Alkimos Ship Wreck

Statement of Significance

The SS Alkimos Wreck has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons: The wreck has strong associations with the Alkimos community as the namesake of the suburb. The ship is significant for the folklore that surrounds its demise and the popular belief that the ship is haunted and was inherently ill-fated. As a marker for its resting place and as the roost of seabirds the visible remains of the Alkimos adds character to the open and picturesque seascape of the coast. It is representative of the many ships that have been wrecked on the Western Australian coast since 1622 and as such underlines the dangers and difficulties of maritime navigation on this coast. The wreck is strongly associated with decorated war veteran, diver, author, musician and celebrity Jack Wong Sue OAM. As a Liberty Ship it is significant as part of the largest production run of ships ever achieved and representative of the shift from riveted construction to prefabricated and welded shipbuilding. The SS Alkimos has the potential to reveal information on the construction and use of Liberty Ships. As the SS Viggo Hansteen the ship carried general cargo, food, troops, weapons, vehicles, rail engines, explosives and aircraft across the Atlantic, North Sea, Mediterranean and Persian Gulf in a role crucial to the Allies’ war effort. IMPORTANCE IN DEMONSTRATING THE EVOLUTION OR PATTERN OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA’S HISTORY The SS Alkimos wreck is representative of the 1629 documented shipwrecks along the Western Australian coast since 1622. It demonstrates the dangers of maritime navigation of the Western Australian Coast through challenging weather and geography with sometimes catastrophic results. IMPORTANCE IN DEMONSTRATING RARE, UNCOMMON OR ENDANGERED ASPECTS OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA’S HERITAGE The SS Alkimos is not rare as a shipwreck on the Western Australian coast but the associated folklore surrounding its misfortunes in Western Australian waters and the paranormal stories that have surrounded its wrecking and disintegration are uncommon. POTENTIAL TO YIELD INFORMATION THAT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO AN UNDERSTANDING OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA’S HISTORY The SS Alkimos shipwreck has the potential to add to information regarding the construction and use of Liberty ships and their usage after the Second World War. It has potential to contribute to understanding wrecking and salvage operations on the Western Australian coast. The wreck continues to contribute to our understanding of Western Australian maritime history. ITS IMPORTANCE IN DEMONSTRATING THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A BROADER CLASS OF PLACES; The SS Alkimos is representative of the many ships that have been wrecked along the Western Australian coast since 1622 and demonstrates the difficulties of navigating this hazardous coastline. ANY STRONG OR SPECIAL MEANING IT MAY HAVE FOR ANY GROUP OR COMMUNITY BECAUSE OF SOCIAL, CULTURAL OR SPIRITUAL ASSOCIATIONS; The wreck has strong associations with the Alkimos community as the namesake of the suburb. The wrecking of the SS Alkimos is strongly associated with a belief that the ship was haunted and was jinxed. ITS IMPORTANCE IN EXHIBITING PARTICULAR AESTHETIC CHARACTERISTICS VALUED BY ANY GROUP OR COMMUNITY; The engine stack appearing above the water in the sea off Shorehaven Beach is a contrasting element in the open expanse of sea. As a marker for the resting place of the SS Alkimos and as the roost of seabirds it adds character to the open and picturesque seascape of the coast. ANY SPECIAL ASSOCIATION IT MAY HAVE WITH THE LIFE OR WORK OF A PERSON, GROUP OR ORGANISATION OF IMPORTANCE IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA’S HISTORY The wreck is strongly associated with decorated war veteran, diver, author, musician and celebrity Jack Wong Sue OAM. ITS IMPORTANCE IN DEMONSTRATING A HIGH DEGREE OF CREATIVE OR TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT As a former Liberty Ship, the SS Alkimos was part of the largest production run of ships in shipbuilding history and is representative of significant changes in ship construction during the Second World War through prefabrication and welding rather than riveting.

Physical Description

Original Liberty ships were an overall length of 441 ft 6 inches (134.5 metres) were 57 ft wide (17.3 metres) and had a draft of 27ft 8 inches (8.4 metres). Weight was 10,865 tons (9856.5 tonnes). They had a triple expansion steam engine and boilers based on a Babcock and Wilcox design already in use by the US Navy. Both engine and boilers were old designs to help facilitate ease of manufacture across various US engineering companies. The Alkimos (and its former identities) is reported to have undergone several changes that slightly lengthened the ship. Part of the engine stack is all that can be seen of the Alkimos above water. It is located approximately 320 metres off Shorehaven Beach. However, there is still much material including the aft and forward peak ballast tanks, cargo holds 2 and 3, deep tanks 1 and 2, the funnel, shaft tunnel, davit mount and other steel material collapsed onto the sea bed – more than enough to show the shape and substance of the ship. The City of Wanneroo has built a viewing station on the shore at the end of Shorehaven Boulevard and opposite the visible engine stack with interpretation of the history and significance of the wreck.

History

Assessment: 2021 Architect/designer: Kaiser Shipbuilding Company USA Builder: Maryland Bethlehem Fairfield Shipyards USA Launch date: 1943 Wreck date: 2 May 1964 Other Names: SS George M Shriver; SS Viggo Hansen The SS Alkimos began its service life as a ‘Liberty’ ship built in the Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyards in Baltimore Maryland on the Baltimore harbour in 1943. The ship was launched on the 11th October as the George M Shriver, named after a deceased member of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroads Board of Directors. Liberty ships – with the design classification EC2 - emerged as primarily welded and prefabricated naval freighters developed to meet the needs of both the USA and Britain to transport sea cargo during the Second World War. Britain particularly needed ships to replace the many it had lost to enemy action. Liberty ships were part of the first industrial attempts to speed up the manufacture of ships by welding steel rather than riveting. The George M Shriver was part of the largest production run of ships ever attempted which saw an average of 3 ships completed every 2 days between 1941 when the first ships were manufactured until 1945 when the war ended, and production ceased. Liberty ships were so named as those sailing under the US flag were part of the ‘Liberty Fleet’ a name cemented in a ceremony on Liberty Fleet Day 27th September 1941. This was reported nationwide in the USA where in news articles the ‘Liberty Fleet’ was transformed to ‘Liberty Ships’. 2710 were completed and over 2400 survived the war. After the war over 830 were sold off to private interests, many to Greek and Italian shipping entrepreneurs. During the war, Liberty ships were supplied to allied countries on a bare boat out/time -charter-back agreement where the charterer had financial and legal responsibility for the vessel and provided crew and all sailing requirements but returned the boat to the US after use. Shipping under this agreement was more advantageous to the US as allied crews on liberty ships were often more inexpensive than those with US crews decreasing overall freight costs during the war. At its launch the George M Shriver was already earmarked to be delivered to the Norwegian Shipping and Trade Mission (Nortraship) which was operated by the Royal Norwegian government in exile. This ship was part of four liberty ships Nortaship took charge of the time to replace those lost during the war. Nortraship freighters staffed by Norwegian crew joined allied merchant shipping and the convoys essential to transport food, troops, weapons, machinery and explosives for the war effort. At launch, Nortraship had already decided to rename the ship the Viggo Hansteen after a Norwegian lawyer and trade union organiser who had been executed in 1941 by the German occupiers of Norway. Christening of the George M Shriver was carried out by French Shriver the granddaughter of George Shriver. French later asked that she was kept abreast of news about ‘her ship’ and communicated regularly with the Norwegian Captain of the Viggo Hansteen, Thorbjorn Thorsen who was also present at the launch. Once handed over to Nortraship and after fitting out and sea trials the ship was renamed the Viggo Hansteen. Thorsen had apparently recommended the name. Thorsen was a very experienced mariner and late captain of the ocean liner Stavangerfjord. The Viggo Hansteen was armed with two 75 mm guns and a 127 mm low angle gun - ostensibly for dealing with surfaced submarines. Also, eight close range 20mm anti-aircraft guns. The ship’s complement of 48 included 7 gunners who were usually naval personnel but attached to the merchant fleet. Barrage balloons and kites were also part of Liberty Ship defences but there are no reports of the ship resorting to these. Liberty ships were powered by vertical triple expansion steam engines that had either oil or coal fired boilers. Most delivered to Britain and other allied countries were coal fired as Britain had large coal reserves but no oil. The Viggo Hansteen was coal fired and it was complained that the quality of the coal it received was variable and often created too much smoke visible to enemy aircraft. From the launch to 1945 the ship participated in approximately 23 escorted convoys and approximately 27 independent voyages in the Atlantic and Mediterranean delivering goods as far as Bandar Shahpur (Now Bandar Khomeini) in Iran. Freight was varied but included general military cargo, troops, prisoners of war, assault gliders, explosives, locomotives, and occasional passengers to various allied countries including Russia. Convoys in which the Viggo Hansteen participated were attacked and the ship engaged in action although it was apparently never directly damaged. In one convoy (UGS47) it had the honour of being appointed flagship for the convoy both ways across the Mediterranean. Mrs Viggo Hansteen was apprised of this honour and generally of the ship’s fortune during the war. In August 1944 tragedy shadowed the Viggo Hansteen. The ship had reached the Italian port of Piombino (from Naples with convoy VN 56) on the 3 August with a cargo of explosives. These were loaded into DUKWs over the next days – the ship left Piombino on the 18th of August. On the 14th of August after shore leave and heavy drinking the ship’s gunnery officer Anker Kristiansen shot 2nd Radio Officer Maude Steane through the temple killing her. He then turned the pistol on himself. The bodies were discovered in Kristensen’s cabin. It was presumed that Kristiansen had been propositioning Steane who had rejected his advances. As the ship was moving at the time the shots were unheard. Maude Steane was one of several Canadian Radio Operators on Norwegian freighters – mostly because Norwegians (and Danish) ships were the only allied ships that allowed women in merchant navy roles. An inquiry into the apparent murder-suicide was conducted by the Norwegian Consul Cyril T Klingenberg – based in Naples and the Nortaship representative. There was no indication of the manner of Maude’s death in the Canadian press – only that she had died on duty. Both Maude Steane and Anker Kristiansen are buried in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Florence War Cemetery – interestingly - side by side. This tragic incident is a possible touchstone for later folklore regarding the ship as haunted or unlucky. In 1945 the exploits of the ship were the subject of verse in the “The Four Ladies: the saga of the most remarkable and extraordinary voyage of the good ship Viggo Hansteen” by Ethel Rusk (sister of the future US Secretary of State Dean Rusk), Jean Wieber, Vera Gandy and Liesel Vierkus. Passengers on a voyage from Wales to Massachusetts the “Four Ladies” poem relates the adventures of their journey and the initial horror of the Captain (Thorsen) of women passengers on the freighter. He apparently thawed out as the ‘ladies’ won him over. On its last voyage of the war the Viggo Hansteen was cheered by waiting crowds as it steamed into Bergen, Norway. The ship was then sold to S Ugelstad, an Oslo based Norwegian Shipping company and carried goods across the globe. This included New Zealand where in 1952 it was slightly damaged after running aground near the Moeraki Lighthouse – an incident that also contributed to the mythology that the ship was jinxed. In 1953 the ship was sold to the Faros Shipping Company of London established by shipping entrepreneur Michael Xylas in 1949. The Viggo Hansteen was considered a significant acquisition for the company which renamed the ship Alkimos meaning ‘strong’ in Greek. It was placed under a Costa Rican flag until 1959 when, in response to Greek government efforts to improve the national shipping register, it took the Greek flag. March 1963 saw the Alkimos on a voyage from Jakarta to Bunbury where it ran aground on the reefs of Beagle Island 15 Kilometres northwest of Leeman on the Western Australian coast. After an anxious but very professional salvage operation managed through Lloyds it was released and towed to Fremantle for repairs to a badly damaged propellor. Alkimos Chief Officer Haralampos Hadzialexiou was later fined in a Perth court for giving false evidence to an inquiry about the grounding and falsifying naval charts. While in Fremantle during April there was a fire on board which created some damage. A dispute over the payment of repairs developed and the ship was placed under arrest. Shipping agents claimed £12,000 which was apparently settled before the ship left port on 30 May 1963 towed by the tug Pacific Reserve with the destination of Hong Kong. A dispute over tug crew working conditions delayed leaving and the Alkimos was caught in an 80 kmph gale on May 31st. The tow line snapped allowing the ship to be blown to shore through a gap in the reef at Eglington Rocks on to the beach. The damage was ascertained as ‘not bad’ and Customs kept a watch on the vessel. The Pacific Reserve left the stranded ship and returned from Fremantle mid-June to attempt salvage. This failed due to heavy seas that also further damaged the Alkimos. Three attempts to re-float the vessel over the next weeks failed and were then abandoned. Seawater was let into the stranded ship through holes cut in the side so that it settled and stabilised. Caretakers were placed onboard while the ships owners decided on a salvage plan. Unfortunately, the caretaker’s wife went into premature labour while on board and the newborn died before they could get to medical help. In late January 1964 the seagoing tug Pacific Star arrived in Fremantle from Manilla to attempt to salvage the Alkimos and tow the ship to the Philippines. In a courageous and difficult salvage operation the Pacific Star re-floated the Alkimos and began towing it up the coast. On 21st February the Pacific Star was boarded by armed police from the vessel Aurora Australis and the tug seized. The Alkimos was placed at anchor near Eglington Rocks and the Pacific Star escorted to Fremantle. The Bank of America National Trust and Savings Association had served a writ for £60,500 on the tug’s owners. In August 1964 ownership of the tug was given to the Bank. The original owners of the tug appealed and lost. In September the Pacific Star captain and crew issued a writ against the tug claiming wages. In a situation worthy of a good cinema farce the Pacific Star was released on 23 September and then rearrested in the same day. It was finally released for work on the WA coast in November. Meanwhile the Alkimos had broken its moorings in May and had been driven by storms on to the beach again becoming a well-known seaside celebrity with many making the journey from Yanchep to the coast through sandhills to picnic and view the stranded vessel. The owners sold the ship for scrap. In 1969 during cutting-up a fire broke out on board and workers abandoned the ship. The Alkimos subsequently had several owners who gradually reduced the ship for scrap. What eventually remained began to disintegrate through weather and corrosion. On the 26 May 1967 the suburb of Alkimos was created as part of the City of Wanneroo appositely named after the wrecked freighter. The place is visited by divers and charter boats and considered an ‘average’ dive site due to underwater visibility problems on occasions. It is only recently that the ship has been considered safe for diving due to a disintegrating and unstable structure which has now stabilised. A commemorative structure at the corner of Marmion Avenue and Shorehaven Boulevard acknowledges the SS Alkimos as the district’s namesake and the history of connections between the wreck and the suburb. FOLKLORE There is considerable folklore attached to the Alkimos mostly surrounding the presence of ghosts and that the ship is jinxed or brings misfortune. The story of the Alkimos as a ghost ship is widespread globally especially through electronic media. ‘Henry’ is the main ghost protagonist and a spectre that has inhabited the ship for some time. Henry appears as a sailor dressed in oilskins, wellington boots and a dark green seaman’s coat. His appearance has been noted since the grounding in New Zealand and there are claims that he has been seen by salvage crew and local cray fishermen when passing the vessel. Philippine watchmen placed on board in 1964 were reportedly scared by the presence of a ghost. They heard footsteps, had tools stolen and could smell cooking when there was none. Later watchmen and salvagers also reported similar happenings including doors closing unaided and Henry’s ghostly apparition. Jack Sue – a distinguished war veteran and well-known Perth skin diver – became certain that the ship was haunted and chronicled instances of haunting in a Television Documentary and book, interviewing those that had supernatural experiences on or near the vessel. In a well-publicised stunt (no date) it was arranged for two television technicians and Jack Sue to spend a night onboard – they claimed to have seen ghosts and evidence of ghostly sounds and shrieks. Ray Krakouer in Yarns from the Alkimos and other Yarns likewise attests to ghostly happenings when living aboard the beached Alkimos. It has also been suggested that Maude Steane’s ghost also haunts the ship. That the ship was jinxed appears to be a myth that started when the ship ran aground for the second time near the Egerton Rocks. Each setback in the saga to recover the vessel became proof of the ship being cursed. Later writing on the vessel and its history point to several incidents where people associated with the ship became ill or some calamity befell them. Other instances including the grounding of the ship during a bombardment in Russia, the New Zealand incident and mechanical breakdowns in convoy appear to be taken as implied proof of the ship’s inherent misfortune However, unchartered sandbars and reefs are a hazard for any shipping and mechanical and other breakdowns a hazard for all Liberty ships - hastily constructed in wartime using unproven construction methods. More than 13 percent of Liberty ships developed fractures and faulty construction causing some to sink. Although the engines on Liberty ships served well, overall, they were old designs, were built in an emergency and needed constant and “arduous” maintenance and were sometimes unreliable through improper installation. Stories of haunted or cursed ships – wrecked or not - have been told for hundreds of years and they continue to hold public fascination. Whether actual or not they are stories and cultural observations that fix to and provide richness to the meaning of heritage sites. Stories of ghostly sightings and misfortune have persisted as folklore surrounding the Alkimos and are now part of the intangible heritage culture of the wreck and are part of its story, enhancing its cultural significance. Music about the Alkimos has been composed and performed and is digitally available. ‘Alkimos’ is a song written and performed by Heathcote Blue and it appears on their album Stray Dog Daily released in 2017.

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