Additional information courtesy of Andy Hall
Technical
Admiralty Number: 4250
Official Number: 144023
Yard Number: 893
Completed: 1919
Gross Tonnage: 327
Net Tonnage: 129
Length: 138.3 ft
Breadth: 23.7 ft
Depth: 12.7 ft
Built: Cochrane & Sons Ltd, Selby
Engine: 600ihp T.3-cyl and boiler by Charles D. Holmes & Co Ltd, Hull
History
1.5.1919: Launched by Cochrane & Sons Ltd, Selby (Yd.No.893) (“Mersey” class) for The Admiralty as JAMES McLAUGHLIN McLaughlin (Ad.No.4250).
5.2.1919: Forms for tender to purchase received by the Admiralty.
1919: Sold to Hellyer Brothers Ltd, Hull for £13,875.
7.11.1919: Completed as a fishing vessel. Total cost including fit out £23,799.6.6d. Frank O. Hellyer & Owen S. Hellyer designated managers.
18.11.1919: Registered at Hull (Part I & !V) as GENERWL BIRDWOOD O.N.1440023 (H121).
11.2.1922: At Hull City Police Courts, four fishermen, John Dibb, Bosun and deckhands Michael Quilligan, Frederick Osborne and William Quilligan were charged with disobedience by failing to sail in the trawler. Order was given on 6th Feb to be onboard next morning to go to sea; they were paid from this day.
7.2.1922: The men remained near the ship until 1.50 pm and at 2.00 pm were told to go onboard as the trawler was ready for sea. Having looked around, the men left the vessel, contending that there was five tons of coal still on deck, the bunker lids were off, hatches were not battened down and she was unfit to proceed into the Humber; this was denied by the owners. There were previous convictions against each of the men except Osborne. Dibb was fined £3 12 6d, Michael Quilligan £2gns, Osborne £2gns and William Quilligan £3gns, or in default, 28 days in prison in each case.
3.6.1922: William Ainsworth (40), deckhand, lost overboard on the fishing grounds.
1.4.1926: Outwards for Iceland, called Kirkwall for boiler repairs. On completion resumed passage.
1928: Fish carrier for halibut fishery in the Davis Strait, Greenland. A joint venture between Hellyer’s and Engvold Baldesheim of Trondheim.
24.11.1933: Sold to Fred Parkes, Blackpool & Basil Arthur Parkes, Cleveleys. Basil Arthur Parkes designated managing owner.
14.3.1935: A call was received for crewman James Martin to return to Fleetwood owing to his wife’s illness. Sadly she died a short time later.
19.4.1939: On the West of Scotland grounds, started to take in water. Steamed 100 miles to Oban and on arrival beached for repair.
8.1939: After survey, sold to The Admiralty for £6,000.
27.10.1939: Hull registry closed. Fitted out for minesweeping duties (P.No.FY724). Based Freetown with M/S Group 93.
3.1944: Fitted out for smoke making (Esso) trawler and assigned to Operation Neptune – Normandy landings.
11.6.1944: Sailed Solent for Mulberry B with Group A1 as part of Convoy ETC6. Employed smoke making.
3.7.1944: Operation Neptune ended.
5.1946: Sold to Easton Trawling Co Ltd, Swansea. Registered at Swansea as WOODESSE (SA23).
31.7.1948: Company fined for breach of fish quota regulations. Stated their intention to sell the two vessels, WOODESSE and FINESSE.
6.1949: Sold to John S. Boyle Ltd, Glasgow. Richard Allan designated manager.
06.1949: Swansea registry closed.
28.06.1949: Registered at Glasgow (GW6). Fishing out of Granton.
1955: Sold to BISCO and allocated to Malcolm Brechin, Granton for breaking up.
5.1955: Delivered Granton.
5.1955: Glasgow registry closed.
(James McLaughlin, Landsman (volunteer), age 26, b. Co. Roscommon, Ireland – VICTORY (SB157))
Click to enlarge image
S.T. General Birdwood H121
Picture © John Clarkson
S.T. General Birdwood H121
Changelog
26/12/2009: Page published. 3 updates since then.
02/01/2018: Removed FMHT watermark from images.
25/07/2020: Updated history.