Maritime record MWX2098 - James Fennell

Built: 1918 Builder: J Fullerton and Co. Where Built: Paisley Propulsion: Screw driven, 3 cylinder triple expansion engine HP: 75 Boilers: 1 Owner: Royal Navy Crew: 17 Construction: 1 x deck Machinery: Plenty andamp; Son Ltd., Newbury (3)(4) Drove ashore near Tar Rocks in dense fog and heavy seas. A local man named `Sunny Sanders heard the cries of the men on board the wreck and went down the cliffs but realised that the sea had cut off his route along the foreshore. He therefore climbed back and took another route, calling to the men to be calm. Reaching a point only 30ft away from the wreck, he told them to throw him a line, to which was attached a hawser, by which means 16 naval ratings reached shore safely. The captain was the last to leave, but fell into the sea, and would have been drowned, had not Sanders plunged in after him and brought him ashore. A few days later an attempt was made to tow her off stern first, but she immediately sank. (3)(4) On the day after the PREVEZA stranded an Admiralty steam trawler, the James Fennel, bound from Gibraltar for Portsmouth, ran ashore on rocks nearby and became a total wreck.(6) Admiralty trawler lost off Blacknor Point, Portland.(8) Trawler, built Fullerton 1918, lost 16-JAN-1920.(7)
24-MAR-1920: Wreck in 50 32 45N, 02 27 25W approximately.(1)
20-NOV-1922: Dangerous wreck position approximate in 50 32 45N, 02 27 25W.(1)
11-FEB-1969: Wreck of JAMES FENNEL located in 50 32 30N, 02 27 45W.(1) 03-JAN-1985: Too close inshore to investigate safely. Local divers report wreck lies 30 yards off beach in charted position. Lying N/S with height above seabed approximately 20 to 30 feet. No mast - highest point probably boilers. Length 80 feet.(1)
24-MAY-1990: Wreck of JAMES FENNEL lies in 50 32 39N, 02 27 18W, 50 yards from beach beneath southern of two stone stacks on Blacknor Point in general depth 15m. Stern is complete and stands approximately 6m off seabed, forward section is separate and well broken up. (1)
A bezel recovered from this wreck, position 50 32.75N 002 27.30W. (Droit A/2279).(5)
2 deck fittings and 4 flange bolts recovered from this wreck, position 50 32.60N 002 27.30W. (Droit A/2385).(5)
Lubrication boxes recovered from this wreck. (Droit A/4186).(5)
Small sherds of the rim of a light-coloured pottery vessel, with a hint of red, recovered from this wreck, off Dorset (Weymouth Museum). (Droit A/4378).(5)
Additional sources cited in United Kingdom Shipwreck Index: Dorset Shipwrecks, Burnett, P 50 Weymouth Library photo L.910.4.JA.1-8, neg.No.24/19; LR.1919-20 No.16807(J)

On 16th January 1920 the James Fennell, an Admiralty trawler bound from Gibraltar to Portsmouth ran onto rocks below Blacknor Point on Portland. What followed was one of the most remarkable rescues ever recorded on the Dorset Coast.
A Portland fisherman, Albert ‘Sunny’ Saunders heard a ships siren from below Blacknor Point and suspected that a ship might be in trouble. Unable to see it because of the fog, he scrambled down the rocks and along the rocky shore. Seeing the James Fennel on the rocks he tried to get close, but failed because of the rising tide. So he climbed the cliffs and descended on the opposite side of the wreck. Wading waist deep he got close enough to catch a rope thrown from the ship. He tied it to a rock and helped the fifteen crew members onto shore. The captain was the last to leave, and slipped from the rope into the sea, but was rescued by Sunny and the crew.
Shortly afterwards salvage tugs tried to tow the James Fennel off the rocks, as they did so she slid into deeper water, where she still lies. (9)
Material recovered from her comprises a quantity of small pieces of rim of a pottery vessel, light coloured, hint of red. (10); 2 x deck fitting and 4 x flange bolts. (11)

gross tonnage

Position 50 32.75N 2 27.30 W taken from (2)

<1> United Kingdom Hydrographic Office, 1992, Hydrographic Office wreck index (Index). SWX4837.

<2> Hinchcliffe, J and V, 1990, Dive Dorset: a diver guide (2nd Edition), Wreck No 88, p80 (Monograph). SWX5640.

<3> Larn, Richard, 1992, United Kingdom shipwreck index, Extracted 23 November 1992 (Index). SWX5030.

<4> Larn, R, and Larn, B, 1995, Shipwreck index of the British Isles, volume 1 : Isles of Scilly, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset Section 6, Dorset (AJ) Vol 1 (Monograph). SWX4541.

<5> 2001, Maritime and Coastguard Agency: Receiver of Wreck Amnesty (Index). SWX4542.

<6> Farr, Grahame, 1971, Wreck and rescue on the Dorset coast, p49 (Monograph). SWX1056.

<7> Colledge, J J, 1989, Ships of the Royal Navy. Volume 2: navy-built trawlers, drifters, tugs and requisitioned ships from the fifteenth century to the present, p116 (Monograph). SDO20520.

<8> 1976, Dorset magazine : the county magazine vol. 50, p24 (Article in serial). SWX4560.

<9> Le Pard, G F, 2005, Shipwrecks of the Dorset Coast (Monograph). SDO9637.

<10> Receiver of Wreck, Droit of the Receiver of Wreck A/4378 (Unpublished document). SWX687.

<11> Receiver of Wreck, Droit of the Receiver of Wreck A/2385 (Unpublished document). SWX508.

<12> Hinchcliffe, J and V, 1999, Dive Dorset: a diver guide (3rd Edition), No 125, p103-104 (Monograph). SWX1.

<13> United Kingdom Hydrographic Office, Wreck report, 18622 (Monograph). SDO20514.

<14> National Record of the Historic Environment, 904633 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Apr 4 2024 2:03PM