Wreck Site and Archaeological Remains:

Vertical Datum: LAT (1)(6)(7)
Quality of Depth: swept by wire sweep (1)(6)(7)

18-NOV-1920: Dangerous wreck in 51 25 33.0N, 000 39 27.0E. (1)(6)(7)

11-OCT-1924: Information received that wreck has been dispersed. (1)(6)(7)

28-OCT-1924: Area swept. Wreck lying heading SW with average depth of 38ft in vicinity with two obstructions, one at fore end and one at after end. (1)(6)(7)

28-SEP-1925: Area swept. Fouled at 32ft and 30ft cleared at 28ft. Bottom appears foul with wreckage, and inclined to silt. (1)(6)(7)

15-AUG-1927: Vessels cautioned against anchoring in Kethole Reach, as it is possible portions of wreckage may be embedded in the bottom. (1)(6)(7)

12-MAR-1991: Shown as stranded wreck 8.2m. (1)(6)(7)

Charted without qualification as HMS BULWARK. Seen to lie in Kethole Reach approximately a quarter of a [terrestrial] mile SE of the entrance to Stoke Creek, Stoke Ooze. (7)(8)

Wreck Event and Documentary Evidence:

15-NOV-1920: TYNE, ex. MARIOTIS. Iron steam storeship 3,560 tons, 320 x 34ft; 2 x 24pdr. Built by Armstrong, 1878, purchased March that year. Foundered in a gale off Sheerness while on the sale list. (2)

Photographs of draft press releases on Post Office Telegraphs-headed notepaper, and typeset article, as part of a set of Bedford Lemere photographs taken at the Morning Post offices on 16-NOV-1920.

BL25220/012 shows the full text, 25220/15 amended copy, and 25220/21 two versions as typeset.

BL25220/012 reads:

"Purchased forty-two years ago out of six million vote of credit at time of Russo-Turkish war and paid off last year and placed on sale list His Majesty's Ship TYNE has sunk at her moorings between Port Victoria and Chatham. TYNE was berthed alongside Battleship DOMINION when owing to south westerly gale and pressure on her side by a catamaran she sprang a leak, filled with water, & sank. There was no loss of life. TYNE was originally employed as troopship and thirteen years ago was converted into destroyer depot ship. Investigations will be made with view of raising TYNE. Battleship DOMINION has been moved to another buoy. Tyne's masts and funnel are visible. Sheerness.' (3)

The copy as typeset [BL25220/021] shows the headline: OLD WARSHIP SUNK, with subheader "Victim of the Recent Gales". (3)

BL 25220/031 shows the story as it appeared on page 3 of the Morning Post for 17th November, 1920, as in the Times article (4) below. (3)

'OLD WARSHIP SUNK.

'H.M.S. TYNE, purchased 42 years ago, and paid off last year and placed on the sale list, has sunk at her moorings between Port Victoria and Chatham.

'The TYNE was berthed alongside the battleship DOMINION where, owing to the south-westerly gale and the pressure on her side of a catamaran, she sprang a leak, filled with water, and sank. There was no loss of life. The TYNE was originally employed as a troopship, and 13 years ago was converted into a destroyer depot ship. Investigation will be made with a view to raising the vessel.' (4)

In his report of 14-DEC-1920 the Port of Medway harbourmaster described how the old merchant steamer TYNE was moored alongside a battleship at a buoy 400 yards downstream of HMS BULWARK. In a storm the steamer's side was pierced and she sank in 38ft of water at low tide. It was not known if she would be raised. (5)

Built: 1878 (2)
Builder: Armstrong (2)
Where Built: River Tyne (2)
Armament: 2 x 24pdr (2)
Owner: Royal Navy [all sources]

Date of Loss Qualifier: Actual date of loss

Historic England archve material (6)

<1> Hydrographic Office wreck index, Extracted 20-JAN-1993, Page Nos. N/a (Bibliographic reference). SKE6339.

<2> Ships of the Royal Navy vol.1 (Monograph). SKE6711.

<3> 2012, Oral information, correspondence (not archived) or staff comments (Verbal communication). SKE56315.

<4> Larn, Richard and Bridget, 1995, Shipwreck index of the British Isles, volume 2 : Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Sussex, Kent (Mainland), Kent (Downs), Goodwin Sands, Thames (Bibliographic reference). SKE31910.

<5> SeaZone Hydrospatial, 2018, Digital marine geographic information derived from SeaZone Hydrospatial (Digital archive). SKE55742.

<6> Historic England, Archive material associated with HMS Tyne (Archive). SKE56316.