The Naval Armament Carrier RFA Bedenham arrived in Gibraltar on the 24th April, 1951, laden with 500 tons of ammunition. It tied up at Gun Wharf. While it was unloading depth charges into a lighter, on the morning of the 27th April, one ignited. Attempts to put the fire out failed and there was an explosion in the lighter. The fire spread to the Bedenham which blew up. The bow of the ship was blown out of the water and onto the wharf itself. The remainder of the ship sank. Thirteen people died as a result of the explosion, including Sub Officer George Campbell Henderson of the Fire Service who was posthumously awarded the George Cross for bravery in attempting to extinguish the fire. Many more people were injured and many public buildings in Gibraltar suffered damage. The Admiralty paid out around £250,000 in indemnity. The event has become a part of the living memory of the Gibraltarians of that time. These photographs document the incident, damage and the subsequent memorial service.
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ReplyDeleteHola Clive: Me ha parecido muy interesante esta entrada sobre la explosion del Barco Bedenham que tanto había escuchado hablar a los mayores y a mi suegro que lo vivió en sus carnes. Te quería pedir permiso para poner estas fotos en mi blog que tengo sobre La Linea http://lalineablancoynegro.ltduende.com/
ReplyDeleteya que este fué un hecho que también repercutió en nuestra ciudad. Logicamente haciendo referencia en todo momento de quienes son las fotos y poniendo el enlace de este blog.
Muchas gracias
Luis Javier Traverso