Dredger · lost 1917 · Waterford, Ireland
George Milburn
Of the twelve men aboard the armed minesweeper George Milburn, only one lived: the blast hurled him clear into the sea, and a passing fishing boat later picked him up. She was a 37-metre steel steam trawler, built by R. Irvin & Son and converted for war service.
On 12 July 1917 she was escorting the oiler SS Wylie on the run from Queenstown to Milford when a mine from UC-42 went off amidships and tore her apart, killing eleven of her crew outright. She now lies broken in two at 23 metres, west of Hook Head in Waterford Harbour, and is a designated war grave.
- Type
- Dredger
- Lost
- July 12th, 1917Mine
- Casualties
- 11World War I
- Tonnage
- 235 GRT
- Length
- 37.31 m6.75 m beam
- Depth
- 23–30 m
- Location
- Waterford, IrelandCeltic Sea
2 of 7 facts above are cited in Sources below.
Deeper than 88 of the 185 wrecks on the map with a recorded depth.
History and LossLost July 12th, 1917 · Mine · World War I · Waterford, Ireland.
A mine from the German submarine UC-42, commanded by Otto Heinrich Tornow, went off amidships beneath HM Trawler George Milburn on 12 July 1917, while she was shepherding the oiler SS Wylie between Queenstown and Milford. The blast was devastating: of the 12 men aboard, 11 died at once. Only one came through, thrown clear into the sea by the explosion, and a fishing boat later rescued him.
Lost July 12th, 1917, Mine during World War I.
Condition of the WreckBroken, in 23–30 m.
Intactness
Lies in two pieces at 23m west of Hook Head in Waterford Harbour. DUSAC first dived the wreck in 2006 while on a trip to Fethard.
Notable Features
- Wreck in two pieces
- Sole survivor blown clear into sea by explosion
Regulations and RestrictionsWar grave.
This is a war grave, where human remains may be present. Protected wreck (over 100 years old) under the National Monuments Acts (National Monuments Service).
Additional Details12 further fields held for this wreck and not shown above.
- Builder
- R. Irvin & Son
- Loss date
- July 12th, 1917
- Conflict / event
- World War I
- Draught
- 3.76 m
- Latitude
- 52.13° N
- Longitude
- 6.93° W
- Water body
- Celtic Sea
- Protection regime
- Protected automatically under the National Monuments Acts 1930-2014: all wrecks over 100 years old in Irish waters are protected, and underwater archaeological objects are protected irrespective of age.
- War grave
- Yes
- Protected
- No
- Permit required
- No
- Condition
- Broken
Sources and VerificationEvery cited fact on this page traces to a published source.
- dusac.orgdusac.org · Secondary source7 facts
- Dunmore Anglingdunmoreangling.ie · Secondary source2 facts
- waterfordcouncil.iewaterfordcouncil.ie · Secondary source2 facts
- Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org · Background reading1 fact
Background reading is listed for context and is not counted as a citation for the facts above.
A further 5 fields were derived from the wreck’s recorded position rather than taken from a source.
Licences and credits for the open data used on this site are on the Attribution page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the George Milburn?
George Milburn is the wreck of a dredger, off Waterford, Ireland, at 30 metres. George Milburn struck a mine in 1917.
How deep is the George Milburn?
George Milburn lies at 23 to 30 metres, Waterford Harbour, west of Hook Head.
How did the George Milburn sink?
George Milburn struck a mine on July 12th, 1917 during World War I, off Waterford, Ireland. 11 people lost their lives.
Is the George Milburn protected?
Yes. George Milburn is protected: protected wreck (over 100 years old) under the National Monuments Acts (National Monuments Service). George Milburn is recorded as a war grave.