W.R.S. STOTT (BRITISH, ACT. 1897-1934)

S.S. ‘Turakina’, S.S. ‘Beaverford’

Signed and dated ‘S. Stott 1944’ (lower left); original mount inscribed This Picture has been specially painted and presented to THE BRITISH SHIP ADOPTION SOCIETY To commemorate two of the adopted ships which went down gallantly fighting against tremendous odds. S.S. 'Turakina' Lost 20^th August 1940; S.S. 'Beaverford' Lost 5^th November 1940

Watercolour and gouache

20½ x 28½in. (52 x 72.5cm.)

Provenance: The Marine Society & Sea Cadets

Turakina was an 8,500 ton refrigerated cargo ship en route from Australia with frozen meat when, on 20 August 1940, she was intercepted by the German raider Orion in the Tasman Sea. Her single 4.7in. stern gun was no match for the six 5.9, one 3in. six AA and 6TT. She put up a spirited fight but within 20 minutes half Turkina's crew of 56 were killed or wounded and she was heavily on fire. Orion approached to within one mile and discharged two torpedoes, both of which hit and sent Turakina to the bottom within two minutes, along with Captain Laird and 33 officers and men, 21 survivors were picked up by the enemy; The 10,000 ton Canadian Pacific liner Beaverford was crossing the Atlantic in a homeward-bound convoy when it was attacked by the German pocket battleship Admiral Scheer on 5 November 1940. The auxiliary cruiser Jervis Bay engaged the raider to buy time for the convoy to scatter and indeed, most of the 37 ships escaped, however, Beaverford was overhauled and sunk with 77 crew including her captain, E. Pettigrew, among them.

Condition Report

Fine overall condition

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