Porthole recovered from the wreck of the supply ship SS Romeo
Date made: 1881 AD
Description: During the First World War, the Irish Sea became one of the most dangerous stretches of water in the world. German U-boats tried to impose a blockade on Britain, by sinking her merchant shipping. They often frequented these waters, hoping to sink merchant ships leaving port. The Wilson line cargo ship SS Romeo was just one of many victims of the U-boats, being sunk 10 miles off Peel in March 1918, as she returned to Liverpool after supplying the fleet at Scapa Flow. A single torpedo from U-102 struck her on the port side; she went down within two minutes, and 34 of the 37 crew were lost. This porthole was recovered from the wreck site in 2008.
Materials: Processed Material/glass, Processed Material/metal/alloy/copper alloy/brass
Date found: 2008-07-30
Object name: porthole
Collection: Archaeology Collection
ID number: 2009-0019