46745: SS Vine Branch

Originally the SS Imperialist, built in Sunderland in 1898, the ship was soon renamed the SS Clan Shaw. On its sale to the Nautilus Steam Shipping Company, it was renamed the SS Vine Branch. 

On 6th April 1917, en route between Chile and Liverpool with a cargo of nitrates, the ship was torpedoed to the south west of Ireland, with the loss of 44 lives. The official date of loss is recorded as 11th April.

More information can be found on a website detailing the loss of an able seaman from the ship, and the position of the attack is detailed on this website, dedicated to the history of German U-boats.