Monday 7 May 2012

S.S. Mentor




Owned by Ocean Steam Ship Co. (Alfred Holt), Liverpool (Blue Funnel Line). Built at Scotts S.B and E C Greenock. Launched 05/09/1914, 7585 grt, length 455.2 feet, breadth 56.2 feet

Lost May 28th 1942 to the U-106 by torpedo off Key West, Florida on route from New Orleans via Table Bay for India. Four engineers and three Chinese crew were killed when the torpedo struck on the port side wrecking and flooding the engine room. She was hit by a second torpedo which almost cut her in half, Captain A.Pope was in command. 

Lowry refers to ship in his short story 'Hotel Room In Chartres'. One of many ships referred to by Lowry that was wrecked.

There is no record that Lowry sailed on the ship. One of several Blue Funnel ships mentioned by Lowry in his work. Possibly he referred to the ship as a joke. Mentor was Odysseus's (Ulysses) trusted counselor. He was placed in charge of raising Telemachus when Odysseus went off to the Trojan War. He did an exceptional job as Telemachus grew up to be an almost perfect son - something not applicable to Lowry.

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