Additional information courtesy of Ross Littlewood

Technical

Official Number: 136902
Yard Number: 609
Completed: 1915
Gross Tonnage: 219
Net Tonnage: 85
Length: 117 ft
Breadth: 22 ft
Depth: 11.9 ft
Engine: T.3-cyl by Smith’s Dock Co Ltd, Middlesbrough
Built: Smith’s Dock Co Ltd, South Bank on Tees, Middlesbrough

History

16.3.1915: Launched by Smith’s Dock Co Ltd, South Bank on Tees, Middlesbrough (Yd.No.609) for The “Wyre” Steam Trawling Co Ltd, Fleetwood as SOAR.
22.4.1915: Registered at Fleetwood (FD155) (Magnus B. J. Wedum, manager).
4.1915: Completed. Requisitioned for war service as a minesweeper (1-12pdr) (Ad.No.1620). Based Swansea.
By 12.3.1919: Returned to owner at Fleetwood.
9.1919: In collision in dock channel with CITY OF LONDON (FD201) and both vessel took the ground. Refloated on next tide.
9.1923: Attended smack LOUIE RIGBY (FD127) dismasted and in distress in heavy seas. Connected and towed (18 hours) to Milford Haven.
1935: Sold to Andrew Robertson & James S. Kelman, Aberdeen (Andrew Robertson managing owner).
29.4.1935: Fleetwood registry closed.
1.5.1935: Registered at Aberdeen (A284).
18.3.1940: Returning from coaling in Methil in darkness (coastal lights extinguished) and heavy weather, ran on reef to east of Black Waugh rocks 1 mile south of Gourdon, Kincardineshire; six crew lost*. Declared a total loss.
26.11.1940: Aberdeen registry closed “Total loss”.

Note On a stormy night, the trawler SOAR of Aberdeen foundered on the outlying reefs to the East of the rocks known as the “Black Waughs”, half a mile south of Gourdon. Her crew of six all perished.
SOAR had been south for bunker coal and was on her way back to Aberdeen when disaster struck. It being wartime there were no coastal lights to help the skipper navigate and the strong South-Easterly wind must have forced his vessel too far in.

The first sign of the wreck was discovered by a villager “raking the beach”. Daylight was just breaking when he stumbled on a body. He quickly ran back to Gourdon and alerted the Coastguards and villagers. Just as the coastguards and fisherman reached the scene they saw the trawler’s small boat drifting shorewards. Coastguard John Penny & skipper John Stewart dashed into the water and with some difficulty managed to reach the boat – sadly – it was empty.

At the time there was no sign of the vessel itself, but at low water the ship’s boiler could be seen to the east of the “Black Waughs”. Most of the bodies were recovered during the day.
“The Wild & Rocky Coast” by Roy Soutar (Roy is a Gourdon resident, ex-fisherman & whose father was Cox of the Gourdon lifeboat).

Click to enlarge image

S.T. Soar FD155
Picture courtesy of The Fred Baker Collection

Changelog
07/01/2009: Page published. 4 revisions since then.
30/09/2014: Added information.
29/05/2017: Removed FMHT watermark from image.