At the beginning of 1918 Lerwick harbour was a convoy assembly point for shipping (mainly colliers) going to Scandinavia. This was to counter the increasing U-boat threat. However this greater density of shipping was not without it's own hazards. On 2 January 1918 the SS Gwladmena was involved in a collision and sank in Breiwick Bay near Lerwick, fortunately without loss of life.

I am interested to know what this ship looked like when afloat. Particularly intriguing is the metal beam projecting from the bow. Does this signify the ship had a bow sprit ? A feature disappearing from steam ships by this era as it restricted manoeuvrability in port.
We have not been able to find any period photographs or drawings. Research leads us to believe the yard that built the Gwladmena was bombed during the second world war and many records lost.