Eldon Park

Last Updated on Wednesday, 19 May 2010 10:57

1940 - The Eldon Park, an armed steamship of 5000 tons, bound for Port Talbot from North Africa with a cargo of iron ore, struck a mine off Lundy. She headed for Port Eynon but could not get to shore and sank in the middle of the bay. With debris from the broken ship and in heavy seas the lifeboat had difficulty in approaching and was itself in danger much of the time but with skill and courage the 37 crew members were rescued in a little over eight hours.   The Coxswain, William Davies, was awarded the thanks of the RNLI on vellum and the owners of the Eldon Park sent a donation of 25 guineas for the lifeboat.  The wreck was officially notified as a danger to navigation in the Bristol Channel, but before she was broken up, the wreck was featured by the Ministry of Defence in one of its war information films. Some disposal work was finally carried out on the ship in 1949.  (Ref. 047)