survivors

Rathlin Head was a 6,754 GRT steam cargo ship completed in 1899 by Workman, Clark & Co. Ltd. for Ulster Steamship Co. Ltd. and managed by G. Heyn & Sons. She was damaged on 25 May 1918 by torpedo fired by German submarine U-46 at position 49° 40' N, 12° 00' W - South-West of Ireland. She survived this attack and a further torpedo strike on 26 May 1918 and was recovered and repaired. She had been en route from Swansea and Milford Haven to New Orleans in ballast.

Ravensbourne was a 1,226 GRT steam cargo ship completed in 1916 by Campbeltown Shipbuilding Co for South Metropolitan Gas Co. She was sunk on 31 January 1917 by torpedo fired by German submarine UC-31 at position 54° 56' N, 01° 14' W - approximately 8 nautical miles South-East of the River Tyne. She was en route from the Tyne to London with a cargo of coal.

Ravensworth was a 801 GRT steam cargo ship completed in 1883 by J. Priestman & Co. for Savary Young & Co. From 1898 she was owned by Harries Bros. She is reported to have sunk after a collision approximately 4.5 nautical miles East from the Copeland Islands, County Down but I can find no further information about the nature of the collision. She was en route from Cardiff to Aalesund.

Reaper was a 91 GRT wooden steam trawler completed in 1899 by Union Co-operative Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. for Reaper Fishing Co. Ltd. and registered at North Shields. She sank after striking a mine laid by German submarine UC-49 approximately 2 nautical miles North-East of Tynemouth.

Rebono was a 175 GRT steam trawler completed in 1912 by Cook, Welton & Gemmell for an unconfirmed owner and registered at Grimsby as GY.731. She sank on 23 September 1914 after striking a mine approximately 25 nautical miles East by North of the Spurn Light Ship. At the time she was sunk, she was returning to Grimsby from a fishing trip in the North Sea. The mine was probably laid by German minelayer Nautilus.

Recolo was a 176 GRT steam trawler completed in 1912 by Cook, Welton & Gemmell for George F. Sleight and registered at Grimsby as GY.668. She sank on 26 April 1915 after striking a mine approximately 60 nautical miles East by North of Spurn Point.

Redcap was a 199 GRT steam trawler completed in 1907 by Goole SB. & Repg. Co. Ltd. for Kelsall Bros. & Beeching. She was attacked by gunfire from German submarine UC-29 at position 56° 10' N, 01° 10' E - approximately 97 nautical miles East of Longstone. The survivors of the initial attack got away in the ships boat and the submarine sunk the vessel with further gunfire.

Red Rose was a 423 GRT compound-engined cargo ship completed in 1891 by J. Fullerton & Co. for R. Hughes & Co. She was sunk on 22 May 1918 by torpedo fired by German submarine UB-57 at position 50° 04' N, 00° 20' W - approximately 30 nautical miles North-West of Cape Antifer. She was en route from Littlehampton to Le Havre with a cargo of government stores.

There were no survivors