Technical
Admiralty Number: 4256
Official Number: 144393
Yard Number: 899
Completed: 1919
Gross Tonnage: 324
Net Tonnage: 324
Length: 138.3 ft
Breadth: 23.7 ft
Depth: 148 ft
Built: Cochrane & Sons Ltd, Selby
Engine: 600ihp T.3-cyl and boiler by C. D. Holmes & Co Ltd, Hull
History
28.6.1919: Launched by Cochrane & Sons Ltd, Selby (Yd.No.899) (“Mersey” class) for The Admiralty as ROBERT MURRAY (Ad.No.4256).
23.02.1920: Registered by The Admiralty at London (Part I & IV) as ROBERT MURRAY O.N.144393 (LO337).
26.02.1920: Completed as a fishing vessel under Special Survey of Lloyd’s Register and classed 100A1 Stm Trawler at Hull; ex fishing gear.
05.03.1920: Delivered. Laid up.
1920: Allocated to the National Fishery Scheme for the setting up of the Minesweepers’ Cooperative Trawling Society Ltd, London.
13.08.1920: Minesweepers’ Cooperative Trawling Society Ltd, London registered.
01.1921: Not to proceed to Chatham as previously ordered but to remain laid up at Hull pending further instructions.
01.1922: Scheme abandoned, the necessary working capital of £100,000 having not been subscribed.
3.1923: Sold to Irish Free State Government, Dublin.
28.3.1923: London registry closed.
3.1923: Registered at Dublin.
4.5.1923: Commissioned in the Irish Free State Coastal & Marine Service, Dublin.
31.3.1924: Decommissioned. Transferred to Commissioners of Public Works in Saorstat Eireann, Dublin (James J. Healy, manager).
1925: For sale.
26.1.1926: Sold to George L. Young & Richard M. Fleming, Culdaff, Co. Donegal.
2.1926: Sold to Cygnet Steam Fishing Co Ltd, Fleetwood.
2.1926: Dublin registry closed.
11.2.1926: Registered at Fleetwood (FD90). Thomas Cardwell designated manager.
19.4.1927: Sailed Fleetwood for St. Kilda with a survey party, mails and provisions.
1929: Fleetwood top trawler (558 tons).
15.10.1934: Arrived Fleetwood and reported stood by Liverpool steamer HUBERT (3946grt/1910), Liverpool for Troon which had broken away from Glasgow tug CHIEFTAIN (196grt/1930) in Morecambe Bay in heavy seas and galeforce winds. Tug reconnected and proceeded on passage.
1935: Fleetwood top trawler (576 tons).
14.4.1938: Sold to Thomas Cardwell & Robert H. Bagshaw, Fleetwood. R. W. Mason designated manager.
26.5.1938: Registered at Fleetwood as NORTHLYN (FD90).
14.2.1939: Sailed Fleetwood for West of Scotland grounds (Sk. Harry Maulkinson); twelve crew.
16.2.1939: Put into Campbeltown with boiler trouble. Whilst alongside caught fire in forecastle, hoses rigged but too intense to extinguish and pulled away from quay and beached to prevent damage to other craft. Fire damped down, pumped clear of water, re-berthed and fire extinguished by local brigade.
17.2.1939: Arrived Fleetwood from Campbeltown under own power.
27.6.1939: Sold to Robert H. Bagshaw, Fleetwood. Robert Bagshaw designated managing owner.
7. 10.1939: Requisitioned for war service as a boom defence vessel (P.No.Z.103) (Hire rate £105.6.0d/month). Cost of conversion £15,596.
18.11.1943: Sold to The Cevic Steam Fishing Co Ltd, Fleetwood (Richard Neave, manager).
7.12.1943: Compulsorily acquired by M.O.W.T.
23.5.1944: Assigned to Operation Neptune – Normandy landings.
3.7.1944: Operation Neptune ended.
1945: Based at Portsmouth/Portland (Fraser & White Ltd, Portsmouth, agents).
10.5.1945: In Weymouth Bay escorted Uboat (U249) to Portland for formal surrender. The first U-boat to surrender following cessation of hostilities. U.236 had surfaced off the Isles of Scilly on 8.5.1945 and indicated to a US Airforce Liberator based at Dunkerswell, Devon that she wished to surrender. Escorted by HMShips AMETHYST (P.No.U16) and MAGPIE (P.No.U82)_) and delivered to Weymouth Bay.
11.1945: Paid off, C&M at Rosyth.
12.1.1946: Fleetwood registry closed. Estimated cost of re-conditioning £7,500.
7.3.1947: Sold to The Cevic Steam Fishing Co Ltd, Fleetwood. Re-registered at Fleetwood (FD90). Richard Neave appointed manager.
4.1.1955: Sold to Saint Andrew’s Steam Fishing Co Ltd, Hull. Basil Arthur Parkes designated manager.
4.1955: Sold to Jacques Bakker en Zonen, Bruges for breaking up.
21.4.1955: Delivered to Bruges.
4.1955: Fleetwood registry closed.
(Robert Murray. OS (volunteer), age 24, b. London – VICTORY (SB288))
Click to enlarge images
S.T. Northlyn FD90
Picture courtesy of The Greenday Collection
S.T. Northlyn FD90
HMT Northlyn
Picture courtesy of Uboat archive
S.T. Northlyn FD90
Changelog
28/01/2009: Page published. 5 revisions since then.
17/12/2014: Information updated.
02/03/2015: Picture added.
09/06/2016: Information updated.
16/01/2017: Information updated.