THISTLEGORM shipwreck and the LMS STANIER 8F 2-8-0 steam locomotives.

THISTLEGORM was carrying LMS Stanier 8F steam locomotives * READ CAPTIONS * when German bombers sank her on 6 October 1941 near Ras Muhammad in the Red Sea. Thistlegorm is now a Scuba diving site.
SS Thistlegorm was a British armed Merchant Navy ship built in 1940 by Joseph Thompson & Sons shipyard in Sunderland, England and was launched 9 April 1940.
The remains of the two Stanier 8F steam locomotives can now be seen on the seafloor either side of the wreck. The two tenders for the locomotives are still in their original positions on deck. Two tank wagons can also be easily approached as they have only moved slightly from their original positions.
The ship was owned and operated by the Albyn Line, part of the company’s “Thistle” ships — all named after Scotland’s national flower. Thistlegorm’s name is Gaelic for “Blue Thistle.” When the ship was called to war, a 4.7-inch anti-aircraft gun and a heavy calibre machine gun were fitted to the stern of the ship. A triple-expansion three-cylinder engine with 1,850 horsepower drove the 415-foot steamship.
On board only the forth but final voyage of the Thistlegorm was a delivery of equipment to British forces in North Africa. Loaded at its homeport of Glasgow in May 1941, Thistlegorm departed on June 2 under the command of Captain William Ellis as part of a large convoy. Its route was around Africa and through the Suez Canal, a much safer trip than the direct route through the Mediterranean.
While the Thistlegorm was waiting in safe anchorage in the Red Sea, German forces became aware of a large troop transport ship in the area, probably the Queen Mary, which was carrying 1,200 troops to Africa. The Luftwaffe sent aircraft to bomb the troop vessel the night of October 5, 1941.
Two German twin-engine Heinkel He111 bombers searched through the night but were unable to find their target. When they reached their turnaround point, the planes split up hoping to find other targets for their bombs on their way back to Crete. One plane spotted Safe Anchorage F and targeted the largest ship, the Thistlegorm.
The plane dropped two bombs that struck cargo hold four at approximately 1:30 am on October 6, 1941. The bombs hit mines stored on deck and ammunition within the ship, resulting in an enormous explosion strong enough to blast the two Stanier 8F locomotives chained to the deck into the sea and ripping the ship in half.
Thistlegorm sank quickly and suffered nine casualties out of the 42 men aboard. Five of the nine men who died were Royal Navy personnel who were manning the guns on the stern, close to the impact site. The death toll would probably have been higher had it not been that many crewmembers had been sleeping on deck because of warm weather.
The survivors were picked up by HMS Carlisle, a C-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy. For his actions, Thistlegorm’s Captain Ellis was later awarded an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire by King George VI. Crewmember Angus McLeay was awarded the George Medal and the Lloyds War Medal for Bravery at Sea after rescuing another crewmember from the burning ship.
From when the ship sank off the west coast of the Sinai Peninsula in the Straits of Gubal locals knew of its location but its “discovery” is credited to the famous under water explorer Jacque-Yves Cousteau. He recorded his visit to the wreck with a film in 1955 although it wasn’t until the 1990’s that the site became popular as a diving destination.
The Strait of Gubal is a body of water that connects the Gulf of Suez to the Red Sea. To the west is the Egyptian mainland and to the east is the Sinai Peninsula. Due to its geology, the average water depth of the Strait is only 80m, which is shallow compared to the majority of the Red Sea.
The dive team departed the Old Town port in Sharm-el-Sheikh on the dive boat “Lido” from the “Elite Diving” dive centre. Two dives are shown and are edited together.
The video shows descending to the wreck and along the port side to the stern. On decent to the wreck the first objects to be seen are the two tenders for the 8F locomotives still secured in their original position. One of the Stanier 8F locomotives can be seen near here. Also shown is penetration of the wreck to the Captain’s cabin and into holds 1,2 and 3. Hold number 4 was completely destroyed in the blast that destroyed the ship.
Of particular interest are the ranks of Norton 16H and BSA M20 motorcycles.
The wreck is broken into two pieces, with the stern over at 90 degrees, lying on its port side at 105 feet. The bow is in less deep water and sits upright at about 52 feet. The ship is absolutely packed tightly with vehicles, munitions, rifles, armoured vehicles, Bedford trucks, weapons, aircraft parts, motorbikes and other equipment.
Acknowledgement: -
Video was taken by Peter Stoton (Qualification: - Advance Open Water PADI).
All thanks go to Peter who has enthusiastically helped with the production and information for this WooWooMad video.