Scarborough, 15 June 2024
Report by Dr David Pendleton
As part of the project that is investigating the minefield laid by the German light cruiser SMS Kolberg on 16 December 1914 between Cayton and Gristhorpe Bays, the Scarborough Sub Aqua Club have put together a multi-year dive programme, where known wrecks will be further investigated and the wrecks of five missing ships will be searched for.
The Banyers was lost on 6 January 1915, whilst engaged in minesweeping off Cayton Bay. Two men were killed when a mine destroyed the vessel in a matter of seconds.
The wreck of the The Banyers was discovered on 19 February 1973, 2.5 miles NNE of Filey Brigg, using a side scan sonar during a cable route survey. Initially, the wreck was thought to be that of the Bywell, but the wreck was formally identified as The Banyers when she was dived on by Pete Lassey of Scarborough Sub Aqua Club on 19 July 1984. The wreck lies at a depth of 36m, orientated NE/SW, upright and stands some 4m proud of the seabed. A maker’s plate was recovered from the seabed, along with 3” x 6" brass and glass porthole doors. In 2009 Carl Racey of Scarborough Sub Aqua Club reported on the condition of the wreck:
‘A fairly typical trawler standing very upright, ship shape and well covered with growth. She is quite intact from the stern to the rear of the forecastle and has many areas which are half full of silt and hiding much of the machinery. The engine and single boiler are still mostly decked over, as is the stern and amidships areas. There is a large trawl winch in front of the wheel house remains, and a little forward of what would have been the fish room. Here there is a lot of damage which seems to start more to the port side. There is some wreckage laying out on the seabed but no sign of the stem post, anchors or the bow winches. It looks highly likely that a section of the bow has been blown off and detached. A fairly large mark was sounded about 20m from the main wreck which is very likely to be the missing bow section!’
A dive on the wreck by Scarborough Sub Aqua Club on 15 June 2024 broadly correlated with Carl Racey’s report from 2009. The damage to the port bow appears to be where the mine struck the vessel. The 2024 dive may have discovered the stem post still in situ.
Matt Newsome wrote: ‘I was surprised just how intact the wreck was; aside from the mine damage of course. The plating around the engine has given way so you could get down the sides of the engine if you were careful. The damage at the bow is definitely worse on the port side. Another diver was convinced that he saw the anchor winch on the seabed at the bow section. We also both saw a long, curved bit of steelwork at a 45° angle to port sticking out of the seabed which we both think is the stem post.’
A drawing of the current state of the wreck was made and is reproduced below:
