S.T. Armana FD121 | The Bosun's Watch

Technical

Official Number: 162064
Yard Number: 1088
Completed: 1930
Gross Tonnage: 355
Net Tonnage: 139
Length: 140.4 ft
Breadth: 25.0 ft
Depth: 13.4 ft
Engine: T.3-cyl by Amos & Smith Ltd, Hull
Built: Cochrane & Sons Ltd, Selby

History

(In 1935 the Hull trawler LEONIDAS (162186) (H267) was lengthened by Smiths Dock Co. Ltd. The work involved creating an improved hull form with new bow and stern sections. The design was successful, not only providing increased fish room capacity, but also, as was expected, reducing coal consumption and giving a slightly higher free running speed. Other owners stemmed vessels at Middlesbrough for similar work to be undertaken)

28.7.1930: Launched by Cochrane & Sons Ltd, Selby (Yd.No.1088) for J. Marr & Son Ltd, Fleetwood as ARMANA. Contract price £15,090.
17.9.1930: Registered at Fleetwood (FD121).
23.9.1930: Completed (Geoffrey Edwards Marr, manager).
1.9.1931: Struck dock wall at Fleetwood damaging shell plating.
1934: Transferred to Hull.
27.10.1935: Off Mull of Galloway picked up master and three crew from Glasgow steamer KERRERA (90grt/1894), waterlogged and abandoned. Stood by to attempt to tow but steamer sank at 2.45 pm. Landed survivors at Fleetwood.
11.1936: Completed lengthening by Smith’s Dock Co Ltd, Middlesbrough to 151.5 feet (including fitting new bow and stern sections). Re measured 357g 145n.
6.11.1936: Re-registered after alteration to length.
1937: Transferred to fish out of Hull Crewed and operated by The City Steam Fishing Co Ltd, Hull.
1937: Insured value £16,000.
1938: At Hull worked Bear Island/Iceland/White Sea (Sk. T. Welch), 319 days 21,033 kits £14,405 gross.
25.7.1939: Insured value £16,500.
2.1940: Sold to The City Steam Fishing Co Ltd, Hull (J. Marr & Son Ltd). Leslie James Marr designated manager.
28.2.1940: Fleetwood registry closed.
1.3.1940: Registered at Hull (H302).
17.5.1940: Sailed Hull for Iceland (Sk. A. Fletcher Jnr).
4.6.1940: At Hull landed 1,905 kits grossed £1,877.
1940: To requisitioning, at Hull landed from Iceland (Sks. W. Harris, A. Fletcher), 114 days 8,127 kits £14,847 gross.
4.6.1940: Requisitioned for war service as an auxiliary patrol vessel (1-12pdr).
5.6.1940: Hire rate £202.12.11d/month. At Barry with M/S Group 81 (Ty/Sk. A. C. Fletcher RNR).
15-25.6.1940: Operation Ariel *.
18.6.1940: Left French coast.
5.1941: Fitted out as a minesweeper (P.No. FY.1809). At Ipswich with M/S & Patrol Group 81.
5.1944: Fitted out for dan laying and assigned to Operation Neptune – Normandy landings.
23.5.1944: Attached to the15th Minesweeping Flotilla as a dan layer.
3.7.1944: Operation Neptune ended.
11.1945: Returned to owner after restoration and survey at Birkenhead.
30.11.1945: Insured value £35,000; for 1946 proposed £38,000.
18.2.1946: Sold to Hull Merchants Amalgamated Trawlers Ltd, Hull (A. Bailey & J. Balderson, managers) for £35000.
13.11.1946: Registered at Hull as BARDIA (H302).
19.10.1947: On a Bear Island trip, Jasper Woolridge (50), cook, lost overboard and drowned.
26.2.1954: On an Icelandic trip, John McLane (42), spare hand, lost overboard and drowned.
28.1.1955: Sailed Hull for Faroe last trip before sale (Sk. T. Eddams).
16.2.1955: At Hull landed 533 kits £1,993 gross.
6.1955: Sold to G. F. Sleight & Sons Ltd, Grimsby.
28.6.1955: Hull registry closed.
2.7.1955: Registered at Grimsby (GY3).
8.1956: Sold B.J. Nijkerk, Antwerp for breaking up.
21.8.1956: Grimsby registry closed.
15.10.1956: Arrived Antwerp from Grimsby.

*Operation Ariel – withdrawal of remaining troops of the British Expeditionary Force from France plus other nationals, civil and military.

Click to enlarge images

S.T. Armana FD121
Picture courtesy of The Dave-D Collection

HMT Armana
Picture courtesy of The Richard Hilton Collection

S.T. Armana FD121
Picture from the Internet

S.T. Bardia H302
Picture courtesy of The JJ Collection

S.T. Bardia H302
Picture courtesy of The Brian Calvert Collection

Changelog
17/05/2012: Page published. 10 revisions since then.
12/07/2014: Picture 6 added.
05/06/2017: Removed FMHT watermarks from images.
16/07/2019: Updated information.