Mysterious disappearance of 13 sailors finally solved with shipwreck on UK coast

29 August 2023 , 13:21

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SS Express sank near Orkney in 1918 after colliding with a Royal Navy destroyer (Image: Getty Images/500px)

The mystery surrounding the disappearance of 13 sailors more than a century ago has finally been solved with the discovery of a shipwreck off the coast of the UK.

The SS Express sank near Orkney in February 1918 after colliding with a Royal Navy destroyer and killing everyone on board.

Now, after excessive planning, a team of divers has discovered the vessel, which transported cargo between Orkney and mainland Scotland.

Delighted expedition leader Will Schwarz told BBC Radio Orkney his team were "absolutely bouncing" that their efforts had paid off on the second day of their exploration.

"The SS Express was an incredibly vital ship for Orkney back in the day," he said, after complementing his "very good team".

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Divers have finally located a ship, which disappeared more than a century ago (Getty Images)

He continued: "The sad thing about SS Express was 13 people lost their lives, 11 locals and two Royal Navy personnel who were acting as gunners.

"It was very poignant the fact that this is giving the local community some closure on what happened to some of their ancestors. It's absolutely incredible."

Rick Ayrton, meanwhile, who captured images of the wreck added: "The thing about diving in these areas north of Scapa Flow is the water clarity improves dramatically.

"With our modern torches we can bring back some fantastic images of these lost ships."

Mr Ayrton and his fellow divers also identified the wrecks of the HMS Hoste and HMS Negro during their time at sea, with the Express discovered in between the pair, some 80m deep and seemingly split in two.

It's hold remained full of cargo, including a large number of bottles.

Built in Glasgow as the Hebridean in 1881 by T.B. Seath & Co. and registered in Kirkwall by owner, W .Cooper & Son, the Express as it was later known was reported lost in Lloyd's List at the time.

A statement read: "London, Feb. 18. - The owner of the steamer Express, of Kirkwall, with general cargo, reports that the vessel appears to have sunk after collision with a British destroyer on the early morning of Feb. 9, in the vicinity of Pentland Skerries. One dead body was found in the vicinity a few hours afterwards, and was identified as a member of the crew of this vessel."

Alan Johnson