Additional information courtesy of Barry Banham
Technical
Official Number: 165441
Yard Number: 324
Completed: 1937
Gross Tonnage: 162.14
Net Tonnage: 60
Length: 101.2 ft
Breadth: 21.2 ft
Depth: 10.3 ft
Built: Goole Shipbuilding & Repairing Co Ltd, Goole
Engine: 350ihp T.3-cyl by Crabtree (1931) Ltd, Southtown, Gt. Yarmouth
Boiler: Chemical Engineers & Riley Brothers (Boilermakers) Ltd, Stockton-on-Tees
History
12.02.1937: Launched by Goole Shipbuilding & Repairing Co Ltd, Goole (Yd.No.324) for The Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen, London as Sir EDWARD P. WILLS.
31.3.1937: Registered at London (LO197).
4.1937: Completed at a cost of £9,500. Herbert K. Archibald appointed manager.
23.4.1937: Vessel sponsored by W D H O Wills Ltd, Bristol (tobacco company) and dedicated at Brixham. First skipper H. W. Thorpe, Lowestoft.
2.9.1939: Requisitioned for war service and employed on examination service (Hire rate – free).
8.1943: Employed on miscellaneous naval duties.
28.8.1945: Returned to owner.
1947: Sold to Vigilant Fishing Co Ltd, Lowestoft for the sum of £10,000.
17.7.1947: Registered at Lowestoft (LT308).
20.8.1947: London registry closed.
21.8.1947: Registered at Lowestoft as MARY HEELEY (LT308) (BoT Minute dated 6.8.1947). David F. Cartwright, MBE MC appointed manager.
1949-1950: Seasonal white fish trawling from Fleetwood (Boston Deep Sea Fishing & Ice Co Ltd managing agents).
23.6.1949: Best landing – 73 boxes £823 gross.
24.4.1950: Last landing at Fleetwood – 125 boxes £719 gross.
26.4.1950: Sailed Fleetwood for Irish Sea grounds (Sk. “Bubbles“ Long): ten crew total.
29.4.1950: In thick fog arrived Douglas, IoM to seek medical attention for an injured man.
At 11.30pm. in improving visibility sailed Douglas to resume fishing, setting a course ENE. A little while later struck a rock and lost propeller fetching up on the rocks at Howstrake, Onchan. An SOS was sounded on the whistle and a local man pinpointed her position informing the Life Saving Corps and Douglas lifeboat.
30.4.1950: In the early hours crew taken off by Douglas lifeboat and landed at Douglas. In deteriorating weather started to break up and became a total loss.
11.5.1950: Lowestoft registry closed.
Click to enlarge image
Sir Edward P Wills LO197
Picture from the Internet
S.T. Sir Edward P Wills LO197
Picture from the Internet
S.T. Sir Edward P Wills LO197
Picture courtesy of The Greenday Collection
Changelog
20/11/2015: Page published.
10/02/2019: Removed FMHT watermark from image.
11/02/2019: Added an image.
15/02/2019: Added an image.