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Hms Barcombe: Lord Lovat's Bay, Mull, Firth Of Lorn

Boom Defence Vessel (20th Century)

Site Name Hms Barcombe: Lord Lovat's Bay, Mull, Firth Of Lorn

Classification Boom Defence Vessel (20th Century)

Alternative Name(s) Loch Buie; Hms Barcome; Torran Rocks; Atlantic; Hms Barcombe

Canmore ID 117125

Site Number NM62SW 8001

NGR NM 60796 20226

NGR Description NM c. 602 205

Datum WGS84 - Lat/Long

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/117125

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
Canmore Disclaimer. © Copyright and database right 2024.

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Administrative Areas

  • Council Argyll And Bute
  • Parish Maritime - Argyll And Bute
  • Former Region Strathclyde
  • Former District Maritime
  • Former County Not Applicable

Archaeology Notes

NM62SW 8001c. 602 205

N56 19 W5 52.7

NLO: Lord Lovat's Bay [name: NM 602 205]

Loch Buie [name: NM 59 22]

Torran Rocks [name centred NM 28 13]

Firth of Lorn [name centred NM 69 19].

Location formerly cited as NM 6048 2026 [N56 18.8 W5 52.4].

See also NM62SE 8001.

The 750 ton boom defence vessel BARCOME [Barcombe] was found on the west side of Loch Buie shortly after 6.opm on Tuesday by an Oban-bound seine net fishing vessel.

This ended a 21 hour search by naval vessels, aircraft, and the Islay lifeboat. BARCOME had been badly holed and flooded. One casualty was later brought to Oban. The air and sea rescue operations were hampered by thick mist and also by a series of conflicting reports as to the area in which the vessel had been grounded. For over 21 hours, the Islay lifeboat CHARLOTTE ELIZABETH and the submarine rescue vessel Kingfisher, the Admiralty tug SAUCY, and other ships and RAF Shackleton aircraft from Northern Ireland searched the area. Shortly after 9.00pm on Monday the BARCOME signalled that she was aground near Oronsay Island. The Islay lifeboat searched the Oronsay area all through the night and early morning of Tuesday. Later on Tuesday she was ordered north to search in the area of the Torran Rocks, off the south west of Mull, more than 15 miles from Oronsay. The remains of the BARCOME are lying broadside at the foot of a 300ft cliff. The lifeboat and the Kingfisher took off the BARCOME's crew.

At the court martial of the boom defence vessel BARCOME's commander, Lt.Cdr. Derek Charles Godfrey, the court recorded that there was a local magnetic anomaly in the Loch Buie area, and extra care should have been taken by the accused.

Source: Oban Times, 18 January 1958.

(Classified as boom defence vessel: date of loss cited as 13 January 1958). HMS Barcombe: this vessel was wrecked just E of Loch Buie. Commander Godfrey.

Registration: london. Built 1938. 750grt. Length: 45m. Beam: 10m.

(Location of loss cited as N56 18.85 W5 52.33).

I G Whittaker 1998.

Material reported under RoW amnesty (2001):

A1956 2 letters (B and M), 1 boiler plate, 1 propellor: from seabed.

NMRS, MS/829/35.

Neither plans nor photographs of this vessel are held in the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich.

Information from Ms G Fabri (NMM), 7 November 2003.

Loch Buie is a broad but deep inlet set into the S coast of Mull. The village of Lochbuie itself is situated at the head (NE end) of the loch.

Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 9 May 2008.

Activities

Reference (2011)

Whittaker ID : 361

Name : HMS BARCOMBE

Latitude : 561851

Longitude : 55220

Date Built : 1938

Registration : LONDON

Type : BOOM DEFENCE VESS.

Tonnage : 750

Tonnage Code : G

Length : 45

Beam : 10

Draught : 3m

Position : Position Approximate

Loss Day : 13

Loss Month : 1

Loss Year : 1958

Comment : Wrecked just east of Loch Buie.. Commander Godfrey

Reference (19 April 2012)

UKHO Identifier : 002743

Feature Class : Wreck

Wreck Category : Wreck showing any portion of hull or superstructure

State : DEAD

Classification : Unclassified

Position (Lat/long) : 56.31403,-5.86833

Horizontal Datum : ORDNANCE SURVEY OF GREAT BRITAIN (1936)

WGS84 Position (Lat/long) : 56.31388,-5.86939

WGS84 Origin : 3-D Cartesian Shift (BW)

Previous Position : 56.31417,-5.86833

Position Method : Compass Cross Bearings

Position Quality : Precisely known

Depth Quality : Depth unknown

Water Depth : 2

Vertical Datum : Lowest Astronomical Tide

Name : HMS BARCOMBE

Type : BOOM DEFENCE VESSEL

Flag : BRITISH

Length : 53.0

Beam : 8.2

Draught : 2.7

Tonnage : 730

Tonnage Type : Displacement

Date Sunk : 13/01/1958

Bottom Texture : Boulders

Contact Description : Entire wreck

Original Sensor : Reported Sinking

Last Sensor : Diver Sighting

Original Detection Year : 1958

Last Detection Year : 1986

Original Source : Naval Vessel

Last Source : Divers

Circumstances of Loss : **RAN AGROUND. PASSAGE GREENOCK FOR ROSYTH FOR A REFIT. (LL, 15.1.58).

**BUILT 1938 AT GREENOCK. (SHIPS OF THE ROYAL NAVY)

Surveying Details : **H597/58 18.1.58 ON S COAST ISLAND OF MULL NEAR E.HD OF LOCH BUIE. (LL, 15.1.58).

**H597/58 28.1.58 SALVAGE IMPRACTICABLE. (F.O. SCOTLAND, 27.1.58).

**H597/58 10.10.58 LIES STRANDED IN 561851N, 055206W [OGB]. FIXED BY GYRO BEARINGS. (HMS SHACKLETON, HN 9/58, 28.9.58). BR STD.

**19.12.68 SOLD TO NORTHERN SHIPBREAKING CO ON 12.1.59. REPORT RECEIVED 13.3.61 THAT WK HAD BEEN BROKEN UP. (D OF C (N), 16.12.68 - N/CP. 57469/68).

**H3686/77 NO SIGN OF WK AT LWS ON 2.7.77. PASSED WITHIN 50 YDS OF CHARTED POSN. (LT.CDR HEAP, HYD NOTE). AMENDED TO DEAD. DELETE. BR STD.

**H1310/86/4 17.2.86 NO LARGE PIECES OF THIS WRECK REMAIN AND ALL THAT WAS FOUND LIE WITHIN 10MTRS OF THE SHORE, MOSTLY BURIED UNDER LARGE BOULDERS. (ANDREW JENNIONS, 27.1.86). NFA.

General Comments : BURIED

Chart Symbol : ST

Date Last Amended : 07/10/2006

References

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