- Aug 25
- 4 min read

The Two Shipwrecks on Formby beach can still be seen today at low tide

The Ionic Star by Sue Tinsley

Shipwrecks off the coast at Formby Point tell moving stories about the area’s maritime history. Formby Beach and its surrounding coastline have a rich heritage, marked by several shipwrecks, including the Ionic Star and The Pegu. This story serves as a reminder of the dangers of the sea and the enduring legacy of those ships that met their fate along this stretch of coast.

There are Two Shipwrecks off the coast of Formby. The Pegu and The Ionic Star….

The Ionic Star Shipwreck

The Ionic Star Shipwreck:

Ionic Star Shipwreck - Photo by Mike Cain

Visiting the Ionic Star involves a 1 kilometre walk. This wreck is a skeletal series of rusty and blackened outcrops and is the most complete of the wrecks visible from the coast.

On October 17, 1939, the Ionic Star, a cargo ship carrying meat, cotton, and fruit from South America, ran aground near Formby Beach as it approached Liverpool. The ship, originally built in 1917 by Russell & Co. in Glasgow and later renamed from Rubiera to Ionic Star in 1929, became stranded on the infamous Mad Wharf sandbank, about a mile west of Formby Point.

Ionic Star Shipwreck - Photo by Mike Cain

Ionic Star Shipwreck - Photos by Mike Cain

Despite the wreck, all crew members survived, and much of the cargo was successfully salvaged.

Ionic Star, showing the Blue Star logo on her funnel

The Ionic Star was a refrigerated cargo liner with a rich history, serving under the Blue Star Line. On that fateful day, as the ship navigated the Mersey Channel, it lost its way and ended up on the edge of the sandbank. Although the cargo was saved, the ship itself was declared a total loss.

Following the wreck, a salvage firm was hired to break up the ship for scrap metal. However, due to the challenging conditions caused by the constantly shifting tides, the firm was only able to recover about 50 tons before abandoning the effort. During World War II, the remains of the Ionic Star served as target practice for aircraft flying from the nearby RAF Woodvale and other airfields. Despite this, a significant portion of the wreck remains embedded in the sand, making it a recognizable landmark on the Sefton coast.

The Ionic Star is a fascinating piece of Formby’s maritime history, and her remains can still be seen at low tide. However, the wreck lies in a dangerous area within the low tide zone, which is known for its unpredictable tides and shifting sands. For those interested in exploring this piece of history, it’s strongly recommended to join a guided walk with someone who understands the local weather, tides, and channels.

The Pegu Shipwreck:

Most people have heard and even seen the shipwreck on Formby beach known as the Pegu.

The Pegu was owned by the Henderson line and travelled the Liverpool Rangoon service from 1921 to 1939.

She ran aground and there was 103 Passengers on board who were all taken off by the New Brighton lifeboat and transferred to the Pilot Boats. Shortly after the passengers were taken off, an attempt was made to tow her off the sandbank, but she was well aground and there she stays to this day.

Old Formby stories tell another side to the Pegu wreck.....

A true story of a shipwreck on the coastline of Formby in 1939.

The Pegu ran aground and its cargo was washed up onto the shore, much to the delight of the family living in the lifeboat house on the beach.

The story goes that early one morning they were woken to friends saying the Pegu had run aground and the cargo was whisky and cigarettes galore!

News travelled fast around Formby and more people turned up with wheelbarrows, buckets and horses to stake their claim of the Pegu whisky. Dick Scarisbrick was told by his dad to get a handcart to carry the whisky. He borrowed a cart from Formby Police Station. It took him two hours to get back to the shore with the handcart and when he did, his dad was on the shore drunk and flat on his back. He had to stick him on the handcart and take him back home!

The next morning the customs men came, to see what salvage they could reclaim but only a few crates were left on the shore. If you find any more, please mark them and store them, the tides must be strong on this coastline they said!

Songwriter, Stephen Gerrard said: "This video was a combined effort between myself and Dougie Knight (the illustrator). We are both Formby residents. I decided to start writing the song after I was lucky enough to speak to Brian Brankin and one of the Norris family who lived in the boat house at the time of the shipwreck. The story sounded almost too farfetched to be true but there are still local people that can remember it and verify what happened. It must have been quite a sight to see hoards of people on the beach filling their hand carts and buckets full of whisky and cigarettes."

Here is the brilliant song and video by Stephen Gerrard of the Formby Shpwreck