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The SS Commodore was built in 1870 by Wigham Richardson & Sons Ltd. in Newcastle upon Tyne, as yard number 62. She was constructed of iron and measured 66.9m (219.5feet) in length, 9.1m (29.9feet) in breadth and 5.1m (16.7feet) in depth. Commodore was of . She was fitted with a 95hp compound steam engine manufactured by R. & W. Hawthorn, Leslie and Company of Hebburn. Commodore was capable of 8.5kn.
Commodores original owner was Hall John and she sailed under a British registry. She remained in service with Hall John until 1878 and was sold to G.W. Ward in 1880. Ward sold her to Pyman, Bell & Co. in 1882.[1]
On the night of 7 November 1896 Commodore was carrying 1250LT of coal from West Hartlepool to London when she was blown into shallow waters off Sheringham, Norfolk.[1] [2] Local fishermen saw her predicament and rowed out to render assistance. At this point the wind picked up to gale force and the fishing boats were forced to withdraw, leaving three fishermen stranded aboard Commodore.[2] The weather was described as "very dirty and thick with rain" and Commodore was blown onto rocks.[2] [3] Her captain sent up distress rockets which attracted the attention of the Sheringham lifeboat, the Henry Ramey Upcher. The lifeboat safely took off Commodores 14-man crew and the stranded fishermen.[2]
The gale was described in newspaper reports as "a terrific storm [that] swept the east and south coasts of England". It also wrecked the schooner Tankerton Tower off Great Yarmouth, Norfolk; the schooner P. H. Dawson at Montfarville, in the English Channel, drowning her 12-man crew and forced the abandonment of the schooner Fern off Beachy Head (her crew being rescued by a passing steamer).[4]
In 1902 the wreck of the Commodore was declared a hazard to Sheringham's fishing fleet and it was blown up by Trinity House officials.[2] [5] The wreck lay largely buried in sand, with some parts protruding from the seabed, in shallow waters off Sheringham's 1936 lifeboat station until September 2021 when storms scoured away sediment and revealed more of the ship's structure. This was reported on 10 September 2021 by a snorkeller and member of the lifeboat crew.[2]