AH-WR-1222

HMHS Letitia

Hospital Ship · United Kingdom · Lost 1917 · Nova Scotia & Sable Island

The hospital ship Letitia ran aground off Halifax in 1917 carrying 546 wounded soldiers, all of whom were safely rescued.

Become Captain of Record See Shipwreck on Map

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents. See the documented evidence.

Documented Likeness. Drawn from surviving builder's plans or clear photographs of this vessel. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

Built in 1912 for the Donaldson Line, Letitia was requisitioned as a First World War hospital ship carrying wounded Canadian soldiers home from Europe. On 1 August 1917, approaching Halifax in dense fog with 546 wounded aboard, she ran aground on rocks at Portuguese Cove. A large-scale rescue effort by nearby boats evacuated every wounded soldier, crew member and medical staffer safely before the ship was declared a total loss.

Vessel

Built: 1912
Registry: Official number 133033
Builder: Scott's Shipbuilding & Engineering Co.
Yard: Greenock, Scotland
Material: Steel
Length: 470 ft
Beam: 56.75 ft
Tonnage: 8991
Propulsion: Steam, twin screw, triple expansion engines
Owners: Donaldson Line, requisitioned by the British Admiralty and placed under Royal Canadian Naval Medical Services

Loss

Date: August 1, 1917
Cause: Grounding
Location: Portuguese Cove, Halifax Harbour approach
Water: Atlantic Ocean, Halifax Harbour approach
Voyage: Liverpool, England → Halifax, Nova Scotia
Cargo: Not established
Aboard: 757
Lives lost: 0
Master: Not established

The Wreck Today

Depth: Not established
Condition: Most wreckage lies at a depth of about 30 to 40 metres and remains a popular dive site
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: Not established
Protection: Not established