AN APPEAL has been launched to find relatives of crew members killed when a ship was torpedoed in the First World War off the Dorset coast.

Members of the Severnside branch on the British Sub-Aqua Club (BSAC) are investigating the remains of SS Baygitano, which sank in Lyme Bay in 1918.

The huge cargo vessel was sunk by a German U-boat on March 18, 1918, close to Lyme Regis - while travelling from Le Harve in France to Cardiff. Both the first mate and fourth engineer were killed in the attack.

Nigel Braybrooke from the BSAC, said: "As a club we intend to dive on the 100th anniversary of her sinking in 1918, to commemorate her loss as part of the Nautical Archaeology Society's 'Lost Beneath the Waves 1914-1918' initiative.

"I will be trying to locate relatives of anyone who may have served on her at the time of her sinking, especially Captain Arthur Ligertwood Murrison and the two casualties, First Mate Frederick Rudolph Richards and Fourth Engineer Harold John Chinn.

"If anyone can help locate descendants or has any further information on the Baygitano - I would urge them to get in touch via Severnside Sub Aqua Club."

Nigel’s dedication to researching the life of the ship both before and during the First World War led him to apply for a BSAC Wreck Appreciation Award that the club won and was presented with at the end of last year.

The SS Baygitano lies almost perfectly flat on the seabed under approximately 20 metres of water. The wreck has provided the club with an excellent training dive site as well as an intriguing project.

As preparation the club had a historical presentation and took to the water armed with laminated drawings of the ship to learn more about its remains and members are now keen to share their findings with others, including any relatives of those involved with the Baygitano.

Leon Smith has been diving since 2002 and has been a member of SSAC for three years.

“I went back year after year and did more and more qualifications and further dives in warm waters for ten years before I started doing any club diving and I joined SSAC in 2012" he said.

“We are one of the most active clubs in the area and have 139 members. At any one time we have people going through qualifications, advanced training, Ocean Diver or Dive Leader courses as well as holding try dive nights for the general public to come and have a go every week.”