# SS Georgia (1908)

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Oil tanker lost at Haisborough Sands off the coast of Norfolk, England

For other ships with the same name, see [SS Georgia](/source/SS_Georgia).

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Profile of SS Georgia History Name 1908: Texas by 1917: Georgia Owner 1908: The Texas Company 1927 NV Dutch Tanker & Oil Co Port of registry 1908: Port Arthur, Texas 1927: Amsterdam Builder Newport News SB & DD Co, Newport News Yard number 82 Launched 24 April 1908 Maiden voyage 18 July 1908 Identification 1908: US official number 205362 code letters KWQL 1918: call sign KUR 1927: code letters NTBH Fate grounded 20–21 November 1927 General characteristics Type oil tanker Tonnage 1910: 5,106 GRT, 3,746 NRT 1927: 5,111 GRT, 3,194 NRT Length 389.4 ft (118.7 m) Beam 52.1 ft (15.9 m) Depth 29.1 ft (8.9 m) Decks 1 Installed power 391 NHP Propulsion 1× screw 1 × triple-expansion engine Crew 31 (when lost)

**SS *Georgia*** was an [oil tanker](/source/Oil_tanker) that was built in the [United States](/source/United_States) in 1908 as ***Texas*** and spent most of her career in the [United States Merchant Marine](/source/United_States_Merchant_Marine). In 1917 she was renamed *Georgia*. In 1927 she was transferred to [Dutch](/source/Netherlands) ownership, and shortly thereafter ran aground and was lost on [Haisborough Sands](/source/Haisborough_Sands) off the coast of [Norfolk, England](/source/Norfolk%2C_England).

## History

[Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company](/source/Newport_News_Shipbuilding) built the ship at [Newport News, Virginia](/source/Newport_News%2C_Virginia) as hull number 82. She was launched as *Texas* on 24 April 1908 and delivered to her owners, The Texas Company (now [Texaco](/source/Texaco)) on 18 July 1908.

The Texas Company [registered](/source/Ship_registration) the ship at [Port Arthur, Texas](/source/Port_Arthur%2C_Texas). Her US [official number](/source/Official_number) was 205362 and her [code letters](/source/Code_letters) were KWQL.[1]

By 1917 the ship had been renamed *Georgia* and was equipped for [wireless telegraphy](/source/Wireless_telegraphy).[2] By 1918 her [call sign](/source/Maritime_call_sign) was KUR.[3]

In February 1918 she was inspected for possible [United States Navy](/source/United_States_Navy) service and assigned the Identification Number (ID) 2316. The Navy ordered her acquisition, but it was cancelled shortly before the [Armistice of 11 November 1918](/source/Armistice_of_11_November_1918), and she remained in commercial service.

In 1922 it was reported that the ship's name had been changed to *Texaco*.

By 1927 the NV Dutch Tanker & Oil Company Ltd owned her, and had registered her in [Amsterdam](/source/Amsterdam). Her Dutch code letters were NTBH.[4]

## Final voyage

In September 1927 *Georgia* loaded a cargo of [crude oil](/source/Crude_oil) at [Abadan](/source/Abadan) in Persia (now [Iran](/source/Iran)). She left the [Persian Gulf](/source/Persian_Gulf) bound for the oil refinery at [Grangemouth](/source/Grangemouth), [Scotland](/source/Scotland).

By 20 November she was in the [North Sea](/source/North_Sea) when a strong gale broke her steering gear. Just before midnight she ran aground on Haisborough Sands and stuck fast. The storm carried away her radio [aerial](/source/Antenna_(radio)), so her wireless telegraphist was unable to send a [distress signal](/source/Distress_signal). For several hours the heavy sea battered her hull, eventually ripping her apart amidships. Her after section was sounding her siren as a distress signal, but the two halves slowly drifted apart and lost sight of each other, the stern section being carried away by the force of the [gale](/source/Gale).

The [bow](/source/Bow_(watercraft)) section remained stuck on the sand bank with huge seas washing over it. The bow section had the captain, Harry Kissing and 14 of the crew all crouched in the [forecastle](/source/Forecastle). The other 16 members of the crew were in the drifting [stern](/source/Stern) section. The next morning (21 November) the [steamship](/source/Steamship) *Trent* sighted the drifting stern section and rescued the 16 crewmen. *Trent* then found the bow section stuck on the sand bank. In the meantime, the stern section had drifted North West and was sighted off [Cromer](/source/Cromer).

Position of the two halves of SS *Georgia*

[Henry Blogg](/source/Henry_Blogg), [coxswain](/source/Coxswain) of the [Cromer lifeboat](/source/Cromer_Lifeboat_Station) [*H F Bailey*](/source/RNLB_H_F_Bailey_(ON_694)), attending to the stern reported at 3.15 p.m. that the ship had been abandoned although at this time they were unaware that the ship was in two halves as the stern was creeping higher into the air. The Cromer lifeboat attended the stern section all that night warning shipping of the danger. Back at the bow section, the [Great Yarmouth](/source/Great_Yarmouth) [Coastguard](/source/HM_Coastguard) had learned of the disaster at 9 p.m. and had called the [Gorleston lifeboat](/source/Great_Yarmouth_and_Gorleston_lifeboat_station) to assist. *Trent* had signalled by wireless that it was too dangerous to approach the stern section, and she made for Cromer to land the rescued men from the stern section.

On the morning of 22 November the Gorleston lifeboat tried to rescue the remaining 15 crew, now sheltering in the chartroom, the highest point on the ship out of the water. Coxswain [Billy Fleming](/source/William_Fleming_(Lifeboatman)) tried to use the lee provided by the close by *Trent*, but with the seas still heavy this proved to be too dangerous, and she stood off to wait until conditions improved. Another attempt was made at midday. On the fifth attempt they got a line to the stranded section, but a huge wave picked up the lifeboat and dropped her in a trough, snapping the line. The Gorleston boat then developed engine trouble and retired from the rescue.

At about 4.30 pm the remaining crew were finally rescued by the exhausted crew of the Cromer lifeboat. Blogg and his crew had stood by the stern section all night, and then after returning to Cromer, were immediately called back out to attend the bow. *H F Bailey* was considerably damaged in the rescue, but got her crew and the rescued men safely back to Great Yarmouth by 7 pm. Both sections of *Georgia* sank in the following days.

## Positions of the wrecks

**Stern section**

- [52°58′36″N 001°21′37″E / 52.97667°N 1.36028°E / 52.97667; 1.36028](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=SS_Georgia_(1908)&params=52_58_36_N_001_21_37_E_) at a depth of 17 m (56 ft).

**Bow section**

- [52°52′54″N 001°46′16″E / 52.88167°N 1.77111°E / 52.88167; 1.77111](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=SS_Georgia_(1908)&params=52_52_54_N_001_46_16_E_) at a depth of 10 m (33 ft), on Haisborough Sands.

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTE''Lloyd's_Register''_1910TEU–THA_1-0)** [*Lloyd's Register* 1910](#CITEREFLloyd's_Register_1910), TEU–THA.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTE''Lloyd's_Register''_1917GEO–GER_2-0)** [*Lloyd's Register* 1917](#CITEREFLloyd's_Register_1917), GEO–GER.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEThe_Marconi_Press_Agency_Ltd1918773_3-0)** [The Marconi Press Agency Ltd 1918](#CITEREFThe_Marconi_Press_Agency_Ltd1918), p. 773.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTE''Lloyd's_Register''_1927GEO_4-0)** [*Lloyd's Register* 1927](#CITEREFLloyd's_Register_1927), GEO.

## Bibliography

- Jolly, Cyril (1981). *The Loss of the English Trader*. Acorn Editions. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-906554-06-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-906554-06-3).

- Jolly, Cyril (2002). *Henry Blogg, the Greatest of the Lifeboatmen* (new ed.). Poppyland Publishing. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-946148-59-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-946148-59-7).

- Leach, Nicholas; Russell, Paul (2004). *Cromer Lifeboats 1804–2004*. Tempus Publishing. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-7524-3197-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-7524-3197-8).

- [*Lloyd's Register of British and Foreign Shipping*](https://archive.org/details/HECROS1911ST/page/n1016/mode/1up). Vol. I–Steamers. London: Lloyd's Register of Shipping. 1910 – via [Internet Archive](/source/Internet_Archive).

- [*Lloyd's Register of Shipping*](https://archive.org/details/HECROS1918ST/page/n385/mode/1up). Vol. I–Steamers. London: Lloyd's Register of Shipping. 1917 – via Internet Archive.

- [*Lloyd's Register of Shipping*](https://archive.org/details/HECROS1928ST/page/n451/mode/1up). Vol. I–Steamers and Motorships. London: Lloyd's Register of Shipping. 1927 – via Internet Archive.

- [The Marconi Press Agency Ltd](/source/Marconi_Company) (1918). *The Year Book of Wireless Telegraphy and Telephony*. London: The Wireless Press, Ltd.

- Tikus, Ayer (2004). *The Ship-wrecks off North East Norfolk*. Ayer Tikus Publications. [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [654937740](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/654937740).

## External links

- ["Cromer Lifeboat Station"](https://rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeboat-stations/cromer-lifeboat-station). RNLI.

- ["H F Bailey"](https://www.nationalhistoricships.org.uk/register/1446/h-f-bailey). National Historic Ships UK.

- [The Old Cromer Lifeboat Shed](https://web.archive.org/web/20090712123629/http://freespace.virgin.net/david.cragie/cromershed.html)

v t e Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1927 Shipwrecks 25 Feb: Artemis 11 Mar: El Sol 27 Jun: Craster Hall 5 Aug: Chiyoda, O-2 18 Aug: Hennepin 22 Aug: Prince Rupert 24 Aug: Warabi 21 Oct: Irene 25 Oct: Principessa Mafalda 28 Oct: Fortuna 3 Nov: Greycliffe 21 Nov: Georgia 7 Dec: Kamloops 17 Dec: USS S-4 30 Dec: Seneca Other incidents 29 Jan: Celtic 6 Mar: USCGC Seminole 11 Mar: Sac City 1 May: USS Colorado 2 May: Astoria 5 Jul: RMS Ebro 15 Jul: Veendam 24 Aug: Jintsū 25 Sep: Minnekahda 6 Oct: Domala 19 Oct: Irene 20 Oct: Irene, HMS L4, HMS L5 3 Nov: Tahiti 8 Nov: Catala 20 Nov: Pierre Chailley 27 Nov: Wahehe November (unknown date): Hougomont 12 Dec: Fylgia 16 Dec: Equity 17 Dec: USCGD Paulding 29 Dec: Galatée 29 Dec: J. A. Moffett Jr. 31 Dec: Consul Horn Unknown date: America Unknown date: Pelican 1926 1928

v t e RNLI and independent lifeboats and stations in Norfolk Caister Notable crew James Haylett Charles Bonney George Lifeboat disaster 1901 Caister lifeboat disaster Cromer Beach station lifeboats Benjamin Bond Cabbell (ON 12) Louisa Heartwell (ON 495) Harriot Dixon (ON 770) Pier station lifeboats H F Bailey (ON 670) H F Bailey (ON 694) H F Bailey II (ON 714) H F Bailey III (ON 777) Millie Walton (ON 840) Henry Blogg (ON 840) Ruby and Arthur Reed (ON 990) Ruby and Arthur Reed II (ON 1097) Lester (ON 1287) Notable crew Henry Blogg Henry Thomas Davies Notable rescues Alf Cantabria English Trader Gallois Georgia Meriones Monte Nevoso Mount Ida HMS Vortigern Stuart Hill Great Yarmouth & Gorleston Notable crew William Fleming Notable rescues Hopelyn Happisburgh Hunstanton Mundesley Sea Palling Sheringham Private lifeboats Augusta Henry Ramey Upcher RNLI lifeboats Duncan William Bennett (ON 11) J C Madge (ON 536) Foresters Centenary (ON 786) The Manchester Unity of Oddfellows (ON 960) Lloyds II (ON 986) B-536 Lions International (B-539) Manchester Unity of Oddfellows (B-702) RNLB Susan Peacock (B-700) RNLB Vera Skilton (B-705) RNLB Eva Pank (B-756) The Oddfellows (B-818) Notable rescues Eaglescliffe Hall Wimbledon Wells-next-the-Sea RNLI lifeboats Cecil Paine (ON 850) Lucy Lavers (ON 832) Lifeboat disaster 1880 Wells lifeboat disaster Related topics George William Manby Hammond's Knoll Haisborough Sands Scroby Sands

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [SS Georgia (1908)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Georgia_(1908)) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Georgia_(1908)?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.