Loss of the "Princess Victoria"

[matchmaker]

I've also posted this in "Books - what are you reading", but think it deserves a wider audience.

I've just read "Death in the North Channel", about the loss of the Irish Sea ferry "Princess Victoria" in January 1953. Absolutely harrowing read - 135 dead is still(I believe) the greatest peacetime loss of lives in British territorial waters. Only 44 survived, and there was not a single woman or child in that total.

I'd read about the disaster before, but it wasn't until I read this book that I discovered that the car deck was effectively open - the stern door was only about 5 feet high. Another fact that I didn't know - Princess Victoria only had W/T (Morse) radio equipment so could only directly contact the Coast Radio Station at Portpatrick and one of the rescuing destroyers. All the other vessels involved in the rescue including the two RNLI lifeboats had R/T (voice) radio equipment.

Edited by matchmaker on Wednesday 8th July 11:14

[Simpo Two]

Many other examples - eg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinking_of_SS_Prince...