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Unit / Ship / Establishment:
SS Wellington
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Detail : |
| Mike: While serving in French waters, escorting a large slow convoy to Great Britain, SENECA 's crew initiated one of the most heroic and tragic rescue attempts in history on September 19, 1918. A torpedo struck the SS WELLINGTON, a large British cargo vessel, ripping away the forward 30 feet of the ship. The crew of 36 was rescued by SENECA, but before they had even been taken aboard, LT Fletcher Webster Brown, USCG received permission from his captain to call for volunteers to go upon WELLINGTON and if possible, take the ship the remaining 300 miles to Great Britain. Every man of SENECA's crew volunteered, but only 18 were chosen. The 18 SENECA crewmen boarded WELLINGTON and were later joined by 2 of the Wellington's original crew. Soon, with Coast Guardsmen manning the aft gun, engine room, and bridge, the WELLINGTON was underway toward Great Britain making approximately 5 knots. The ship maintained the speed throughout the evening, and SENECA left her to resume her duties with the convoy. By midnight, however, the weather had deteriorated significantly, and the seas had begun to rise. Shortly after midnight they lost the bet; the rising seas burst the forward bulkhead and the WELLINGTON went down with 10 of the heroic volunteers from SENECA aboard. A memorial plaque was erected at Gibraltar in honor of the valiant efforts of the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter SENECA |
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