APRIL 2010

RMS Laurentic - Gun Unveiled

A gun from the RMS Laurentic which sank in Lough Swilly in January 1917 was recently unveiled at Downings Pier.

The gun was raised in September 2007 by a group of Downings divers and was one of two bow guns belonging to the ship which sank during World War One while on journey from Liverpool to Halifax, Canada to purchase munitions.

It is understood that the ship sank following a brief stop in Buncrana after running into a recent minefield laid out by a German Submarine. The ship which was originally a luxury passenger cruise liner had been converted into an auxiliary armed cruiser was understood to be carrying 35 tons of gold ingots valued at £5million (£250million in today's gold market).

A major salvage operation was launched in Lough Swilly between 1917 & 1924 to recovered the lost gold. An amazing 3186 gold bars were found and 5 more were recovered in 1932 by another salvage operation. It is thought that some 20 gold bars are still missing on the sea bed of Lough Swilly.

Of the 722 crew aboard The Laurentic it is not clear how many actual survivors there were. Almost half the crew were drowned at sea whilst others died of exposure to the bitter January weather. A number of those who died are buried in Inishowen graveyards at Fahan and Cockhill.

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