Overview
Salvestria was a 1913 steam tanker carrying 9,201 tons of fuel oil from Aruba to Grangemouth when she struck a mine near Inchkeith on 27 July 1940. Ten of the 57 crew died. Engines and other parts were later recovered, leaving a large but flattened and broken wreck in the Firth of Forth.
The vessel and voyage
Built at Belfast in 1913 as Cardiganshire, the vessel later became Salvestria under the South Georgia Company, part of Christian Salvesen. The tanker was about 150 metres long and carried 9,201 tons of fuel oil from Aruba towards Grangemouth.
How it was lost
On 27 July 1940 Salvestria struck a mine about 2.8 miles from Inchkeith Light. The position was close to a swept route through Britain's own defensive minefields, showing how narrow the safe wartime passage could be.
Deaths and survival
Ten of the 57 crew were killed, while the others were taken off. The loss therefore combined a major cargo and ship loss with a confirmed human toll.
What remains
Engines and condensers were recovered soon after the war, and later work used explosives to remove more material. The remaining site is mainly flattened and tangled plating, generally in about 18 to 19 metres of water, rising several metres from the seabed.
Why it mattered
Fuel oil was vital to Britain's wartime transport and armed forces, so the tanker and her cargo were strategically important. The wreck also shows that defensive minefields could endanger friendly shipping when a vessel strayed from the cleared channel.
History checked 2026-08-15 against the named sources below.
Places near here
- Iris: Inchkeith, Firth of Forthmonument0.5 miles
- Katemonument0.9 miles
- Kate: Inchkeith, Firth of Forthmonument1.1 miles
- Snowdrop: Inchkeith, Firth of Forthmonument1.1 miles
- Goodwill: Inchkeith, Firth of Forthmonument1.1 miles
- Goodwillmonument1.5 miles
- Unknown: Firth of Forthevent1.6 miles
- Good Design: Firth of Forthmonument1.6 miles
- Britannia: Firth of Forthmonument1.8 miles
- Good Designmonument1.9 miles
- Hms Boy Andrew (possibly)event2.0 miles
- Boy Andrew: Firth of Forthevent2.4 miles
Add the human story, a picture, a first-hand message or a missing place.
Earn 5 points after the picture is checked and accepted.
Add a pictureAdd its storyTalk or ask a questionAdd a new placeThe historic-place record does not grant public access. Check current conditions and ownership before entering land or a building.
Conversation about this place
Questions and messages sit beneath the source record. They are checked before appearing.
No questions or messages yet.
Ask a question or join the conversation