S.T. William Cale LO79 | The Bosun's Watch

Additional information courtesy of David Slinger

Technical

Admiralty Number: 3666
Official Number: 145176
Yard Number: 346
Completed: 1917
As built: 360disp 125.6 x 23.5 x 12.8 feet
Gross Tonnage: 276
Net Tonnage:
Length: 125.6 ft
Breadth: 23.4 ft
Depth: 12.8 ft
Built: Bow, McLachlan & Co Ltd, Paisley
Engine: 480ihp T.3-cyl by Bow, McLachlan & Co Ltd, Paisley
Armament 1 x 12 pdr

History

19.9.1917: Launched by Bow, McLachlan & Co Ltd, Paisley (Yd.No.346) (“Castle” class) for The Admiralty as WILLIAM CALE (Ad.No.3666).
4.10.1917: Completed as a minesweeper (1-12pdr).
13.08.1920: Minesweepers’ Cooperative Trawling Society Ltd, London registered.
1921: Allocated to the Minesweepers’ Cooperative Trawling Society Ltd, London.
22.3.1921: Registered by The Admiralty at London (Part I) as WILLIAM CALE O.N.145176.
11.5.1921: Registered by The Admiralty at London (Part IV) as WILLIAM CALE (LO510).
01.1922: Scheme abandoned, the necessary working capital of £100,000 having not been subscribed. Laid up.
5.1922: Sold to John McR. Knight & Morgan W. Howells, Hakin.
17.6.1922: London registry closed.
21.6.1922: Registered at Milford (M250). John McR. Knight designated managing owner.
29.1.1927: Sold to Iago Steam Trawler Co Ltd, Milford Haven.
29.1.1927: Milford registry closed.
11.5.1927: Registered at London (LO79). Edward D. W. Lawford designated manager.
1930: Transferred to Fleetwood when Edward D. W. Lawford moved his vessels to the port.
29.8.1939: Requisitioned for war service as a minesweeper (P.No. FY.535)(Hire rate £80.10.0d/month).
1.1941: Minesweeping Group 41 based at Hartlepool (Ty/Sk. C. E. Gornall RNR).
1.1942: Minesweeping Group 41 based at Grimsby.
6.12.1942: Off Yorkshire coast in collision with WINHA (3391grt/1904).
26.1.1943: A/Capt Edward Douglas Wyndham Lawford RN awarded DSO for service in HMS POZARICA (P.No.4.261) A/A ship on Russian convoys.
6.1945: Restored and surveyed at Glasgow.
12.7.1945: Returned to owner at Fleetwood.
17.12.1945: At about 3.00am coming down the Minch homewards (Sk.Harry Farrer (55)) in a severe northerly gale and heavy seas, when about five miles off Stornoway, bridle wire of trawl washed overboard and fouled propeller. Tried to clear the wire which had made it impossible to move ahead or astern, but without success and wire chopped away. A sea anchor was made up with the trawl boards but after a while this was carried away and the vessel was blown before the gale to a position some seven miles off Rubn’ Re Light (Rubha Reidh), Wester Ross. The Fleetwood steam trawler RED LANCER (LO442)(Sk. John Tomlinson (42)) homeward from the Icelandic grounds responded to the distress signals, changed course and made for the casualties position. Closing the casualty it was obvious that little could be done until daybreak when, in a northerly wind of hurricane force and heavy seas (glass below 27), attempts were made to get a line onboard by rocket, but the lines all broke and eventually all rockets were expended. At about 10.00am the Stornoway lifeboat, WILLIAM & HARRIET, alerted by the Coastguard at 6.00am, and launched at 7.00am in winds of over 90mph, arrived at the position and stood by. At 2.15pm the coastguard reported that a small fishing boat DELIGHT was drifting ashore in Gruinard Bay near Laid, between Loch Broom and Loch Ewe, Wester Ross and the lifeboat left the scene to go to her assistance. The company trawler RED CHARGER (LO460) sheltering in Stornoway was alerted to assist, but her services were not required. Skilfully manoeuvring his vessel as close to the casualty as possible, Sk. Tomlinson succeeded in floating a line across on corks and this time the tow rope held.
18.12.1945: At 1.30am, twenty-two hours after fouling her propeller, the trawler was brought to anchor in Branahuie Bay, Lewis. At about 9.30am they came into Stornoway and the trawler was beached for removal of the wire from her shaft and propeller.
1955: Sold to BISCO and allocated to West of Scotland Shipbreaking Co Ltd, Troon for breaking up.
18.10.1955: Arrived Troon Harbour from Fleetwood under own power (draughts 5’6”/14’6”).
14.11.1955: Breaking commenced.
7.12.1955: Reberthed.
9.2.1956: Reberthed.
21.2.1956: Reberthed.
1.3.1956: Beached (draughts 3’0”/9’0”).
12.4.1956: Breaking completed. London registry closed.

(William Cale, Landsman (prest), age 21, b. London – VICTORY (SB449))

Click to enlarge image

S.T. William Cale LO79
Clipping courtesy of The Stan Mayes Collection

Changelog
27/01/2009: Page published. 5 updates since then.
20/11/2017: Removed FMHT watermark from images.
05/06/2021: Updated information.