Technical

Admiralty Number: 4210
Official Number: 139815
Yard Number: 452
Completed: 1919
Gross Tonnage: 276
Net Tonnage: 122
Length: 125.6 ft
Breadth: 23.6 ft
Depth: 12.7 ft
Engine: T.3-cyl by Bellis & Morcom, Birmingham
Built: J. Duthie Torry Shipbuilding Co, Aberdeen

History

6.1919: Launched by J. Duthie Torry Shipbuilding Co, Aberdeen (Yd.No.452) (“Castle” class) for The Admiralty as THOMAS LEEDS (Ad.No.4210).
12.9.1919: Completed as a fishing vessel.
1919: Sold to Onward Steam Trawlers (Fleetwood) Ltd (Walter Morley, manager).
11.12.1919: Registered at Aberdeen (A256).
19.12.1923: Sk. George Hughes fined £100 or alternatively 60 days imprisonment at Rothesay for engaging in otter trawling within the prohibited limit in the Firth of Clyde.
20.10.1927: Registered at Aberdeen as SAINT GABRIEL (A256).
1928: Sold to Iago Steam Trawler Co Ltd, London & Milford Haven (Edward D. W. Lawford, manager).
19.3.1928: Aberdeen registry closed.
20.3.1928: Registered at London (LO131).
16.5.1928: Registered at London as THOMAS LEEDS (LO131).
11.2.1930: Sold to H. Westenborg, R.Garrett & L. Jones, Milford Haven (Herman Westenborg, managing owner).
2.1930: London registry closed.
14.2.1930: Registered at Milford (M70).
21.10.1936: While stowing gear prior to leaving Irish grounds with herring (Sk. Reginald High), Third hand William Horton (34) fell overboard and was drowned.
31.3.1937: On West coast of Ireland grounds, condenser door blew off. Effected repair but requested tow to Milford.
1.4.1937: THOMAS DEAS (M253) connected.
3.4.1937: Delivered to Milford.
27.8.1939: Requisitioned for war service as a minesweeper (1-12pdr) (P.No.FY.520)(Hire rate £86.5.0d/month).
5.1941: Sold to H. Westenborg & R.Garrett, Milford Haven (Hermann Westenborg, managing owner).
19.5.1941: Off East Coast engaged and with three other trawlers shot down Heinkel 111 (Temp Sk. R. A. Cook RNR).
18.11.1945: Sold to Westenborg Trawlers Ltd, Milford Haven (Hermann Westenborg, manager).
11.1945: Returned.
3.1952: Laid up at Milford.
9.1952: Returned to fishing.
1953: Sold to Colonial Development Corporation, London. For transfer to Nigeria.
1954: Sold to Nigerian Shipping & Trade Co Ltd, Lagos. Registered at Milford as STRATHCATHRO (M70).
14.1.1954: Milford registry closed. Registered at Lagos.
5.4.1954: Sailed Milford for Lagos (Capt James Flett, Aberdeen).
25.10.1955: Stranded 13 miles west of Lagos near Ten Mile Beacon. Total loss.

(Thomas Leeds, OS (volunteer), age 22, b. Co. Down, Ireland – VICTORY (SB87))

Click to enlarge images

S.T. Thomas Leeds LO131
Picture courtesy of John Stevenson

HMT Thomas Leeds
Picture reproduced under IWM Non-Commercial Licence

Changelog
08/01/2009: Page published. 4 updates since then.
23/04/2018: Removed FMHT watermark from image.