© Mike Thompson with additional material by Maurice Voss

Technical

Official Number: 160047
Yard Number: 485
Completed: 1927
Gross Tonnage: 352
Net Tonnage: 146
Length: 140.3 ft
Breadth: 24.0 ft
Depth: 12.9 ft
Engine: 96nhp T.3-cyl and boiler by C. D. Holmes & Co Ltd, Hull
Built: Cook, Welton & Gemmell Ltd, Beverley
Speed: 10.9 knots

History

26.10.1926: The board of Kingston Steam Trawling Co Ltd decided to build four more distant water trawlers to the same design as ANDALUSITE by Cook, Welton & Gemmell (Yd.No.461). Contracts were signed with the shipyard to build the ships at a cost of £9,125 each and with C. D. Holmes & Co Ltd to make the engines and boilers at £6,300 each unit. Total cost £15,425 per vessel. The names chosen for the new vessels were KINGSTON GARNET, KINGSTON EMERALD, KINGSTON TOPAZ and KINGSTON ONYX.
Total cost fitted out with fishing gear and other equipment £17,097.16.10d (winch £465)
30.4.1927: Launched by Cook, Welton & Gemmell Ltd, Beverley (Yd.No.485) for Kingston Steam Trawling Co Ltd, Hull as KINGSTON GARNET.
2.6.1927: Registered at Hull (H342) (Official Number: 160047).
22.6.1927: Completed trials and accepted (John W. Lown, manager).
25.6.1927: Sailed on first Icelandic trip.
13.7.1927: Landed 1113 kits grossed £377 (big landings, depressed market).
1938: Laid up with Special Survey due and offered for sale.
11.3.1939: Sold to N.V. Motorvisscherij, Ostend for £3,800 with Special Survey due.
16.3.1939: Hull registry closed.
1939: Re measured 42,76 x 7,32 x 3,93 metres – 336.45Brt 128.96n.
4.1939: Registered at Ostend as VAN ORLEY (O299).
5.1940: Escaped to England.
18.5.1940: Arrived Fleetwood. Transferred to Belgian Economic Mission, London. Fishing from Fleetwood.
8.2.1941: At Fleetwood. Requisitioned for war service as an anti submarine trawler.
5.1941: Fitting out at Liverpool in Huskisson Dock Branch No.2.
1/4.5.1941: ‘The May Blitz’ on Merseyside.
3/4.5.1941: Part destroyed as a result of the explosion of ammunition ship MALAKAND (7649g/1919) also in Huskisson Dock.
11.1941: Salved, declared a CTL and broken up.

Click to enlarge images

Huskisson Dock
After the explosion

Huskisson Dock

Changelog

15/08/2010: Page published. 3 updates since then.
15/09/2018: Removed FMHT watermarks from images.