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Diving Information:     

• The wreck is split into sections.
• Dive at slack water, preferably Slack High.
• Low Water makes it difficult to get the boat out if launching from Ballyhornan beach.
• Better to launch from Portaferry or Strangford slip, although it means a longer boat journey, but less hassle.

Historical Information:

• Built as a Victory Class Troopship in 1945 at Fortfield Shipyard, Bethlehem, U.S., and registered at Baltimore, the "Georgetown" had left Fremantle for Glasgow with 1,200 Royal Navy men and Marines due for demob.
• The trip initially started from Sydney, Australia. Inexplicably she mistook Strangford Lough for the Clyde.
• She grounded about 100yds south of Killard Point, and her back broke just forward of the bridge within a few hours of stranding.
• Measured :- 437 x 62 x 34ft and weighed 7,406 gross tons, and powered by twin steam turbine engines.
• Formerly owned by U.S. War Shipping Administration she is now owned and salvaged by Karl Bialowas.

Source Publications:

"Dictionary of Disasters at Sea during the Age of Steam 1824 - 1962"	by	Charles Hocking
		London Stamp Exchange 1989 - ISBN: 0948130474
"Irish Wrecks Database"	by	Roy Stokes & Liam Dowling
"Shipwreck Index of Ireland"	by	Richard & Bridget Larn
		Lloyd's Register - Fairplay Ltd 2002 - ISBN: 1900839970
"Shipwrecks of the Irish Coast 932 - 1997"	by	Edward J. Bourke
		Edward J. Bourke 1998 - ISBN: 0952302713
"Shipwrecks of the Irish Coast 1582 - 2000"	by	Edward J. Bourke
		Edward J. Bourke 2000 - ISBN: 0952302721
"Shipwrecks of the Ulster Coast"	by	Ian Wilson
		Impact Printing 1997 - ISBN: 0948154993

Other Sources:

Georgetown School Web Site	-	via Eddie Matchett, Lisburn SAC (2008)
Randal Armstrong	-	Castlereagh SAC (1980)

Last update - 02-Jun-2008

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