William H Welch (Stern Portion): Eilean Furadh Mor, Loch Ewe, North Minch

NG79SE 8001 7958 9340

N57 52.55 W5 43.05

NLO: Eilean Furadh Mor [name: NG 797 932]

Loch Ewe [name centred NG 84 86].

Formerly entered as NG79SE 8592.

For bow portion at NG 8148 9240 [N57 52.0667 W5 41.0833], see also NG89SW 8003.

Steamer WILLIAM H. WELCH lost 26 Feb 1944, 4.35am. North west corner of Louva or Luva Island, approximately 7 mile from Rudh Pie Lighthouse. Wind north strong to moderate gale with showers of sleet of short duration. Sea rough, heavy ground swell. 65 persons lost, 12 saved.

[Contemporary] source: Donald Mackenzie, Principal Lightkeeper, Rudh Pie Lighthouse.

Horizontal Datum = UND

Circumstances of Loss Details

-----------------------------

17 February 1975. The Liberty steamship WILLIAM H WELCH was wrecked on a rock 36 metres off the west end of Eilean Furadh More with a depth of less than 0.9 metres at low water. The vessel broke in half and the stern sank quickly, whilst the forward section drifted off and sank later (witnessed by local crofters).

Report taken from a letter from J B Savage dated 14 February 1975.

The WILLIAM H WELCH broke in two and sank on voyage from London to New York. She ran aground in Black Bay, Loch Ewe. 62 out of 74 lives were lost.

Source; Dictionary of Disasters at Sea.

Surveying Details

-----------------------------

17 February 1975. The wreck is badly broken up and covers an area the size of a football pitch. Nothing stands much more than 3 metres above the seabed which is rock.

Note: it is thought that this wreck could possibly be the 'WILLIAM H WELCH' in posn 57 52 04N, 005 41 05W.

Report taken from a letter from J B Savage dated 14 February 1975.

Hydrographic Office, 1995.

(Classified as steel steamship, in ballast: date of loss cited as 26 February 1944). William H Welch: this vessel stranded at Black Bay, and broke into two. The aft section sank.

Registration: American. Built 1943. 7167grt. Length: 132m. Beam: 17m.

(Location of loss cited as N57 52.07 W5 41.08).

I G Whittaker 1998.

The source of the cited location is unclear; it falls just outside the entrance to Loch Ewe, and to its West. Eilean Furadh Mor [name: NG 797 932] is situated immediately W of the entrance into Loch Ewe from the North Minch. Black Bay is not noted as such on the 1997 edition of the OS 1:50,000 map.

Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 4 April 2002.