Additional information courtesy of Mike Thompson
Technical
Official Number: 163143
Yard Number: 1112
Completed: 1933
Gross Tonnage : 421
Net Tonnage: 162
Length: 152.1 ft
Breadth: 25.6 ft
Depth: 13.6 ft
Engine: 640ihp T.3-cyl and boiler by Charles D. Holmes & Co Ltd, Hull
Built: Cochrane & Son Ltd, Selby
History
Note: First trawler built with a cruiser stern
10.6.1933: Launched by Cochrane & Son Ltd, Selby (Yd.No.1112) for Hudson Steam Fishing Co Ltd (64/64), Hull as CAPE BATHURST.
21.7.1933: Registered at Hull (H496).
25.7.1933: Completed (Archibald Hudson, manager).
1934: Hudson Brothers Trawlers Ltd appointed managers (Archibald Hudson, manager).
9.1935: As a result of the Abyssinian crisis and failure of British diplomacy, the Government authorised The Admiralty to procure twenty modern trawlers for conversion to minor war vessels.
17.10.1935: Sailed Hull for Bear Island grounds (Sk. C. Grantham).
8.11.1935: At Hull landed last trip 1,893 kits grossed £1191.
23.11.1935: Following successful trials sold to The Admiralty (Ref.18008/35).
26.11.1935: Hull registry closed. Fitted out as a “Gem” class anti submarine trawler (1-4”).
1936: Renamed HMS RUBY (P.No. T.24).
9.8.1939: At Review of Reserve Fleet in Weymouth Bay by King George VI.
1940: Based Birkenhead with 2nd A/S Group (Ty Lieut. R. P. Chapman RNR).
6.1941: At Plymouth refitting (Senior Officer, Ty S/Lieut. N. L. Brown RNVR).
9.7.1942: Escorting convoy WP.183 (Ty Lieut. Nicolas Leadley Brown RNVR) attacked by E-boats in Lyme Bay. HMT MANOR (M238) (P.No.FY.333) (Skipper Benjamin Pile, RNR) torpedoed and sunk in position 50.19N 03.01W in 60m. Twenty-nine crew MPK, sole survivor, 2nd Hand Cyril Foale, picked up from the water and landed at Yarmouth, IoW.
1944: Assigned to Operation Neptune – Normandy landings.
23.5.1944: Convoy escort duties in British waters.
4.6.1944: Sailed Milford Haven escorting convoy EBC2 to Solent.
7.6.1944: Sailed Solent as Force B (Escort Group 144).
8.6.1944: Arrived Western Task Force area.
06.1944: Escort across the Channel in support of landings.
03.07.1944: Operation Neptune ended.
18.9.1945: Escorting (Lieut. M. Bishop RNVR) damaged French submarine MINERVE, Liverpool-Cherbourg, in tow of former French tug ELAN II. In gale conditions in Lyme Bay decided to round Portland Bill and shelter in Portland. Tug lost tow in race and submarine went ashore on Chesil Beach. Returned to scene in very bad weather and sustained extensive minor damage.
1946: Laid up at Milford Haven on Disposal List (SORF, Pembroke Dock).
26.4.1946: Sold to J. Marr & Son Ltd (64/64), Fleetwood for £12,650.
8.1946: Re-classed at Manchester. Registered at Fleetwood as CARELLA (FD216). Geoffrey Edwards Marr appointed manager.
13.12.1948: Sold to Henderson’s Trawling Co Ltd (64/64), Hull for £61,000. Geoffrey Edwards Marr appointed manager. William Stevenson, St. Anne’s-on-the-Sea appointed manager.
5.1.1949: Fleetwood registry closed.
6.1.1949: Registered at Hull (H4).
19.1.1949: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to Martins Bank Ltd, Liverpool (A).
2.8.1949: Last landing at Hull (Sk. J. Mallon). From White Sea 2194 kits, £5209 gross.
29.8.1949: First landing at Fleetwood. From White Sea 1713 kits, £2626 gross.
27.9.1949: One of five trawlers that went aground in the Wyre Channel in thick fog when outward for the fishing grounds. Refloated next tide and proceeded.
28.9.1949: Outward for White Sea grounds (Sk. R. T. Birch). In thick fog 3 miles from Mull of Galloway in collision with BTC steamer DUKE of ARGYLL(3799grt/1928) sustaining minor damage and proceeded.
19.10.1949: Landed 1441 kits, £4043 gross.
7.2.1950: Last landing at Fleetwood. Landed 1919 kits, £2844 gross. Returned to Hull.
19.10.1951: Mortgage (A) discharged.
19.10.1951: Sold to Dinas Steam Trawling Co Ltd (64/64), Fleetwood.
24.10.1951: Frank Marr, appointed manager.
1952: Homeward from Icelandic grounds ignored warnings not to proceed through The Minch and ran through the extremities of a trial (Operation Cauldron) of biological agents. Crew subsequently monitored covertly for any signs of illness. *
27.7.1953: Hull registry closed.
7.1953: Registered at Fleetwood (FD319).
4.1959: Alleged fishing inside Icelandic 4 mile limit.
1.6.1959: Company taken over by J. Marr & Son Ltd (64/64), Fleetwood (Geoffrey Edwards Marr, Hull, manager).
7.11.1959: Sold to BISCO and allocated to West of Scotland Shipbreaking Co Ltd, Troon for breaking up.
18.11.1959: Sailed Fleetwood for Troon.
19.11.1959: Delivered Troon Harbour (draughts 3’9”/15’9”).
23.2.1960: Breaking commenced.
2.3.1960: Beached (draughts 7’0”/10’6”).
9.6.1960: Breaking completed. Fleetwood registry closed.
*-It was never quite clear why CARELLA chose to ignore the instruction to go outside rather than through the Minch or to what extent the vapours spread into the atmosphere from the test site.
Click to enlarge images
HMT Ruby
Picture from the Internet
HMT Ruby
Picture from the Internet
S.T. Carella H4
Picture courtesy of The Mike Thompson Collection
Changelog
16/01/2009: Page published. 8 updates since then.
29/10/2019: Information updated.