Additional information courtesy of David Slinger and Mike Thompson

Technical

Official Number: 163176
Yard Number: 587
Completed: 1934
Gross Tonnage: 425.54
Net Tonnage: 159.96
Length: 154.6 ft
Breadth: 25.6 ft
Depth: 13.9 ft
Engine: 700ihp T.3-cyl and boiler by C. D. Holmes & Co Ltd, Hull
Built: Cook Welton & Gemmell Ltd, Beverley
Speed: 11.5 knots

History

18.12.1933: Launched by Cook, Welton & Gemmell Ltd, Beverley (Yd.No.587) for Hellyer Bros. Ltd, Hull as DERVISH.
23.1.1934: Registered at Hull (H8).
29.1.1934: Completed (Frank O. Hellyer & Owen S. Hellyer, managers).
31.1.1934: Sailed Hull on first trip to Icelandic grounds (Sk. I. Petersen).
21.2.1934: At Hull landed 1,347 kits grossed £1,684.
27.4.1934: At Hull (Sk. G. Myhre) landed from a Bear Island trip 1,030 kits grossed £1017 but reported Mate, W. Harrison (37), lost overboard on 14.4.1934.
22.8.1934: Reported. Picked up British airman John Grierson attempting to fly from Rochester, England to Ottawa, Canada by the northern route and after leaving Reykjavik, forced to land on deserted coast. Wireless message picked up and rescue effected.
9.1935: As a result of the Abyssinian crisis and failure of British diplomacy, the Government authorised The Admiralty to procure twenty modern trawlers for conversion to minor warships.
9.10.1935: Following successful trials sold to The Admiralty.
8.11.1935: Hull registry closed. Fitted out to a “Gem” class anti-submarine trawler. Renamed HMS PEARL (P.No.T.22).
1940: Adopted by the town of Padiham, Lancashire.
1944: Assigned to Operation Neptune – Normandy landings.
23.5.1944: Convoy escort duties in British waters and across the Channel in support of landings.
3.7.1944: Operation Neptune ended.
1946: Laid up at Milford Haven on Disposal List (SORF, Pembroke Dock).
9.4.1946: Sold to J. Marr & Son Ltd, Fleetwood for £14500.
10.5.1946: Geoffrey Edwards Marr designated manager.
12.1946: New boiler fitted.
12.1946: Reclassed at Fleetwood and registered at Hull as WESTELLA (H349). Transferred to Hull.
19.6.1948: Sold to Pegasus Trawling Co Ltd (64/64), St. Anne’s-on-the-Sea for £67000.
23.6.1948: William Stevenson, St. Anne’s-on-the-Sea designated manager.
30.6.1948: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to Midland Bank Ltd, London (A).
23.7.1948: Mortgage transferred to Williams Deacon’s Bank Ltd, London (A).
2.1.1951: Leslie Arthur Burnam designated manager.
11.5.1951: Mortgage (A) discharged.
11.5.1951: Sold to Dinas Steam Trawling Co Ltd (64/64), Fleetwood.
11.5.1951: Frank Marr, Cleveleys designated manager.
15.9.1953: Hull registry closed.
9.1953: Registered at Fleetwood (FD318).
1.6.1959: Company taken over by J. Marr & Son Ltd (64/64), Fleetwood.
8.1959: Sold to Van Heyghen Freres S.A., Ghent for breaking up.
14.8.1959: Sailed Fleetwood for Ghent.
18.8.1959: Delivered Ghent. Fleetwood registry closed.

Click to enlarge images

S.T. Westella FD318
Picture courtesy of The Alan Hirst Collection

S.T. Westella FD318
Picture from the Internet

S.T. Westella H349
Picture courtesy of The Mark Stopper Collection

HMT Pearl
Picture reproduced under IWM Non-Commercial Licence

HMT Pearl
Picture reproduced under IWM Non-Commercial Licence

Changelog
22/01/2009: Page published. 7 updates since then.
24/04/2017: Removed disputed image and FMHT watermark. Added another image.
25/07/2018: Updated information.
15/02/2020: Updated information.