Additional material by Barry Banham and Milford Trawlers site
Technical
Official Number: 149229
Yard Number: 579
Completed: 1929
Gross Tonnage: 138
Net Tonnage: 59
Length: 98.0 ft
Breadth: 20.6 ft
Depth: 10.4 ft
Engine: T.3-cyl by Crabtree & Co Ltd, Gt. Yarmouth
Built: John Chambers Ltd, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft
History
1929: Launched by John Chambers Ltd, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft (Yd.No.579) for Edward Catchpole, Kessingland & Baxter & Co, Lowestoft as WILLING BOYS.
3.1930: Completed (Edward Catchpole, Kessingland, manager).
21.3.1930: Registered at Lowestoft (LT737).
1930s: Seasonal white fish trawling from Padstow, Milford and Fleetwood.
1.7.1937: Fishing near the Glass Norman bank off the Wicklow coast (Sk. Russell James Gower); arrested by Irish Free State fishery cruiser MUIRCHÚ after shots were fired.
2.7.1937: Sk. Gower of Lowestoft was charged in Dublin Police Court with illegally fishing off the Wicklow coast. Fined £100 and gear and catch forfeited.
15.11.1939: Requisitioned for war service as a minesweeping drifter (P.No.FY.947) (Hire rate £77.15.11d/month).
6.1940: Based Dover (Ty/Sk. R. McLean RNR).
20-26.5.1940: Evacuation from Boulogne, Calais & Dunkirk.
25.5.1940: Sailed Dover for Calais in company with the trawlers ARLEY (P.No.FY.620) (FD41), BOTANIC (P.No.FY.707) (H463), BROCK (P.No.FY621) (FD47), CALVI (GY269), FYLDEA (P.No.666) (FD72), MARETTA (P.No.FY.665) (FD45), POLLY JOHNSON (H322) and drifter PLAYMATES (P.No.FY.738) (YH141) with several river launches in tow.
26.5.1940: At 1.40am. arrived off the French coast. No evacuation order was given.
1941: Fitted out as a LL drifter.
1.1942: Based Dover as a LL drifter (Sk. C. E. Coble RNR).
6.1943: Employed on miscellaneous Naval duties.
1945: Sold to Pevensey Castle Ltd, Lowestoft (R. H. Self, manager).
8.1946: Returned to owner.
1949-1950: Seasonal white fish trawling from Fleetwood.
17.5.1949: At Fleetwood landed 209 boxes grossed £835.
17.8.1949: Last landing at Fleetwood, 218 boxes grossed £793.
14.3.1950: At Fleetwood landed 181 boxes grossed £847.
13.5.1950: Last landing at Fleetwood, 135 boxes grossed £416.
1953: Sold to W. H. Kerr (Ship Chandlers) Ltd, Milford Haven (William H. Kerr, manager).
5.1957: Sailed Milford for Lowestoft for conversion to diesel propulsion (Sk.Sid Durrant).
9.1957: Converted at Lowestoft. Re-engined with a 2stroke 6-cyl 280bhp oil engine by Crossley Bros. Ltd, Manchester.
1.9.1957: On completion of successful trials sailed Lowestoft to fish round to Milford (Sk. Sid Durrant).
6.8.1959: Sailed Milford for Lowestoft and to fish from that port (Sk. Joe Utting).
5.1.1961: Returned to Milford from Lowestoft, but damaged in collision with drifter trawler FEACO (LT207) also returning from Lowestoft.
5.1970: Laid up at Milford.
2.1973: When trawling off the Devon Coast (Sk. Frank Reynolds) hauled a torpedo warhead. Landed at Milford and attended by Plymouth RN Bomb & Mine Disposal Team and found to contain 500lbs of TNT. Safely exploded on Castlemartin Range.
15.2.1973: Escorted into Dunmore by LÉ DIEDRE (P.No.P20) having been arrested for alleged poaching in Irish Republican waters.
16.2.1973: At Court in Dublin Sk. Reynolds fined £210 for fishing in Irsh Republic territorial waters off the Wexford coast and gear and catch (60 boxes of whiting) valued at £1,500 confiscated.
23.7.1973: Sailed Milford for Briton Ferry towing DEELITE (YH29) sold for breaking up.
5.1973: W. H. Kerr (Ship Chandlers) Ltd and fleet taken over by Boston Deep Sea Fisheries Ltd, Hull (William H. Kerr remained manager) (BDSF were already majority shareholders).
1974: Sold to Brig Trawling Co Ltd, Milford Haven.
12.1975: Last landing at Milford. Laid up.
3.1976: Sold to Thomas W. Ward Ltd, Sheffield for breaking up at Briton Ferry.
23.3.1976: Sailed Milford for Briton Ferry. Lowestoft registry closed.
Click to enlarge images
S.D/T. Willing Boys LT737
Picture from the Internet
S.D/T. Willing Boys LT737
Picture from the Internet
S.D/T. Willing Boys LT737
Picture courtesy of The John Stevenson Collection
S.D/T. Willing Boys LT737
Picture © The Mike Crutchley Collection
Changelog
07/08/2011: Page published. 11 updates since then.
11/08/2016: Added picture.
01/01/2019: Removed FMHT watermark from images.
15/08/101`: Updated history.