S.T. Cloughton Wyke FD46

Technical

Admiralty Number: 3832
Official Number: 143856
Yard Number: 839
Completed: 1918
Gross Tonnage: 338
Net Tonnage: 134
Length: 138.5 ft
Breadth: 23.5 ft
Depth: 13.0 ft
Built: Cochrane & Sons Ltd, Selby
Engine: 600ihp T.3-cyl and boiler by Charles D. Holmes & Co Ltd, Hull

History

17.1.1918: Launched by Cochrane & Sons Ltd, Selby (Yd.No.839) (“Mersey” class) for The Admiralty as JOHN JOHNSON (Ad.No.3832).
4.4.1918: Completed (1-12pdr, hydrophone and W/T).
19.4.1918: Accepted.
20.11.1919: Registered by The Admiralty at London (Part I) as JOHN JOHNSON O.N.143856. Engaged in commercial trawling.
03.02.1920: Registered at London (Part IV) (LO291).
1920: Allocated to the National Fishery Scheme for the setting up of the Minesweepers’ Cooperative Trawling Society Ltd, London.
13.08.1920: Minesweepers’ Cooperative Trawling Society Ltd, London registered.
07.1921: At HM Dockyard, Pembroke fitted out for fishing under Special Survey of Lloyd’s Register and classed 100 A1 Stm Trawler at Milford.
01.1922: Scheme abandoned, the necessary working capital of £100,000 having not been subscribed. Laid up.
1922: Sold to Ernest Wilfred Robins & William John Robbins, Hull. Ernest Wilfred Robins & William John Robbins designated joint managing owners.
5.10.1922: London registry closed.
18.10.1922: Registered at Hull as CLOUGHTON WYKE (H705).
25.1.1923: Sold to West Dock Steam Fishing Co Ltd, Hull. Ernest W. Robins appointed manager.
25.1.1923: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to The National Provincial & Union Bank of England, London (A).
6.2.1924: Mortgagee re-styled National Provincial Bank Ltd.
29.5.1929: Mortgage (A) discharged.
31.5.1929: Sold to Dinas Steam Trawling Co Ltd, Fleetwood
3.6.1929: Hull registry closed.
4.6.1929: Registered at Fleetwood (FD46). Joseph Arthur Marr appointed manager.
1.1931: Stranded on Grey Island, Sound of Mull. Refloated and returned to service.
13.6.1932: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to William Deacons Bank Ltd, London (B).
21.10.1935: Delivered disabled Norwegian steamer STAR (1332grt/1922) to tug off Cumbrae Heads, Firth of Clyde.
Pre 4.1940: Employed on Fishery Protection (WA/Fort William/Fleetwood).
26.5.1940: At 6.57pm. ‘Operation Dynamo’ (Dunkirk evacuation) put into effect.
1-4.6.1940: At Dunkirk evacuation.
4.6.1940: Requisitioned for war service as an auxiliary patrol vessel (Hire rate £97.4.0d/month).
15-25.6.1940: Operation Ariel *.
15.6.1940: Left French coast.
20.6.1940: At Plymouth.
9.1941: Fitted out as a minesweeper.
2.2.1942: Sunk by German aircraft in Humber estuary in position 52.59N 01.18.30E (Ty/Sk. C.S. Larter OBE DSC RNR) (four crew MPK, Sk. Larter wounded) along with CAPE SPARTEL (H23) (Lt. J.R. Grundy RNR).
22.10.1942: Fleetwood registry closed.

*Operation Ariel – withdrawal of remaining troops of the British Expeditionary Force from France plus other nationals, civil and military.

(MPK – Alexander G. Sutherland, A/Ldg Seaman; Arthur J. Baker, AB; Ernest Pellow, seaman; John H. Jackson, O/signalm

Notes 1 CLOUGHTON WYKE has a great interest for me. It was the vessel that brought my father off the beaches north of Dunkirk. The only time he would ever mentioned the war was to relate how himself and Lawrence Horsley “commandeered” a motorcycle and ran north to La Panne. When they got there the place was in flames but there was a Fleetwood trawler tied up alongside a burning jetty. On the foc’sle head was a group of deckies, oblivious to the shot and shell whistling all around them, betting cigarettes as to who could hit the church bell with the .303 Lee Enfield the trawler was armed with. As they pulled up, the wheelhouse window dropped and the skipper (I wish I knew who it was) leaned out and shouted “Hello Jim, need a lift home?” It was an acquaintance of his and he came straight back to Fleetwood from the Hell that was Dunkirk.

Notes 2 CLOUGHTON WYKE was converted into a minesweeper and was sunk in the Humber estuary after being attacked by German aircraft. The following quote indicates the severity of attacks at that time.
“That February was indeed the Luftwaffe’s swan song over the shipping routes, for it carried out more attacks in Nore Command waters that month (fifty) than since the previous May. All but one were in the Humber and Yarmouth Sub-Commands. The 2nd and the 5th were the worst days. On the former the Grimsby and Yarmouth M/S and patrol trawlers were attacked on station by at least twenty planes, and Grimsby’s CAPE SPARTEL and Yarmouth’s CLOUGHTON WYKE were sunk. On the latter a convoy as well as scattered warships were targets. The Harwich A/S trawler KINGSTON OLIVINE was strafed near 54G Buoy, without damage or casualties.

S.T. Cloughton Wyke FD46

S.T. Cloughton Wyke FD46
Picture courtesy of The David Slinger Collection

S.T. Cloughton Wyke FD46

S.T. Cloughton Wyke FD46
Picture courtesy of The David Slinger Collection

S.T. Cloughton Wyke FD46

S.T. Cloughton Wyke FD46
Picture from the Internet

Changelog
14/01/2009: Page published. 3 updates since then.
06/12/2016: Information added.
22/12/2019: Information updated.
02/12/2020: Images added.