Additional Material courtesy of Mike Thompson

Technical

Official Number: 108527
Yard Number: 551
Completed: 1897
Gross Tonnage: 143
Net Tonnage: 39
Length: 106 ft
Breadth: 20.6 ft
Depth: 10.9 ft
Engine: 300ihp T.3-cyl and boiler by N.E. Marine Engineering Co Ltd, Sunderland
Built: Edward Bros, North Shields

History

20.5.1897: Launched by Edwards Bros, North Shields (Yd.No.551) for Kelsall Brothers & Beeching Ltd, Manchester as PIGEON.
21.6.1897: Registered at Fleetwood (FD171).
1897: Completed (John E. A. Kelsall & George Beeching, Fleetwood, managers).
1899: Transferred to Hull.
8.4.1899: Registered at Hull (H155).
12.5.1899: Fleetwood registry closed.
11.9.1903: E. Folkard, 3rd Hand committed suicide by jumping overboard and was drowned.
5.11.1911: In North Sea (Sk.C. G. Wilkins) in a strong gale and heavy sea at about 6.15pm. heard a whistle blowing. Approached and found steam trawler BASSEIN (H68) in distress. Skipper asked to standby as he had shipped a heavy sea and was filling with water.
6.11.1911: Situation deteriorated, distress signals shown and skipper requested crew to be taken off. About 2.30am. boat launched and crew of nine taken off. Vessel listing heavily to starboard and hoping for a moderation in weather, laid by until the following morning.
7.11.1911: At about 4.30am BASSEIN foundered. (Later Bosun Frederick George Gowen, Hull and 3rd Hand Frank Clayton, Grimsby of PIGEON awarded BoT Sea Gallantry Medal (bronze) for rescue).
9.1.1912: Bosun E. Costello had finger and thumb taken of when hand trapped by boat painter during transfer to cutter.
2.9.1912: Re-measured after lengthening at Goole to 118.2 ft 166g 69n.
2.9.1912: Hull registry closed and vessel registered anew in consequence of material alterations (H155).
8.9.1911: Registered office transferred to Hull (George Beeching, Hull & John E. A. Kelsall, London, managers).
11.1914: Requisitioned for war service as a minesweeper (1-6pdr HA) (Ad.No.378).
12.1915: Renamed PIGEON II. Based The Nore.
By 12.3.1919: Returned to owner at Hull. Reverted to PIGEON (H155).
7.6.1919: John Slater, London appointed manager.
22.10.1928: Robert Burton appointed manager.
1931: Sold to George Duncan, Mallaig.
1931: Sold to Star Fishing Co Ltd, London (George Duncan, Mallaig, manager).
25.10.1933: Reported alongside at Fraserbugh in sinking condition, apparently abandoned.
1933: Sold for breaking up.
31.12.1934: Hull registry closed “Broken up”.

Click to enlarge image

S.T. Pigeon FD171
Picture courtesy of The David Slinger Collection

Changelog
16/01/2009: Page published. 4 updates since then.
08/09/2017: Removed FMHT watermark from image.
13/07/2021: Updated history and technical details.