Additional information courtesy of Andy Hall

Technical

Official Number: 110860
Yard Number: 341
Completed: 1900
Gross Tonnage: 181.58
Net Tonnage: 70.99
Length: 110.2 ft
Breadth: 21.2 ft
Depth: 11.4 ft
Built: Hall, Russell & Co Ltd, Aberdeen
Engine: T.3-cyl and boiler by Hall, Russell & Co Ltd, Aberdeen

History

8.11.1900: Launched by Hall, Russell & Co Ltd, Aberdeen (Yd.No.341) for The Fraserburgh & North of Scotland Steam Trawling Co Ltd, Fraserburgh as RATTRAY.
12.1900: Completed. Samuel Robb, Aberdeen designated manager.
11.12.1900: Registered at Fraserburgh (FR834).
12.12.1900: Sailed Aberdeen for Fraserburgh.
20.12.1900: At Fraserburgh, landed over 100 boxes and 10 score of long fish from her maiden trip.
29.1.1901: Arrived Aberdeen (Sk. Whyman) with shell plate damage have drifted onto rocks at Cairnbulg, Aberdeenshire during a gale. Placed on pontoon, keel and six plates set-up. Repairs carried out at a cost of £200.
1902: Robert Laing, Aberdeen designated manager.
31.12.1907: Arrived Aberdeen and reported picking up boat belonging to the steam trawler STAR OF THE WEST (A548) which also arrived Aberdeen. The boat had been lost the previous day during stormy weather.
2.10.1907: On arrival at Aberdeen, Skipper reported the loss of the cook, Vannet Creighton Miller on 30th September whilst fishing in calm seas some 300 miles off Aberdeen in sight of the Holmen Light, Denmark. On hauling and with gutting taking place, Miller was seen washing a frying pan prior to making ready for breakfast. When the crew went aft, some half hour later, the cook was nowhere to be seen. A search was carried out and it was concluded that Miller had fallen overboard. The trawl was hauled and on a reciprocal course a search was carried out but there was no trace of the missing man. Set course for Aberdeen.
19.11.1907: At Aberdeen Sheriff Court the Sheriff gave judgement on the action brought by, Isabella Anderson or Miller, widow of the deceased, Vannet Creighton Miller and her children, against The Fraserburgh & North of Scotland Steam Trawling Co Ltd, Fraserburgh for £300 compensation for the death of her husband. The Sheriff found in favour of the trawling company, that his disappearance is not accounted for by any accident arising out of his employment and therefore assoilzies (releases from blame) the respondents and entitles them to expenses, modified to £1 1s, from the claimants.
22.9.1908: At Aberdeen landed 200 boxes 6 scores long fish.
1909: Company experienced operating problems. Placed in voluntary liquidation.
4.1909: Sold to John Smart Jnr, North Shields.
3.4.1909: Sailed Aberdeen for North Shields.
9.1909: Fraserburgh registry closed.
4.9.1909: Registered at North Shields (SN104). John Smart Jnr designated managing owner.
1.11.1909: Reported sighting a Government floating target raft adrift some 15 miles NNE of Longstone Light as a danger to shipping.
27.3.1912: Arrived Aberdeen with injured mate, Thomas Haddaway (44), North Shields, who while hauling the trawl some 60 miles off Aberdeen, was flung to the deck injuring his back and head. Upon arrival he was transferred to the Royal Infirmary.
4.7.1912: At North Shields landed a twelve-foot shark; sold for 2/6d to the manure factory.
7.6.1913: When some three miles off the Tyne, fireman William Brown fell overboard while tipping ashes. Sk. John Duff jumped in after him, supporting him until the crew got them both back onboard. Brown’s condition was such that Sk. Duff returned to the Tyne for medical assistance.
8.1914: Requisitioned for war service as a minesweeper (Ad.No.357).
13.11.1914: At Lowestoft, parent ship HALCYON.
8.1915: Returned to owner.
10.1915: Sold to John Wintringham Smethurst, Grimsby.
13.10.1915: North Shields registry closed.
18.10.1915: Registered at Grimsby (GY720).
10.1916: Sold to L. Bloom, Grimsby.
1916: Sold to Henry Rachkind, Cleethorpes & others (trading as Rattray Steam Trawling Co). Henry Rachkind designated managing owner.
29.5.1917: Requisitioned for Fishery Reserve.
1919: Released.
1919: New boiler fitted.
1920: Arthur Bannister designated manager.
17.10.1921: At High Court, London, the High Court Official Referees resumed the hearing of the action in which J. Gibbing and Co., ship repairers, of St. Andrew’s Dock, Hull, claimed £3,209 against Rachkind and others (Rattray Steam Trawling Co.), Grimsby, the balance of charges for repairing the trawler. The defendants, who had already paid £2,600 in respect of work done to the vessel, pleaded, their defence, that the plaintiffs had agreed to do the work for £2,148, plus reasonable price for extras. They contended that the £2,600 which they had paid was sufficient to cover the plaintiffs’ claim. The defendants said that the vessel was required for the trawling season of 1920 and the plaintiffs agreed to complete the repairs in eight or nine weeks. The company did not complete the work until April of that year and defendants were in consequence deprived of the use of the vessel for twelve weeks, for which they counter claimed £250 a week (£3,000). The plaintiffs denied the defendants’ allegations, and said that they (the defendants) had ordered a large amount of additional work, which increased the price and caused the delay in respect of which the defendants were counter claiming. After the evidence had been taken, an arrangement was come to, by which judgment was entered for plaintiffs, on the claims for £3,150. On the counter claim, referee held by the contract, the plaintiff was not to be held responsible for the delay, and therefore dismissed the counter-claim.
21.10.1921: By order of the Sheriff of Lincolnshire, pursuant of a writ of Execution from the King’s Bench of the High Court of Justice to be sold by auction.
27.10.1021: At 3.00pm in the Royal Hotel, Grimsby, James Eves, auctioneer and valuer, offered for sale.
27.3.1922 (Regd): Sold to George King, John Smith, Alex Philip & John King, Aberdeen.
4.3.1922: Grimsby registry closed.
27.3.1922: Registered at Aberdeen (A872). George King designated managing owner.
16.12.1929: Sold to George Walker Fowler & Benjamin Allenby (joint owners), Aberdeen. George W. Fowler designated managing owner.
24.5.1931: Sold to George Walker Fowler, Aberdeen. George W. Fowler designated managing owner.
10.1.1934: Some 60 miles E of Aberdeen, disabled with trawl around propeller. Steam trawler ARORA (A320), which was steaming in her wake, connected and delivered Aberdeen.
8.1936: Sold to John Martin, Fleetwood (Gremar Steam Fishing Co, Fleetwood). John Martin designated managing owner.
8.9.1936: First landing at Fleetwood, 40 kits – 35 boxes 15 baskets £98 gross.
30.10.1936: At Barrow Magistrates Court, Sk. Wilfred David Edwards pleaded guilty to a charge of illegal trawling around the Leven estuary on 5th October and was fined £10 with £3 10 2d costs.
23.4.1937: Aberdeen registry closed.
20.5.1937: Registered at Fleetwood (FD77).
8.1937: Sold to Pair Fishing Co Ltd, Milford Haven. John Charles Llewellin designated manager.
17.9.1937: Fleetwood registry closed.
23.9.1937: Registered at Milford (M246).
15.11.1937: Sold to John C. Llewellin, Milford Haven.
9.6.1938: Sold to Henry J. Horwood, West Wickham.
27.11.1940: ‘Pareja’ fishing (Sk. C. K. Cornish) with steam trawler CHARMOUTH (M242) (Sk.J. Mengel) DEMS* AA weapons. When in position 53 30N 12 04W off the Co. Galway coast, at 2.30 GMT attacked by unidentified German aircraft dropping two delayed action bombs on the CHARMOUTH, both of which missed. Returned fire with machine guns, loosing several hundred rounds, the aeroplane finally leaving trailing black smoke. Little damage to the two trawlers, CHARMOUTH had cut her warps and Sk. Cornish recovered the net.
30.11.1940: Five German airmen recovered from an uninhabited island off the coast of Co. Kerry which they had reached in rubber boats after their aircraft had crashed in the sea about six miles off the Blasket Islands, Co. Kerry two days earlier. The Blaskets are approximately 60 nautical miles SE of the position given by the trawlers. Both trawlers credited with bringing down an enemy aircraft.
26.2.1941: Sold to Henry J. Richards, Ruislip.
24.6.1942: Last landing at Milford.
7.1942: Sold to Oliver Curphy, Oreston, Plymouth.
14.8.1942: Sold to Oliver Curphy, Oreston, Plymouth; Gerald Edward Leaman Whitmarsh, Plymouth; Stanley Sanger, London & Edward Hatherley, Plymouth. Oliver Curphy designated managing owner.
21.10.1946: Sold to Gerald E. L. Whitmarsh, Plymouth; Stanley Sanger, London & Edward Hatherley, Plymouth. Gerald E. L. Whitmarsh designated managing owner.
12.1.1949: Sold to Edward Whitmarsh, Edward Hatherley & S. Edgcumbe, Plymouth.
19.4.1950: Milford registry closed. Laid up.
3.1952: Sold to BISCO and allocated to John Cashmore Ltd, Newport, Monmouthshire for breaking up.

Note *: DEMS Gunners involved: RATTRAY – J. P. Luca; CHARMOUTH – C. Dyer. Both Milford Haven.

Changelog
04/01/2009: Page published. 3 updates since then.
17/09/2020: Updated history.