AH-WR-1866

HMT Bedfordshire

Armed Trawler · United Kingdom · Lost 1942 · The Outer Banks

A British armed trawler lost with all hands off Ocracoke in 1942; four of her crew rest in Ocracoke's British Cemetery.

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents.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

Historically Reconstructed. Drawn from partial documentation of this vessel together with her known class and configuration. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

HMT Bedfordshire was a British fishing trawler converted to an armed anti-submarine vessel and lent to the U.S. Navy in 1942. On May 11, 1942 she was torpedoed by U-558 off Ocracoke and sank with all hands. Four of her crew were later buried on Ocracoke in the British Cemetery.

Vessel

Built: 1935
Builder: Not established
Yard: Not established
Material: Steel
Length: Not established
Beam: Not established
Tonnage: Not established
Propulsion: Steam, single screw
Owners: Not established

Loss

Date: May 11, 1942
Cause: Enemy action
Location: Off Ocracoke Island
Water: Atlantic Ocean
Voyage: Not established
Cargo: Not established
Aboard: Not established
Lives lost: Lost with all hands.
Master: Not established

The Wreck Today

Depth: Not established
Condition: Not established
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: Not established
Protection: Not established

Position

Coordinates: Not established
Accuracy: Position not established
Nearest: Ocracoke, North Carolina
Region: The Outer Banks

Precise wreck position not taken into this record.

Evidence

Overall confidence: Documented (82/100)

The precise wreck position, depth and present condition are not established in this record.

NOAA Monitor National Marine Sanctuary, Battle of the Atlantic research
Vessel identity, attack, loss date and casualty account.
National Park Service, Cape Hatteras National Seashore
Vessel identity, stranding and rescue account.