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On April 23rd 1947,my late father was on bad weather watch in the round house (see history)when he was informed that the Mumbles Lifeboat was on service to a vessel at Porthcawl what was to unfold that night went down in history as one of the worst sea disasters to hit South Wales.The Samtampa, a wartime liberty ship built in the United States was bound for Newport from Middlesborough. In a strong westerly gale she dropped anchors in Swansea Bay, but both cables parted. The weather had by then deteriorated into a hurricane.Oil was found on the windows of homes as far away as Cefn Cribwr Within twenty minutes the Samtampa was aground on the rocky ledges off Sker Point. She radioed that she was breaking up, pounded mercilessly by the waves. All efforts to reach her by rocket apparatus failed, and she was soon a total wreck.
The Mumbles lifeboat Edward Prince of Wales was launched and the crew drove on into the darkness of the bay.She had to return for more information as to the position of the Samtampa as there was no radioman on board, she then set back out this was the last time they were seen alive.
The following morning the Samtampa had broken into several pieces, and the lifeboat was found, bottom up, on the rocks not far away. The steamer had a crew of 39, the lifeboat eight, all were lost.
Between 1924 - 1947 the lifeboat had saved 129 lives
The crew of the Samtampa are buried at Nottage Cemetery
NOTE
See Pathe News web site for film of the morning after and also a news footage of her being broken up for scrap and taken away by Tank to the Steel Works.There is also a film called Dangerous Coast by Downwood film productions out on vhs video re-enacting that fateful night.
Mumbles Head with Port Talbot in the background
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