Technical

Official Number: 163160
Yard Number: 578
Completed: 1933
Gross Tonnage: 422
Net Tonnage: 162
Length: 154.6 ft
Breadth: 25.6 ft
Depth: 13.9 ft
Built: Cook, Welton & Gemmell Ltd, Beverley
Engine: 111nhp T.3-cyl and boiler by Charles D. Holmes & Co Ltd, Hull
Speed 11.4 knots

History

6.9.1933: Launched by Cook, Welton & Gemmell Ltd, Beverley (Yd.No.578) for Hellyer Bros. Ltd, Hull as ARAB.
7.10.1933: Registered at Hull (H516).
12.10.1933: Completed (Frank O. Hellyer & Owen S. Hellyer, joint managers).
10.10.1935: Sailed Hull for Bear Island on last trip (Sk. E. Garret).
29/30.10.1935: At Hull landed 2,172 kits £1,011 gross.
11.1935: Sold to The Admiralty.
14.11.1939: Hull registry closed. Fitted out as a “Tree” class minesweeper . Renamed HMS CEDAR (P.No.T.01).
23.5.1944: Assigned to Operation Neptune – Normandy landings (PLUTO project).
6.1944: Carried PLUTO (Pipe Line Under The Sea) reconnaissance party to beach head.
3.7.1944: Operation Neptune ended.
7.1946: Sold to Iago Steam Trawler Co Ltd, Fleetwood (Cdr. E. D. W. Lawford DSO, manager). Registered at London as RED GAUNTLET (LO33).
7.1946: Converted at Barrow-in-Furness for burning oil fuel, F.P. above 150° F.
26.7.1947: Sailed Fleetwood for Spitzbergen/Bear Island grounds (Sk. William H. Hicks); twenty crew (At Honningsvaag took on two Norwegian gutters).
10.8.1947: After fishing to the W of the southern tip of Spitzbergen decided to move grounds but failed to obtain an accurate position and about 12.00 noon set course (SE x E1/2E) for grounds between Bear Island and Hope Island – little wind and smooth sea. At about about 2.30 p.m. a rock was observed to port and the land was visible but ahead was a fog bank. At about 3.15 p.m. stranded on the southern tip of the rocks south of Sorkapp, Spitsbergen. Vessel pounded and filled, lifeboat launched and all crew including the two Norwegian gutters abandoned the vessel but stayed in the vicinity for a while until the fog lifted and they were able to pull over to steam trawler NORTHERN SPRAY (GY190) (Sk. Martin Peterson) which had responded to SOS. An attempt was made by by part of the crew to return to the vessel but this was unsuccessful. Crew were landed at Grimsby.
19.12.1947: At the BOT Formal Investigation (No. S.406), the Court found that the loss was caused by the fault or default of the skipper, William Henry Hicks and by fault or default of the second hand, Richard Wright. The skippers ticket was suspended for six months with £100 costs and that of the second hand (skippers ticket) for three months with £25 costs.

For BOT investigation click HERE

Click to enlarge images

HMS Cedar
Picture from the Internet

HMS Cedar
Picture courtesy of The Imperial War Museum

S.T. Red Gauntlet LO33
Picture courtesy of The Alan Hirst Collection

Changelog
18/01/2009: Page published. 5 updates since then.
29/06/2019: Information updated and image added.