Additional information courtesy of David Slinger and Bill Blow

Technical

Official Number: 161009
Yard Number: 1100
Completed: 1931
Gross Tonnage: 428.28
Net Tonnage: 172.48
Length: 145.7 ft
Breadth: 25.6 ft
Depth: 13.6 ft
Engine: 675ihp T.3-cyl and boiler by Amos & Smith Ltd, Hull

History

5.2.1931: Launched by Cochrane & Sons Ltd, Selby (Yd.No.1100) for Boston Deep Sea Fishing & Ice Co Ltd (64/64), Fleetwood as MARGARET ROSE.
10.3.1931: Registered at Grimsby (GY355).
12.3.1931: Completed.
12.3.1931: Basil Arthur Parkes, Blackpool appointed manager.
5.4.1931: Arrived Fleetwood (Sk. Walter Holmes).
6.4.1931: Landed 3760 stone, mostly hake.
7.4.1931: Sailed on her maiden from Fleetwood.
5.9.1932: Sailed from Fleetwood for East coast of USA (Georges Bank) (Sk Walter Holmes) on a trial trip to exploit the supposed hake grounds a few miles offshore, the trip to take from 24 – 32 days (340 tons bunker coal, 90 tons ice, 2 tons salt and one month’s provisions).
5.10.1932: Returned. Diverted to Grimsby to land 1400 boxes (mixed cod, haddock and flats); grossed £308 failed to cover a quarter of costs.
8.1933: Sold to Pêcheries de la Morinie, Boulogne (P. Ficheux, manager).
1933: Re measured 144.6 feet 409grt 149n.
15.8.1933: Grimsby registry closed.
8.1933: Registered at Boulogne as MARGUERITE ROSE.
8.1933: Stranded at Knott Spit Buoy when returning from trials.
18.8.1933: Sailed Fleetwood for Boulogne (with part Fleetwood crew).
10.1.1934: In North Sea, rendered assistance to Danish steamer Polly (798grt/) with rudder damage sustained on passage Baltic – Dundalk with coal. Connected and delivered Aberdeen.
8.1939: Requisitioned by Marine Francaise as an auxiliary minesweeper (P.No.AD23).
25.5.1940: At Dunkirk ‘Operation Dynamo’ (Commander Flachaire Roustan) attacked by German aircraft, two bombs exploded and vessel abandoned before sinking alongside French steamer Aïn El Turk (2508grt/1925).

Note: “The choice of the MARGARET ROSE to make the voyage to Georges Bank gave Mrs Holmes (wife of Skipper Walter Holmes named after herself MARY and daughter ROSE) great pleasure… Boston’s wasted no time in putting their project into operation and shortly afterwards the MARGARET ROSE lay in Wyre Dock looking more like a coal tip than a trawler.
Coal was piled everywhere – after the bunkers had been packed to capacity the decks were loaded high until the vessel&s scuppers were two inches below water and she was almost awash. At this point the Board of Trade stepped in and on their instructions a large quantity of coal was bagged and moved aft to lift the bows to a safer level. Even this adjustment left her alarmingly low in the water but she was given the all clear to sail.” With a crew of fifteen, she carried 400 tons coal, 100 tons ice, 2 tons salt and provisions for one month.

Click to enlarge images

S.T. Margaret Rose GY355
Picture courtesy of The David Slinger Collection

S.T. Margaret Rose GY355
Picture courtesy of The Fred Baker Collection

S.T. Margaret Rose GY355
Picture courtesy of The David Slinger Collection

September 1932
Picture courtesy of David Slinger

September 5 1932
Picture courtesy of David Slinger

S.T. Margaret Rose GY355
Sunk during Operation Dynamo
Picture from the Internet

Changelog
27/12/2008: Page published. 5 revisions since then.
11/08/2014: Information updated.
13/01/2017: Removed FMHT watermarks from images.