s.s Director mistaken for Waratah.

The above ship was mistaken on the South African coast by observers on the shore thinking the slow moving steamer moving up the coast about the time the Waratah was in the area may have been the  Waratah.
                                        DEPOSITION OF CAPTAIN HENRY BICKERSTAFF.
On the ninth day of the Court of Inquiry, the court recorder mentioned that a deposition of Captain Henry Bickerstaff was to be put to the court. This was done but it is interesting to note that his deposition was not recorded or printed in the final summary book of the inquiry. Captain Bickerstaff claimed his ship was not similar to that of the Waratah as had been claimed by mistaken observers. His ship the s.s. Director of Liverpool was on the South African coast at the time of the Waratah was said to have gone missing. He further stated the following, "we left Algoa Bay (Port Elizabeth), on the evening of July 27th 1909 and arrived at East London at 8.00am on the 28th of July 1909 and the passage was fine.  After working cargo at East London we left the port at 10.00am on the 29th of July bound for Durban, and on the same day we passed the Bashee River at 3.00pm. We arrived in Durban at 4.00pm on the 30th of July and stayed in Durban for nine days during which a Swedish or Norwegian vessel arrived having made heavy weather of it and sustained damage."

There is no mention of  who the observers were but there was a group of holiday makers at the Kei River mouth claiming they saw a ship east of the river labouring in rough weather. Captain Bickerstaff does not mention anything from is log book in connection with the weather on his passage to Durban, here we can only guess that the court was fully aware of the sea conditions . Because he was not in court or later called he could not be questioned on the sea conditions or what ships did he pass either going up the coast or down it. The Director was of  the same company as the Harlow in which Captain Bruce of the Harlow said he saw a ship explode south of Cape Hermes. Being both ships  of the same company and in Durban together, no doubt Bickerstaff and Bruce got together for a meal and drinks.

s.s. Director. built 1903 1year after the Harlow, L,398.5ft x 48.5ft x 30.5 ft  .
tonnage 4,931. Engine 481 H.P. single screw, signal letters V.C.S.C.