S.T. Almeria FD117

Additional information courtesy of David Slinger

Technical

Official Number: 148220
Yard Number: TR19
Completed: 1918
Gross Tonnage: 271.22
Net Tonnage: 120.96
Length: 125.7 ft
Breadth: 23.5 ft
Depth: 12.7 ft
Built: Kingston Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Kingston, Ontario
Engine: 480ihp T.3-cyl by National S.B. Co Ltd, Goderich, Ontario

History

1.1917: Ordered.
1918: Launched by Kingston Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Kingston, Ontario (Yd.No. – ) (Canadian “Castle” – “T.R.” class) for the The Admiralty (paid for and built under direction of RCN) as TR.19.
25.8.1918: Completed by Collingwood Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Collingwood, Ontario (Yd. No.-) and commissioned in the Royal Canadian Navy (1-12pdr).
7.1.1919: Paid off and laid up.
1920: Accepted offer of Rose Street Foundry & Engineering Co Ltd, Inverness (Captain Donald John Munro CMG RN as agent) to bring drifters with trawlers as escorts to UK for lay-up in Muirtown Basin, Caledonian Canal, Inverness prior to sale and possible refit for classification as steam trawlers (The Rose Street Foundry & Engineering Co Ltd letter dated 12 April 1920).
1921: Brought over at The Admiralty’s expense.
1.1926: Still laid up.
2.1926: Rejected offer for all remaining trawlers at £2,000 each (B. Allenby, Aberdeen letter dated 10 Feb 1926).
8.1926: Sold “as is” to Boston Deep Sea Fishing & Ice Co Ltd, Fleetwood (Basil A. Parkes, manager).
16.9.1926: Registered at Fleetwood as ALMERIA (FD117).
1928: Sold to Red Funnel Fisheries Ltd, Sydney, NSW.
3.9.1928: Registered at Fleetwood as GOOLGWAI (FD117) (MRG 1362/1928).
15.9.1928: Sailed Fleetwood for Sydney in company with DURRAWEEN (FD135).
12.1928: Arrived Sydney, NSW after 92 day passage, which included assisting DURRAWEEN stranded when calling at the Cocos Islands, Indian Ocean.
29.12.1928: Fleetwood registry closed.
12.1928: Registered at Sydney, NSW.
1933: Owners re-styled Red Funnel Trawlers Ltd, Sydney, NSW.
1937-1939: Landed 521,114 kg of fish.
3.9.1939: Requisitioned for war service by Royal Australian Navy as a minesweeper (1-12pdr, 1-20mm Oerlikon, 1-0.303 Vickers MG, 4-DC launchers).
6.10.1939: Commissioned into RAN (P.No. FY.94).
1940: Based Sydney, NSW with M/S Group 50, working NSW coast and later moved to Queensland – Cape York/Thursday Island.
8.1944: Joined TU 70.5.2 Surveying Torres Strait.
29.10.1945: Paid off and laid up pending return to owners.
17.6.1947: Returned to owner.
1951-1955: Landed 410,235kg of fish.
18.5.1955: Sailed Sydney for the Far South Coast of New South Wales grounds (Sk. Mullarkey); eleven crew all told.
29.5.1955: Approaching Sydney in heavy seas with 400 boxes onboard ran into thick fog and about 7.00 am. stranded on rocks at Boora Point, 10 miles south of Sydney Head, NSW.
6.6.1955: Ship broke up and washed westward. Possibly some wreckage amongst rocks in position 33.58S 151.15E. All crew rescued but the following were injured, John Munro, fireman, broken kneecap, Albert Tahtinen, cut head; ship’s cat survived but the dog ‘Sluggo’ drowned.

More information at Michael McFadyen’s Scuba Site

Click to enlarge images

S.T. Almeria FD117

S.T. Almeria FD117
Picture from the Internet

S.T. Almeria FD117

S.T. Almeria FD117
Picture from the Internet

HMAS Durraween

HMAS Durraween
Picture from the Internet

S.T. Almeria FD117

S.T. Almeria FD117
Picture from the Internet

S.T. Almeria FD117

S.T. Almeria FD117
Picture from the Internet

S.T. Almeria FD117

S.T. Almeria FD117
Picture from the Internet

S.T. Almeria FD117

S.T. Almeria FD117
Picture from the Internet

Changelog
22/04/2014: Information updated.
25/06/2017: Removed FMHT watermarks, amended wreck location, repaired broken image link.
22/06/2019: Updated information and added an image.