SS Politician

SS Politician: The Whisky Wreck That Changed History

Imagine a ship, laden with 22,000 cases of whisky, running aground off Eriskay in 1941. This was no ordinary cargo; it was the SS Politician, a story that intertwines history, law enforcement, and local ingenuity.

The Ship’s Journey

SS Politician began its life as the London Merchant, one of six sister ships built in 1923. Its journey took it across the Atlantic, trading goods until the Great Depression forced it to dock in Essex. In 1935, it was renamed and continued its voyages between Britain and South Africa until World War II.

A Tragic Encounter

On February 4, 1941, SS Politician met its fate off the coast of Eriskay in Scotland. The ship’s crew sent out SOS messages, but most survived by being rescued by local fishermen. The islanders, who were told the ship carried whisky, took it upon themselves to remove cargo despite marine salvage laws.

The Islander’s Quest

Local customs officers asked for guards, but the chief salvage officer refused due to safety concerns. Despite evidence of looting, whisky was found on some salvors’ trips. Islanders worked together on multiple nights, using local knowledge and resources to navigate the wreck. They often used makeshift methods such as covering their clothes with wives’ dresses to deal with oil-covered items.

Legal Battles

The search for the whisky continued until April 5 when customs officer Charles McColl tried again but was unsuccessful. The first court cases took place on June 10, involving men arrested for looting whisky and oil barrels. McColl applied pressure to pursue more punitive punishments.

Aftermath and Legacy

The BISC salvors spent over four months preparing Politician for refloating, removing extraneous weight and patching underwater holes. On September 22, the ship was lifted off the rocks but was beached on a sandbank due to bad weather concerns. Salvage divers reported that hold number five still contained ‘one stack of probably about 2,000 cases of spirits’ and loose paper, carton cases, and loose bottles.

Modern Discoveries

In 1991, a man found four bottles under his floor and two buried outside; divers have raised several bottles, including eight in 1987. A blended whisky called SS Politician was produced but didn’t sell well. A separate brand of whisky has been released under the name SS Politician with no connection to the original.

From July 1952, blue ten-shilling notes were no longer accepted as legal tender due to loss of Jamaican notes being cashed in banks. They were replaced with purple-printed notes. Eriskay residents hid empty bottles from the wreck by filling them with sand, which was later used to create lamp bases and sold in Edinburgh.

The story of the SS Politician is a testament to human ingenuity and the complexities of law enforcement. It’s a tale that continues to fascinate, with bottles still being found today, reminding us of the enduring legacy of this historic shipwreck.