Oh wow. It was such a tragedy. I've always loved reading the history surrounding the docks and the rail bridge and to see a relative of the crew commenting has blown me away.
I was intrigued that as well as the hulks that were deliberately grounded to shore up the banks, you were able to film the wrecks of the Arkendale H and Wastdale H, the two barges that missed the Sharpness lock entrance in fog, and were swept upstream onto the railway bridge piers. The collision and the conflagration of the barges oil cargo and the bridge's gas main fire caused the loss of 5 lives and of the bridge. I remember that event being a big item on the news in Bristol. I've also heard a talk about the commercial barge traffic by someone who was a crewman back then. Long ago I sailed a dinghy on those waters: the tidal current was fearsome.
MY cousin sailed on one of their sister ships - the Darleydale. Life was tough and dangerous on them
@Seth Stafford they were tankers the arkendale h and the wasedale h
My dad was the skipper on the arkendale at the time of the disaster
Oh wow. It was such a tragedy. I've always loved reading the history surrounding the docks and the rail bridge and to see a relative of the crew commenting has blown me away.
I was intrigued that as well as the hulks that were deliberately grounded to shore up the banks, you were able to film the wrecks of the Arkendale H and Wastdale H, the two barges that missed the Sharpness lock entrance in fog, and were swept upstream onto the railway bridge piers. The collision and the conflagration of the barges oil cargo and the bridge's gas main fire caused the loss of 5 lives and of the bridge. I remember that event being a big item on the news in Bristol. I've also heard a talk about the commercial barge traffic by someone who was a crewman back then. Long ago I sailed a dinghy on those waters: the tidal current was fearsome.
Thanks. The crewman would most likely have been Chris Witts, who is an author and very knowledgeable about the River Severn.
@@morturn You're probably right - I can't find a reference to the talk.