Additional material courtesy of Bill Blow

Technical

Official Number: 118304
Yard Number: 698
Completed: 1903
Gross Tonnage: 192
Net Tonnage: 37
Length: 110 ft
Breadth: 21 ft
Depth: 11.2 ft
Engine: 300ihp T.3-cyl and boiler by N.E. Marine Engineering Co Ltd, Sunderland
Built: Smith’s Dock Co Ltd, North Shields

History

6.1903: Launched by Smith’s Dock Co Ltd, North Shields (Yd.No.698) for The Castle Steam Trawlers Ltd (64/64), London as PICTON CASTLE.
7.1903: Completed (George H. D. Birt, Milford Haven, manager).
18.7.1903: Registered at London (LO177).
23.7.1903: Sailed Milford for SW of Ireland grounds (Sk. Joseph Huddlestone).
30.7.1903: Returned Milford with boiler trouble.
31.7.1903: Leaking tube caulked.
1.8.1903: Sailed for fishing grounds.
3.8.1903: Boiler tube leaking again.
4.8.1903: At about 11.30 p.m. a boiler explosion occurred; Michael Kennedy, fireman killed and Nicholas Atkinson, Chief Engineer badly scalded (subsequently died in hospital). Put into Berehaven (Castletown), Co. Cork.
1.10.1903: BOT Inquiry at Milford found that the explosion was caused by the back of the combustion chamber being encrusted with salt and soot and not kept clear.
8.1906: London registry closed.
13.8.1906: Registered at Swansea (SA??).
13.8.1906: George H. D. Birt, Milford Haven appointed manager.
29.8.1906: Crawford Heron, Swansea appointed manager.
9.1906. Sold to Emprela Lisbonesa, Lisbon.
1.10.1906: Swansea registry closed.
10.1906: Registered at Lisbon as DINORAH (B459).
1913: Sold to William Hall Dodds, Aberdeen.
1.1913: Lisbon registry closed.
11.2.1913: Registered at Aberdeen (A505).
1.1.1914: Tonnage altered to 72.05 net under provision of Merchant Shipping Act 1907.
8.1914: Requisitioned for war service as a minesweeper (1-3pdr) (Ad.No.288).
13.11.1914: At Lowestoft parent ship HALCYON.
1915: Dardanelles Campaign.
20.12.1915: Dardanelles (Gallipoli) evacuation completed. Redeployed.
11.1917: Sold to Overseas’ Steam Fishing Co Ltd (64/64), Grimsby. Walter Harold Beeley appointed manager.
9.11.1917: Aberdeen registry closed.
12.11.1917: Registered at Grimsby (GY1107).
By 12.3.1919: Returned to owner at Grimsby.
28.7.1920: Sold to Bowering’s Steam Fishing Co Ltd (64/64), Grimsby.
02.09.1920: Walter Harold Beeley appointed manager.
5.6.1924: Vessel mortgaged to National Provincial Bank Ltd, London (A).
10.12.1932: Mortgage (A) discharged.
10.12.1932: Sold to George Leonard Taylor (5/64), John Phimister (7/64), William Sutherland (26/64) & John Buchan (26/64), all Aberdeen.
28.12.1932: John Buchan designated managing owner.
25.1.1933: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to The Clydesdale Bank Ltd, Glasgow (B), (C), (D), (E).
5.8.1933: In calm weather stranded 11/2 miles SW of Gourdon. Refloated next tide and proceeded.
8.5.1935: Mortgages (B), (C), (D), (E) discharged.
28.5.1935: William Sutherland shares (26/64) and John Buchan shares (26/64) sold to The Gorspen Steam Trawling Co Ltd (52/64), Aberdeen.
29.5.1935: George Leonard Taylor shares (5/64) sold to The Gorspen Steam Trawling Co Ltd (57/64), Aberdeen.
27.7.1935: John Phimister shares (7/64) sold to The Gorspen Steam Trawling Co Ltd (64/64), Aberdeen.
3.8.1935: Alexander James Spence appointed manager.
1.5.1936: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to Alexander Aitken Davidson, Aberdeen for the sum of £12,000 with interest at 6% (F).
2.5.1936: Mortgage (F) transferred to The Clydesdale Bank Ltd, Glasgow.
27.5.1936: Benjamin Allenby appointed manager.
30.12.1936: Vessel mortgaged to Alexander Aitken Davidson, Aberdeen for the sum of £4000 and interest (G).
19.2.1937: Sold to Alexander Aitken Davidson Aberdeen (64/64).
27.2.1937: Mortgage (G) discharged.
4.3.1937: Alexander Aitken Davidson designated managing owner.
26.11.1940: Mortgage (F) discharged (11.12.1940. Discharge of mortgage (F) allowed without production of deed, under authority of Board’s Order 51148/40 dated 2.12.1940).
12.2.1940: Sold to J. Bennett (Wholesale) Ltd (64/64), London.
23.12.1940: William Alfred Bennett appointed manager. Fishing out of Fleetwood.
3.5.1943: Typical wartime landing, Home Waters. 90 kits – hake-9, cod/codling-9, haddock-35, whiting-3, plaice-12, flats-5, ling.coley-11, roker-1, gurnard-4, dogs-11.
25.10.1944: Sold to Thornton Trawlers Ltd (64/64), Fleetwood.
28.10.1944: Leslie James Marr appointed manager.
28.4.1945: Foundered off Bridlington, believed by mine contact. All crew lost*.
4.7.1945: Grimsby registry closed “Vessel mined and sunk on 28.4.1945”.

(Lost* – Sk. W.G. Dyble, A.E. Dyer, F. Rix, A.R. Quantrill, R.H. Lott, T. Balderson, C.F. Mortlock, J.T. Lamb, R.G. Rowbotham, E.G. Bacon, C. Kirk).

Changelog
19/12/2008: Page published. 6 updates since then.
23/04/2020: Information updated.