World War IDS Ymer

DS Ymer was sunk by the German U-boat UC-16 on January 23, 1917. Twelve crew members lost their lives in the shipwreck. The ship was en route from Santander to Middlesbrough, carrying iron ore. The crew members who boarded the starboard lifeboat were not found after the ship sank. The remaining survivors in the port lifeboat were rescued by a French rescue boat. However, the French ship encountered bad weather, leading to the death of six French rescuers during the journey to shore. The deceased sailors, later found, were buried alongside their French rescuers in Nevez. The gravestone (see photo below) bears the inscription (translated from French): “In memory of those lost from Ymer, January 28, 1917,” with the names, ages, and nationalities of the deceased.

The rescue operation with the port lifeboat is commemorated with a monument at the site. The monument was given as a gift from Norway to France in 1922. It was restored with contributions from Norway prior to the 100th anniversary in 2017. The monument is located on the right side of Rue des Iles road, just before Cap Raguénez in the small municipality of Nevez, Brittany. (Source: Sjøsjohistorie.no and Øystein Lillegaard, Report from the Norwegian Embassy in Paris)

Maritime enquiry:: Ymer

(Source: Sjøforklaringer over norske skibes krigsforlis, 1914-1918. B. 2 : 1ste halvaar 1917, via Nb.no)

Photo of the gravestone at the cemetery in Névez. (Photo: The Norwegian Embassy in Paris).