SS Scillin

History


Name:	H W Pellatt (1903–20) Memling (1920–24) Nicole le Borgne (1925–34) Giuliana Pagan (1934–35) Scillin Secundo (1935–37) Scillin (1937–42)
Owner:	Wm Petersen Ltd, Newcastle (1903–05) Canadian Lake & Ocean Nav Co, Newcastle (1905–11) Merchants Mutual Line, Newcastle (1911–17) Canadian Northern Steamships, London (1917–18) Canadian Seamship Lines, Montreal (1918–20) Société Belge d'Armament Maritime (1920–24) Cie. Charles le Borgne, Marseille (1925–34) Giuseppe Pagan, Venice (1934–35) Aurora SA di Nav, Genoa (1935–) Fratelli Bianchi Soc Di Nav, Genoa (–1942)
Port of registry:	Newcastle (1903–17) London (1917–18) Montreal (1918–20) (1920–24) Marseille (1925–34) Venice (1934–35) Genoa (1935–42)
Builder:	Russell and Company, Greenock, Scotland
Yard number:	511
Completed:	1903
Identification:	UK official number 114446 (1903–20) Italian official number 263 (1934–35) Italian official number 2019 (1935–40) code letters OURC (1925–33) call sign IOEK (1935–37) call sign IUFG (1937–42)
Fate:	sunk 14 November 1942
General characteristics
Displacement:	1,591 GRT 951 NRT
Length:	240.1 ft (73.2 m)
Beam:	36.8 ft (11.2 m)
Depth:	21.7 ft (6.6 m)
Installed power:	196 NHP
Propulsion:	3-cylinder triple-expansion steam engines; single screw
Speed:	11 knots (20 km/h)

SS Scillin was a 1,591 GRT cargo steamship that was built in Scotland in 1903, passed through a succession of owners of various nationalities and had a succession of different names. She was built as H. M. Pellatt but was successively called Memling, Nicole Le Borgne, Giuliana Pagan and Scillin Secondo before becoming Scillin in 1937.

By the time of the Second World War the ship was in Italian ownership. In 1942 a Royal Navy submarine sank her in the Mediterranean Sea when she was transporting over 800 Allied prisoners of war (POWs) from North Africa to Italy, killing nearly all of them. The United Kingdom kept the cause of her sinking secret until 1996, more than 50 years after the event.

Russell and Company of Greenock, Renfrewshire built the ship in 1903 as H. M. Pellatt for William Petersen Ltd of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. She had a three-cylinder triple-expansion steam engine built by David Rowan and Company of Glasgow. It developed 196 NHP and drove her single screw, giving her a speed of 11 knots (20 km/h).

The Canadian Lake and Ocean Navigation Co of Newcastle bought H. M. Pellatt in 1905 and sold her in 1911 to the Merchants Mutual Line, also of Newcastle. Canadian Northern Steamships of London bought her in 1917 and sold her in 1918 to Canada Steamship Lines Ltd of Montreal. In 1920 the Société Belge d'Armement Maritime bought the ship and renamed her Memling. In 1924 or 1925 the Compagnie Charles Le Borgne of Marseille bought the ship and renamed her Nicole Le Borgne. In 1934 Giuseppe Pagan of Venice bought the ship and renamed her Giuliana Pagan. In 1935 Aurora SA di Navigazione of Genoa bought the ship and renamed her Scillin Secondo. In 1837 the company shortened her name to Scillin. By 1941 she was owned by Fratelli Bianchi Societá Di Navigazione of Genoa.

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