S.T. Northern Gem LO109

Technical

Official Number: 164666
Yard Number: 546
Completed: July 1936
Gross Tonnage: 655
Net Tonnage: 254
Length 188.1: ft
Breadth 28.1: ft
Depth 15.5: ft
Engine: T.3-cyl & LP turbine with DR gearing & hydraulic coupling by Deutsche Schiffs und Maschinenbau AG Seebeck, Wesermünde.
Built: Deutsche Schiffs und Maschinenbau AG Seebeck, Wesermünde,

History

1936: Ordered by Leverhulme Ltd, London to absorb frozen credits in Germany.
6.1936: Completed by Deutsche Schiff und Maschinenbau AG Seebeck, Wesermünde (Yd.No.546) for MacLine Ltd, London (Leverhulme Ltd) as NORTHERN GEM.
22.6.1936: Registered at London (LO109). Operating out of Fleetwood (Edward D. W. Lawford, manager).
15.7.1936: First landing at Fleetwood from Iceland, 940 kits 40 baskets – 941 boxes £884 gross.
29.9.1937: Last landing at Fleetwood, 990 boxes £689 gross.
9.10.1937: Sold to Northern Trawlers Ltd, London (Henry Markham Cook, manager).
8.1939: Landed at Grimsby prior to survey and Admiralty trials.
9.1939: Sold to The Admiralty (£32,963) and fitted out as an anti-submarine trawler (P.No.FY.194).
21.9.1939: Ch. Sk. Laurence Frederick Scarlett DSC RD RNR appointed CO.
11.3.1940: London registry closed.
1940: Northern patrol based at Kirkwall.
4/5.1940: Norwegian Campaign. Also NORTHERN DAWN (P.No.FY.146), NORTHERN SPRAY (P.No.FY.146) and NORTHERN WAVE (FY.153). The last ship out of Narvik.
21.8.1940: Sk. Lieut. William John Valentine Mullender DSC RNR appointed CO.
1941: Transferred to Iceland Command.
From 8.1941: Convoy escort duties Russian convoys.
27.6 – 4.7.1942: Escorting convoy PQ17 – Reykjavik – Murmansk/Archangel.
12.1942: Sk. Horace Charles Aisthorpe RNR appointed CO.
22.12.1942: Sailed Loch Ewe escorting convoy JW-51B – Loch Ewe – Kola Inlet.
31.12.1942: Convoy attacked by German surface forces. At 11.15 am. destroyer HMS ACHATES (P.No.H12) (Lt Cdr. A. H. T. Johns RN) laying smokescreen to protect convey hit by shells from German heavy cruiser ADMIRAL HIPPER. At 1.30pm. 135nm ESE of Bear Island ACHATES foundered 73.18N 30.06E. Rescued 81 survivors, unfortunately one died onboard.
14.4.1943: Act/Sk. Lieut. Walter Charles King RNR appointed CO.
21.4.1943: Convoy ONS-5 sailed Liverpool for Halifax, NS.
29.4.1943: American steamer McKEESPORT (6198grt/1919) (Capt Oscar John Lohr) torpedoed in North Atlantic (60.52N 34.20W) by U-boat (U258). On scene and picked up 68 survivors.
8.5.1943: Landed 67 survivors at Saint John, NB, one died of exposure on route.
1944: Assigned to Operation Neptune – Normandy landings.
23.5.1944: Convoy escort duties in British waters and across the Channel in support of landings.
3.7.1944: Operation Neptune ended.
20.10.1945: A Control Committee was formed to manage Hull and Grimsby trawlers which had been bought by the Admiralty pre war and were being offered for sale back by Admiralty Deal to their original owners. The owners who bought back these vessels and wanted to take part in the scheme agreed to register the trawlers under the Hull Ice Co. Ltd and profits were shared. Management of the trawlers was given to the companies which had bought them.
30.11.1945: Returned.
11.1945: Repurchased from the Admiralty through the Hull Ice Co Ltd, Hull Control Committee (Admiralty Deal) allocated to the Northern & Shire Group (taking into account the 3 trawlers lost by Shire) paid for by 4 instalments – Total £23,062.
2.1946: Refurbished and surveyed at Liverpool.
2.1946: Remeasured 620g 254n.
26.2.1946: Registered at Grimsby (GY204).
1.11.1946: Sold to Northern Trawlers Ltd, London (William Arthur Bennett, Grimsby, manager).
3.1948: Converted for burning oil fuel, F.P. above 150° F.
3.1948: Remeasured 620g 238n.
1953: Made one trip to Greenland fishery.
Pre 1959: John Bennett appointed manager.
24.2.1960: John Arthur Butt appointed manager.
6.1966: Sold to Scrappingco S.r.l, Antwerp for breaking up.
15.6.1966: Delivered Antwerp.
27.6.1966: Grimsby registry closed.

PDF Document The Perils Of U-boat Alley

Click to enlarge images

S.T. Northern Gem LO109

S.T. Northern Gem LO109
Picture from the Internet

S.T. Northern Gem LO109

S.T. Northern Gem LO109
Picture from The Osta Collection

HMT Northern Gem

HMT Northern Gem leaving harbour at Hvalfjord, Iceland
Picture reproduced under IWM Non-Commercial Licence

Northern Gem GY204

Northern Gem GY204
Picture courtesy of The Mark Stopper Collection

S.T. Northern Gem LO109

S.T. Northern Gem GY204
Picture from the Internet.

Changelog
15/01/2009: Page published. 7 updates since then.
21/11/2017: Removed FMHT watermarks from images.
30/06/2021: Updated information.