1. Home
  2. SAN CIRILO

SAN CIRILO

Submitted by Kees Helder on Thu, 01/05/2017 - 16:34
About

Completed 1937 as "SAN CIRILO" for Eagle Oil. 21-3-1942 heavily damaged by a Japanese submarine torpedo attack south of Ceylon (Sri Lanka). She managed to reach port and was repaired. 1955 Sold to the Price Soc. per Asioni di Nav, Italy. Renamed Sportivo, 1957 converted to a bulk carrier. 1971 scrapped La Spezia.

Also known as
Sportivo
IMO number
5337018
Call sign
893
Construction number
893
Tonnage
12.000 ton
Beam
18m
Length overall
134m
Year of construction
1937
Year of renaming/broken up
1971
Service for Shell
1937 to 1955
Cargo
Crude and white oil products
Class
San (Eagle Oil)
Flag state
Great Britain
Home port
London
Manager
The Eagle Tanker Company Ltd
Shipyard
Lithgows Shipbuilding Port Glasgow Scotland
Status
Sailing / Sailed for The Eagle Tanker Company
Related tankers
SAN ADOLFO
SAN ALBERTO
SAN ALVARO
SAN AMADO
SAN AMBROSIO
SAN ARCADIO
SAN CALISTO (1)
SAN CASIMIRO
SAN CIPRIANO
SAN CONRADO (1)
SAN DELFINO
SAN DEMETRIO
SAN ELISEO
SAN EMILIANO (1)
SAN ERNESTO (1)
SAN VELINO
SAN VENANCIO
SAN VERONICO
SAN VICTORIO
SAN VIRGILIO
SAN VITO
SAN VULFRANO
Photo(s)

Comments

Submitted by Ken Gifford on Tue, 02/24/2009 - 10:30

Submitted by Jim Rollinson on Wed, 05/13/2009 - 17:21

Submitted by Nicky Hillis on Mon, 09/21/2015 - 15:29

Submitted by Desmond Doyle on Sat, 12/31/2016 - 09:33

Submitted by M West on Tue, 01/30/2018 - 02:36

Submitted by Nicky Hillis on Thu, 06/15/2023 - 16:59

Sailors

Name Job Period Details
Frederick John ... able seaman 1941
William Haggart chief engineer 1941 1st trip
Charles Kingdon Royal Navy dems rating (gunner) 1941 to 1942
James Horden Wright chief steward 1943
Joseph Desmond ... able seaman 1947 to 1948
Des Comway able seaman 1949
Ronald Squire junior engineer 1949 to 1951
Robin Scriven Martin assistant steward 1949 assistant steward/messroom steward
Geoffrey Nicks deck boy 1951 first trip 1951
Thomas Japheth junior engineer 1953
Desmond Doyle chief officer 1954 to 1955
Nicky Hillis able seaman 1954 to 1955
Jim Rollinson engineer 1955
Tom Grieves 2nd mate 1955 to 1956
Bob Palfreman assistant steward 1955

Anecdotes

Date Visitor Anecdote
06/15/2023 - 16:59 Nicky Hillis

I have many photos from the San Cirilo 1954 / 55 that my father and his crew mates took including the day of the boiler explosion .
nickybangor@hotmail.co.uk
01/30/2018 - 02:36 M West

I believe my uncle,William West, was tragically lost on the San Cirilo (my late father's twin brother). I would like to know if anyone knows of him.
12/31/2016 - 09:33 Desmond Doyle

21/3/42 - Heavily damaged by a Japanese submarine torpedo attack south of Ceylon (Sri Lanka). She managed to reach port and was repaired. 1955 Sold to the Price Soc. per Asioni di Nav, Italy. Renamed Sportivo, 1957 converted to a bulk carrier.
09/21/2015 - 15:29 Nicky Hillis

My dad William Robert Hillis [ Robin ] served on the San Cirilo and was on the trip when the boiler explosion occurred , he spoke at length of the aftermath and clearing up the bodies and then stitching closed the body bags most of the poor souls had literally been boiled alive . He received an allowance from the company for quite some time afterwards for his endeavours after this incident .
05/13/2009 - 17:21 Jim Rollinson

I boarded San Cirilo along with two other engineers from TES Thalamus after the boiler explosion aboard Cirilo in the South Atlantic in April 1955. Only the Chief Engineer and two firemen had survived the explosion. We made the necessary repairs and sailed the ship into Trinidad. The Chief and I took a watch of 6hours and the 3rd engineer (who I think was Thomas Pursey from the North East) and the 5th from Thalamus did the other watch all over a period of three days.
Thalamus stood by until we approached Trinidad and then sailed on to Curacao. After one night in Trinidad we flew to Curacao to rejoin Thalamus. We then sailed for Punta Cardon to load then the long trip to Singapore via Durban
The cause of the explosion was a badly leaking condenser feeding salt water into the boiler.
02/24/2009 - 10:30 Ken Gifford

While in Shell tanker "Neocardia" in the mid 1950s we were informed of a boiler explosion on Eagle Oil tanker "San Cirilo". Does anyone know of this incident?