Welcome to White Star Line's SS Laurentic - Gold Bullion Ship

SS Laurentic - Gold Bullion ShipSS Laurentic was built by Harland & Wolff at their Belfast yard No. 394 and went down the slipway on 29th April 1909. A few months later, the same Belfast workers began construction on her famous cousin, Titanic.

In 1917, SS Laurentic was chosen to carry forty-three tons of gold bullion from Great Britain to Canada. On 25th January 1917 SS Laurentic struck a mine and sank within an hour in 40 metres of water with a huge loss of life and all the gold bullion worth more than the reserves of most small countries in today’s values.

An incredible salvage feat between 1917 and 1924 recovered 3186 gold bars of the missing 3211 with a further 5 being recovered in 1932 by another salvage operation, leaving 20 gold bars still unaccounted for at the bottom of Lough Swilly worth some £10 million at current prices.

Extracts from the Captain's report to the Admiralty on the Loss of SS Laurentic, 25th January 1917 

The Loch Swilly Hotel
Buncrana, Ireland
28th January 1917

Sir,
I have the honour to submit the following report of the circumstances attending the loss of my command, HMS LAURENTIC. I arrived at Loch Swilly before daylight on Thursday, January 25th, anchoring two miles inside the Boom about 7.45 am. At 4 pm, I exercised Action Stations, Darkened Ship and closed all the Water-Tight Doors except those on D Deck in the Port Alley-way which have to be left open for communications...............

Captain Reginald Norton's full report on the sinking of the SS Laurentic with the loss of the gold bullion is included with the share certificate presentation pack. For more information on this unique gift. Click Here.

To watch an under water film of the Laurentic Wreck Click Here.

Please note: Thoroughout this site we have referred to the vessel as SS Laurentic, which means Steam Ship. At different times in her active life she has been RMS Laurentic, which means Royal Mail Ship and when she was in the hands of the Admiralty in WW1 she was HMS Laurentic, which meant at the time His Majesty's Ship.