Thetis

This recent issue with the second hand British/Canadian submarine has reminded me of a small piece of family history, or a small member of the family watching history unfold.

On the 1st June 1939, my dad, Arthur Weldon and his Cousin, Stanley Weldon were going on holiday, travelling along the Mersey Estuary in a bus when the driver stopped. Arthur was 12 years old, Stanley was just 10

Stan Weldon, who lives near Prescot, remembers that June day quite vividly :

In Liverpool Bay, HMS Thetis, a submarine that had just been launched at Cammell Laird Shipyards in Birkenhead, was seen with her stern raised above the waterline, her nose buried in the sea bed.

Stan has told me that they could see a few boats sailing around the stern of the ship and lots of activity in the water and on the shoreline. It was an exciting and somewhat fascinating time for all the children on that bus, many of whom did not realize what history was happening before them.

It seems that day, HMS Thetis sailed out of the River Mersey on her first and final voyage. She was overcrewed for some reason, loaded with civil workers, officials and crew, setting out on sea trials, never to return.

On her very first dive, her very first venture into the element for which she had been designed and built, she died. Those with her, save four died too. So close to safety, with the stern above water, the steel hull that should have protected them from the dangers of the deep, became their coffin wall, it was said that the rescue workers could hear the occupants, but were powerless to save them.

On board were many civilians, technical and industrial workers from the builders yard, officers and ratings , not just from Thetis but from other ships, even food catering staff: there was to be a grand buffet on board as this was to be a grand event. Thetis had almost double the number of souls on board that she would usually have. In fact a total of ninety nine people lost their lives on board the Thetis that day.

The Thetis was to claim one more life on August the 23rd, this "100th man" was a Navy Diver, Petty Officer Henry Otho Perdue, who died in efforts to salvage the ship.

Sunday 3rd. September saw Thetis intentionally grounded ashore at Moelfre Bay, Anglesley. It was the same day that war was declared.

The "Thetis" was eventually taken back to Birkenhead, and after an extensive rebuild, was re-commissioned as "HMS Thunderbolt". She sailed on her first operational patrol on December 3rd 1940. On March 14th 1943 she was depth-charged and sunk by the Italian "Cicogna" off Cape San Vito, Sicily, with the loss of all hands.




Many Thanks to http://www.mikekemble.com/ww2/britsubthetis.html for information on this subject.