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27 February 2012 Accessibility help Text only

BBC Homepage Home Surviving the South Atlantic Last updated: 22 June 2009 Catherine Thomas travelled the world with her ship's more from this section captain husband in the 1800s, then disaster struck their BBC Local History vessel, the . Maritime memories North West Wales Cathy Woodhead from Borth y Broadcasting Things to do Family history gest tells us how she stumbled Celtic heritage People & Places across the story. Nature & Outdoors People in History History Industrial heritage I was going through my mother, Jocelyn Greenway's things Religion & Ethics Telford's legacy and found a manuscript called 'The Wreck of the Criccieth The Romans Arts & Culture Castle', together with a letter from a Catherine Thomas of Black History Music Gorsannedd, Llangybi, . She was the wife of Captain World War II TV & Radio Abolition of slavery Robert Thomas. Restoration Local BBC Sites More treasures News My mother met her in 1958, perhaps as part of the Cape Useful links Sport Horners - an association for those who've sailed round Cape Weather Horn. In her letter, Catherine confirms the story which my related www links Travel mother must have written up after a conversation with her. Puffin's Log - Delfryn Publications Perhaps my mum meant it to be published by the Cape Hansard Neighbouring Sites Mid Wales Horners. more from North West North East Wales It's a fantastic story, and what's really amazing is that Wales Related BBC Sites Catherine was pregnant when they had to abandon ship. She Wales was also taking care of her four-year-old boy. Towns & Villages Cymru Your patch Gogledd Orllewin I think the story of the Wreck of the should Have your say or find out be made into a documentary or film, and with the 100th more about community life past and present. anniversary coming up in 2012 now is the time for plans to be made for this. About this site Newsletter My mother was a great writer and I've published a book of Keep up-to-date with her articles which describe our family's sailing adventures changes on the website every week. over the years called 'Puffin's Log'. Cathy Woodhead Food & Drink Read Catherine Thomas's story of survival in the South Full of flavour Atlantic. Is your favourite local Catherine's grand daughter looks back. produce or recipe in our guide?

Sardinia: Cymry yn 'ddiogel' Pontio: Dim prif weithredwr 27 February 2012 Accessibility help Text only

BBC Homepage Wales Home Surviving the South Atlantic Last updated: 01 May 2009 This is a tale told by the widow of Captain Robert more from this section Thomas who, in 1912, was Master of the Criccieth Castle BBC Local History on her last voyage round Cape Maritime memories North West Wales Horn. Broadcasting Things to do Family history Celtic heritage People & Places It was a happy crew that sailed on the good ship Criccieth Castles Nature & Outdoors People in History Castle from Ballistas, an outlying island off the coast of Peru, History Industrial heritage on June 10th, 1912. We were loaded with a valuable cargo of Religion & Ethics Telford's legacy guano, and were bound for Antwerp direct. The Romans Arts & Culture Black History Music On this occasion nothing unusual happened until we were World War II TV & Radio Abolition of slavery abreast of Valparaiso, when we encountered a very heavy Restoration Local BBC Sites south-west gale, which lasted for 48 hours, during which we More treasures News lost several new sails - literally torn to ribbons by the force of Useful links Sport the wind. Weather more from North West Travel The sky was still overcast, and the seas were running high, Wales when, on July14th at about 11pm a tremendous gale sprang Neighbouring Sites Mid Wales up from the north-west. At midnight all hands were called Food & Drink North East Wales out to reduce sail and the ship was hove-to. The gale Full of flavour steadily increased in violence, and there were mountainous Is your favourite local Related BBC Sites seas running. produce or recipe in our Wales guide? Cymru About two o'clock on the Monday morning, a tremendous sea Newsletter Gogledd Orllewin struck the ship. The noise was terrific, and I feared at first Sign up for weekly updates that we had struck a submerged wreck or an iceberg. Then it to find out what's new on was discovered that the rudder-stock was broken, and all the site.

attempts to repair it proved futile. Water began to rush into Useful links the vessel. Let us guide you The web at a glance for The chief officer reported that the ship was leaking badly all , Conwy and the way down the stern-post, and there was nothing to do Anglesey. but to man the pumps. But to our horror it was discovered that they were perfectly useless, having become choked with the guano. No amount of effort could clear them.

It was now evident that the ship would not stay afloat for very much longer, and if we were not all to go down with Sardinia: Cymry yn her, we must take to the boats. 'ddiogel' Pontio: Dim prif I had wrapped my little son in the warmest clothes he had, I weithredwr had also prepared myself as well as I could for what lay before us. My husband now placed us in our largest boat, the lifeboat, together with the sail maker, steward and the carpenter.

The violent motion of the little craft on the high sea that was running caused me to become very seasick, as I was in a delicate condition, and my little son and I lay helplessly at the bottom of the boat, submerged in icy-cold water up to our waists.

My husband placed the mate, Mr W A Gale, in charge of the longboat, with six of the crew, and he himself came aboard the lifeboat together with 10 seamen, making a total complement of 17.

We pushed off and pulled away, and when we last saw our gallant ship through the darkness she appeared like a huge living thing struggling for life, rolling and pitching violently with her decks aft nearly awash.

There were two kegs of water in the lifeboat, enough bread for 10 or 12 days and a case of tinned meat. The nearest point of land was the Falkland Islands 180 miles away, and we were all full of hope of reaching it.

By nine o'clock that night it was blowing a hurricane and the sea was running literally mountains high. In the darkness we lost sight of the longboat, but expected to see it next morning. However, when the dawn came, after a miserable and anxious night, the mate's boat was nowhere to be seen.

The sun had hardly risen, however, before our troubles were temporarily forgotten, for we caught sight of a big four- masted barque running before the wind under topsails and foresail. A blanket was quickly hoisted as a distress signal, and all hands raised a shout.

The barque drew steadily nearer, till she was only about a mile distant, and we could plainly see her men aloft getting in the upper topsails. We shouted and waved our garments, but the big vessel passed on unheeding. It is only charitable to suppose that we were not seen. Anyway, the barque gradually drew away and was lost to view.

The captain gets washed overboard. 27 February 2012 Accessibility help Text only

BBC Homepage Wales Home Survival in the South Atlantic Last updated: 01 May 2009

The horrors of the next few more from this section days can be better imagined BBC Local than described. At dusk, while History Maritime memories North West Wales it was still blowing a whole Broadcasting Things to do gale of wind, with a terrible Family history Celtic heritage People & Places sea running, we all began to suffer from delusions, Castles Nature & Outdoors apparently caused by the People in History History Industrial heritage intense cold. Religion & Ethics Telford's legacy The Romans Arts & Culture A remarkable fact about these delusions is that one and all of Black History Music us imagined we saw the same things at the same time. At World War II TV & Radio Abolition of slavery first we thought we were all safe on our ship. The sail-maker Restoration Local BBC Sites remarked gravely, "I am going to the galley for my coffee." More treasures News Another man said he was going for a walk on deck to take Useful links Sport the stiffness out of his legs. Weather more from North West Travel My husband had now been at the steering-oar since we left Wales the ship, and he stuck to this post for a whole week, with the Neighbouring Sites Mid Wales exception of a few hours' respite. Fortunately he now Useful links North East Wales managed to retain his reasoning powers, and was able to Let us guide you manoeuvre the boat with the steering-oar. If he had once let The web at a glance for Related BBC Sites it go for a moment our little craft would have got broadside Gwynedd, Conwy and Wales on to the tremendous seas which were running, which would Anglesey. Cymru have meant an instantaneous capsize. Activities Gogledd Orllewin Head for adventure At seven o'clock that night came the first tragedy - it was Your guide to pursuits on reported that one of the seamen had died. Ten minutes later mountains, rivers and at someone reported the steward as dead, and soon after came sea.

the tidings that the cabin steward had passed away. It In Pictures seemed that this was the beginning of the end. Slideshows Our A-Z takes in everything When Wednesday morning dawned we were, indeed, in a sad from aerial views to zoos. plight. Our bread had become soaked with sea water, and was like so much pulp. Our stomachs turned against the horrible stuff, and it only made us sick to eat it. Our stock of water, also, was getting very low. As a final piece of bad luck, we had been compelled to throw our case of tinned meat overboard to lighten our over-burdened craft in the heavy Sardinia: Cymry yn seas. 'ddiogel' Pontio: Dim prif At eight o'clock on the Wednesday, my husband was washed weithredwr clean overboard from his post at the steering-oar. The next sea that came along nearly threw the boat on top of my husband, but fortunately he managed to get one arm over the gunwale and the other arm through the lifeline. His hands were too badly frost-bitten for him to hang on by them, and at this critical moment they proved quite useless to him.

All the men were in the same cruel predicament; their hands frost-bitten, swollen out like puddings. None of them stirred to help the captain into the boat; they were so numbed and exhausted that they could hardly move. The second officer and I, however, appealed to them to make the effort, saying that unless he was saved none of us would ever get ashore.

After our appeal, the men gallantly came to his rescue, and by superhuman efforts managed to get him into the boat by clutching hold of him with their teeth and arms. Once onboard, they placed him face downwards on the oars, until he recovered from the shock, and once more resumed duty at the steering-oar.

Sometime during Friday night the gale moderated, and by four o'clock on Saturday morning the wind had dropped to such an extent that we were enabled for the first time to set a small jib on our craft.

At dawn on Saturday I was the first to sight land right ahead of us. This gave us fresh courage.

To our sorrow, we discovered that it was the uninhabited Beauchenes Islands, about 30 miles south of the Falklands. We were bitterly disappointed, needless to say, but set sail at once and made for the Falklands, and no one can imagine our jubilation when, about noon, we sighted our goal.

Finding the Falklands wasn't the end of the story. 27 February 2012 Accessibility help Text only

BBC Homepage Wales Home Surviving in the South Atlantic Last updated: 01 May 2009

At four o'clock in from this section afternoon we landed on a part BBC Local of the East Falklands, in a History Maritime memories North West Wales beautiful creek. Broadcasting Things to do Family history Celtic heritage People & Places The ground where we landed was covered with snow, and Castles Nature & Outdoors we fell upon our knees and People in History History Industrial heritage commenced sucking it, but Religion & Ethics Telford's legacy unfortunately it turned every The Romans Arts & Culture one of us sick. Then we discovered a pool of brackish water, Black History Music which we greedily drank. Finally we fell down, on the snow, World War II TV & Radio Abolition of slavery utterly exhausted, and remained there all night. Restoration Local BBC Sites More treasures News At daylight on Sunday my husband, accompanied by the Useful links Sport carpenter, the strongest man in the party went inland to look Weather for help. They had an exceedingly trying journey over the more from North West Travel rocky ground, and for most of the way they had to crawl Wales over the rough boulders on their hands and knees, their feet Neighbouring Sites Mid Wales being so numbed that they could not walk properly. Hall of Fame North East Wales Public life After great suffering, they managed to cover five miles, by Meet heroes and historic Related BBC Sites which time it was clear to them that we were on an figures raised in the region. Wales uninhabited part of the Falklands, where we could get no Cymru About this site help. Gogledd Orllewin Newsletter Keep up-to-date with About two o'clock that afternoon, a small coaster was sighted changes on the website in the offing, and my husband determined to try and catch every week. her. Preparations were at once made to embark, although we Your Say were much hampered by our weak condition. The wind was Talking points now blowing off the land, and we made good progress Share your views, gripes towards the distant sail. and passions and make your voice heard. But fate was against us once more. After sailing right out to sea for about an hour, we found it impossible to overtake the vessel, and had to abandon the effort. Worn out with toil, hunger and thirst, we now began to feel the effects of the brackish water we had drunk, and the snow we had eaten. Some of the men presented a terrifying appearance, foaming Sardinia: Cymry yn at the mouth like mad dogs. 'ddiogel' Pontio: Dim prif The wind was now fast increasing, and the sea rapidly rising. weithredwr When my husband ordered, "Out oars and pull for the shore," the men, with the little energy they had left, put out the oars, but failed to pull, having no feeling whatever in their hands, which had by this time swollen to three and four times their normal size.

After some time it became clear we were making no headway - were not even holding our own. Very soon the men became utterly exhausted; they could do no more. When morning dawned, things did not improve; if anything, they became worse, and I felt certain this must be our last day; we had reached the limit of human endurance.

The wind, however, had providentially changed round during the night, and shortly after daylight we found, to our intense delight, that, instead of being out of sight of land, we were only three or four miles from it.

We were now faced with a terrible alternative; either to drift ashore before the raging gale onto the cruel rocks, or set sail and try to weather a point of land about 15 miles away, where we should get a little shelter from the wind and raging sea.

Is rescue finally in sight? 27 February 2012 Accessibility help Text only

BBC Homepage Wales Home Surviving in the South Atlantic Last updated: 01 May 2009

My husband chose to set a more from this section course. Seeing that the men BBC Local were too weak to set up the History Maritime memories North West Wales mast, he decided to use the Broadcasting Things to do sprit of the sail as a mast, Family history Celtic heritage People & Places and this saved the situation. Castles Nature & Outdoors The boat's bow was turned People in History History Industrial heritage towards the headland, and Religion & Ethics Telford's legacy she began to edge away from The Romans Arts & Culture the danger. Black History Music World War II TV & Radio Abolition of slavery After sailing for some three or four hours we sighted the Restoration Local BBC Sites wireless poles of Port Stanley, and about noon came into More treasures News view of the lighthouse of Cape Pembroke. The gale was still Useful links Sport raging, and our difficulty was to find a spot where we could Weather land safely. It almost looked as if at the last moment we more from North West Travel should be lost, just as a haven of refuge came in sight. Wales Neighbouring Sites Mid Wales The coast here is very treacherous, studded with dangerous Entertainment North East Wales rocks, and we were absolutely at the mercy of the wind and Days and nights out waves. Presently we were driven close in shore, and my Find events for all ages, Related BBC Sites husband ordered out the oars, though the men had little indoors and out, all year Wales strength left to manipulate them, and steered for a small round. Cymru creek at the base of the cliffs on which the lighthouse stood. Towns & Villages Gogledd Orllewin Your patch A wave caught us, and landed us upon a shoal, where we Have your say or find out were nearly swamped, but a second wave carried us over this more about community life reef, and deposited the boat right against the rock where the past and present.

lighthouse met land. Weather What's forecast? At that moment one of the keepers jumped into our craft and Check out today's weather quickly made it fast, and then he and his assistant dragged conditions for North West us out of the boat, one at a time, as opportunity occurred. Wales. Then they carried us bodily - we could not stand, let alone walk - over the rocks up to their tower.

First they took my little son and me, and put us in a big room, lit a blazing fire, and gave us hot coffee to drink and Tai Hanesyddol bread and butter to eat. Oh, the delights of the warmth and O blastai crand i ffermydd the good food! gwledig, camwch dros drothwy rhai o dai mwyaf hanesyddol yr ardal Meanwhile, the lighthouse keeper had telephoned to Port Stanley and the governor ordered the Government launch to proceed to the lighthouse, bringing a plentiful supply of warm clothing and blankets, to take us back to Port Stanley.

The doctor cut our clothes off with a knife, for they had literally frozen to our poor bodies. My little son's feet had swollen to such an extent that they had burst through his boots, and when the doctor had cut away the leather he remarked that the little lad might have to lose his feet, as he feared blood poisoning.

To our great delight circulation returned during the night, and the little chap's feet were saved.

As soon as we had been dressed in warm clothing and wrapped in blankets, we were carried down to the launch, and at half-past eleven that night, were put to bed in the hospital at Port Stanley.

Here we remained for several weeks and finally returned home by the steamer Oropesa to Liverpool. Until he reached home, my little son was not able to put his feet to the ground and walk.

A Board of Trade inquiry was held to inquire into the loss of the ship, and my husband was completely exonerated from all blame, and congratulated on our wonderful and miraculous escape. Catherine Thomas

Cathy Woodhead adds: In May this year I managed to get into contact with Sylvia, the granddaughter of Catherine and Robert Thomas. Robert Thomas died in July 1917 at the age of 38 years whilst on active service in the North Sea during World War I.

The young boy who survived the wreck was called Robert (Bobby) and he died in September 1933, drowned at Antwerp at the age of 25 years.

The baby who was born two months after the ordeal in the open boat was a little girl they called Mercy Malvina and she was the mother of Sylvia. Robert and Catherine had another son called Kelvin who died in 1961.

Back to the beginning. Read Sylvia's story. 27 February 2012 Accessibility help Text only

BBC Homepage Wales Home The Criccieth Castle Last updated: 22 June 2009 Sylvia Swainson, formerly of , is proof that the family did indeed survive the perilous journey. As a direct more from this section descendant, she tells us of her own journey to the Falklands.

BBC Local History Maritime memories North West Wales My mother was Mercy Malvina, named Broadcasting Things to do after the Malvinas, or Falkland Islands. Family history Celtic heritage People & Places She was the baby my grandmother was expecting during the near-disaster. Castles Nature & Outdoors People in History History Industrial heritage I grew up with the story because my Religion & Ethics Telford's legacy grandmother was alive until the 1970s The Romans Arts & Culture and she eventually came to live with us. Black History Music I remember sitting on her knee while World War II TV & Radio Abolition of slavery she told me about visiting Singapore Restoration Local BBC Sites and Peru and seeing waves as high as More treasures News skyscrapers. Useful links Sport Weather My grandmother went round the world more from North West Travel three times. It must have been an amazing life. I know she Wales suffered bad frostbite after the rescue, but she never went Neighbouring Sites Mid Wales into how it felt. Her stories were never unhappy, but always Hall of Fame North East Wales full of adventure. Public life Meet heroes and historic Related BBC Sites As a young child you can't comprehend all that and, in figures raised in the region. Wales retrospect, I wished I'd listened more carefully. But from Cymru Activities when I was 19, I went to work with airlines and travelled the Gogledd Orllewin Head for adventure world, I think because I'd grown up hearing so many stories Your guide to pursuits on about travelling, I wanted to see the world too. mountains, rivers and at sea. My sister actually went to nurse on the Falklands and met Sport her husband there. He was in the RAF. Eye on the ball Find out where you can I managed to go to the Falklands myself a few years ago. watch or get involved in The curator of the islands' museum met us and she was in sport. tears because she knows the story so well.

She took us to the Pembrokeshire Lighthouse where they were eventually rescued; she thinks she's tracked down the exact spot where the lifeboat hit the rocks. Tai Hanesyddol O blastai crand i ffermydd We all know what the coast is like, but this was gwledig, camwch dros a hundred times worse; it's so rocky and rough. I have no drothwy rhai o dai mwyaf hanesyddol yr ardal idea how they ever survived.

She also took me to the convalescent home where my grandparents and uncle Robert stayed for about nine weeks. Even though it's now government offices, the building hasn't really changed.

Unfortunately, the lifeboat disintegrated about ten years ago. I don't think the museum had enough money to look after it. But they've got the boat's badge with its name on it. One of the islanders who remembered the rescue had appropriated it, but when he was an old man he felt very guilty and gave it to the museum.

It was so emotional to go back and see all the little bits and pieces which tie up the story.

I think it would make a great film. It's quite a romantic story of survival and shows the life north Wales merchant sailors and their families led in those days.

There was only a month between the sinking of the Criccieth and the Titanic, so I think this story got a bit forgotten in all the press about the Titanic, but I think it deserves to be told.

It will be the centenary of both survival stories in 2012, so that would be a great time to make a film or documentary about it.

I cannot get over the amount of strength they must have had. For my grandfather to be able to steer towards land, and haul himself out of the sea - how do you get over the fear of the sea after something like that?

Catherine Thomas's adventures on the high seas.