Technical
Admiralty Number: 3559
Official Number: 144289
Yard Number: 819
Completed: 1917
Gross Tonnage: 324
Net Tonnage: 134
Length: 138.5 ft
Breadth: 23.7 ft
Depth: 12.8 ft
Built: Cochrane & Sons Ltd, Selby
Engine: 600ihp T.3-cyl and boiler by Charles D. Holmes & Co Ltd, Hull
History
28.8.1917: Launched by Cochrane & Sons Ltd, Selby (Yd.No.819)(“Mersey” class) for The Admiralty as ROBERT BARTON. (Ad.No.3559).
10.11.1917: Completed as a minesweeper (1-12pdr, W/T).
14.11.1917: Delivered.
19.12.1919: Registered by The Admiralty at London (Part I) as ROBERT BARTON O.N.144289.
1919: Allocated to Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries, London and engaged in commercial trawling.
13.08.1920: Minesweepers’ Cooperative Trawling Society Ltd, London registered.
23.12.1920: Registered by The Admiralty at London (Part IV) (LO494). Laid up.
10.1921: At HM Dockyard, Pembroke completed fitting out for fishing under Special Survey of Lloyd’s Register and classed 100A1 Stm Trawler at Milford. 10.1922: Sold to West Dock Steam Fishing Co Ltd, Hull (E. W. Robins, manager).
5.10.1922: London registry closed.
18.10.1922: Registered at Hull as HAYBURN WYKE (H717).
1926: Fishing out of Fleetwood.
10.1926: At Londonderry landed 61 year old Richard Swan taken ill on the fishing grounds. Swan subsequently died in hospital.
04.1930: Sold to Dinas Steam Trawler Co Ltd, Fleetwood (Joseph A. Marr Jnr, manager).
2.5.1930: Sailed Hull for Norwegian grounds (Sk. James M. Pegler); Fleetwood crew eleven all told. Found fishing was not too good and set a course for Rockall some 1,000 miles away via the Orkney Islands.
18.5.1930: At Fleetwood, after a 3,000 mile 16 day trip landed from Norwegian, Rockall and Butt of Lewis grounds, 300 boxes. When free running vessel averaged 101/2 knots.
25.4.1930: Hull registry closed.
26.4.1930: Registered at Fleetwood (FD99).
8.6.1930: In Wyre Channel, one of 23 trawlers inbound, when a few hundred yards from lock pit found channel blocked by trawlers NELLIE BRADDOCK (FD175) and ERNA (FD158) aground on Tiger’s Tail. Swept by tide and also took the ground. Refloated on next tide and entered Wyre Dock.
1.8.1931: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to William Deacons Bank Ltd, London.
3.1938: On the St. Kilda grounds (Sk. J. W. Greens) along with other Fleetwood trawlers. Dodging in heavy weather with Bosun on watch when a loud bang was heard from aft and vessel did not answer to the helm; engine stopped. Skipper on bridge and crew sent aft discovered chains and rods intact and assumed rudder damaged or parted. Called DINAMAR (FD73) nearby and asked him to standby until weather dropped away. Later with some improvement in weather steamed slowly towards Hirta, St. Kilda, escorted by DINAMAR. Once in the lee of the island it was discovered that the rudder was smashed. After discussion it was decided to rig a jury rudder using a trawl door and still in gale force conditions the boat was launched with four men including the skipper to suspend and secure the door. After 36 hours, with the door over the stern on chains and shackled to the remains of the rudder stock, the trawl warps were connected and a successful trial undertaken heaving and veering the winch. On completion left St. Kilda for the 300 mile trip to Fleetwood with two men on the winch, initially constantly exposed to seas sweeping over the trawl deck.
29.3.1939: Arrived safely in Fleetwood, the feat being described as “superb seamanship”.
10.1939: Sold to Oddsson & Co Ltd, Hull.
14.5.1940: At Hull last landing before requisitioning. West Coast (fished round), – 380kits £505 gross.
23.5.1940: Fleetwood registry closed.
27.5.1940: Registered at Hull (H334).
27.5.1940: Requisitioned for war service as an auxiliary patrol vessel.
28.5.1940: Hire rate £94.10.0d/month.
1.1941: Based Ipswich with M/S & Patrol Group 79.
8.1941: Fitted out as a minesweeper (P.No. FY139). Based Swansea
2.1.1945: At anchor off Ostend (Sk. Lieut Francis Wilson RNR). Torpedoed by German ‘Seehund’ midget submarine and foundered rapidly. Crew of twenty-two* missing presumed killed.
23.3.1945: Hull registry closed. Wreck lies in position 51.15.27N 02.48.44E.
*Crew – Skipper Lieut Francis Wilson RNR;
Ty/Skipper Edward R. Smith RNR;
Harry S. Sharman, Ch Engineman;
David Marriott & Andrew Reekie, enginemen;
John G. Gardner, Leading seaman;
Arthur Brewster,
George W. Carrington,
Robert A. McMillan,
Thomas Murphy,
Harold R. Waite,
Raymond White,
Ronald J. White & John Wright, seamen;
Walter A. Rogers, telegraphist;
James P. Howell, signalman;
Jack Hooper, ordinary signalman;
Benjamin P. Charlton,
Daniel Ferrie & William J. Spears, stokers;
Thomas Sweeney, cook;
Frederick Bass, steward.
(Robert Cutts Barton, Midshipman, age 20, b. Pembroke – VICTORY (SB673))
Click to enlarge image
S.T. Hayburn Wyke FD99
Picture courtesy of the JJ collection
S.T. Hayburn Wyke FD99
Picture from the Internet
Changelog
22/12/2008: Page published. 6 updates since then.
19/05/2016: Picture added.
21/05/2016: Information updated.
06/06/2016: Information updated.
03/09/2016: Information updated.
21/09/2017: Removed FMHT watermark from image.
26/12/2020: Updated history.