Additional information courtesy of Barry Banham

Technical

Official Number: 122708
Yard Number: 508
Completed: 1905
Gross Tonnage: 232.83
Net Tonnage: 102.16
Length: 123.6 ft
Breadth: 22.0 ft
Depth: 11.5 ft
Built: Earle’s Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd, Hull
Engine: 410ihp T.3-cyl and boiler by Earle’s Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd, Hull

History

17.10.1905: Launched by Earle’s Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd, Hull (Yd.No.508) for The “D“ Line Steam Fishing Co Ltd, Grimsby as DEVERON.
16.11.1905: Completed. Builder’s Certificate issued.
20.11.1905: Registered at Grimsby (GY96).
20.11.1905: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to George William Jeffs & Arthur Jeffs, Grimsby (joint mortgagees) for the sum of £3,000 with interest at 5% (A).
21.11.1905: Arthur Jeffs appointed manager.
11.1914: Requisitioned for war service as a minesweeper (1-6pdr HA) (Ad.No.695). Based Moray Command.
2.7.1918: At Invergordon fitted 1-7.5” A/S Howitzer.
Post 12.3.1919: Returned to owner at Grimsby.
7.1920: New boiler fitted.
31.12.1927: Mortgage (A) discharged.
4.1.1928: Sold to Walter Garratt (16/64), Fred Birch Jeffs (16/64), Thomas Edwin Fisher (16/64) and Sidney Morris Fisher (16/64, all Grimsby).
11.1.1928: Walter Garratt designated managing owner.
27.1.1928: Four mortgages (16/64 x 4) to George William Jeffs & Arthur Jeffs, Grimsby (joint mortgagees) for the sum of £750 with interest at 5% (B, C, D, E).
15.12.1930: Fred Birch Jeffs designated managing owner.
20.4.1931: The estate of Walter Garratt (16/64) deceased adjudged bankrupt.
21.4.1931: Fred Birch Jeffs (16/64) adjudged bankrupt.
15.6.1931: Lawrence Fawley Judge appointed Trustee of the Joint and Separate estates (32/64).
30.9.1931: Sidney Morris Fisher shares (16/64) sold to Thomas Edwin Fisher (32/64).
26.11.1932: Lawrence Fawley Judge shares (32/64) sold to Thomas Edwin Fisher (64/64).
17.9.1932: Thomas Edwin Fisher designated managing owner.
20.3.1935: Sold by Joint Mortgagees under mortgages (B, C, D, E) to Charles Dobson (64/64), Grimsby.
3.4.1935: Charles Dobson designated managing owner.
29.9.1937: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to Midland Bank Ltd, London (F).
21.1.1938: In thick fog in the North Sea in collision with Danish Esbjerg registered liner PONTUS. Struck port bow, shell plates set in and sprung.
22.1.1938: Arrived Lowestoft escorted by WOLSELEY (LT410). Slipped and repaired.
7.1.1941: Mortgage (F) discharged.
3.2.1941: Sold to Perihelion Steam Fishing Co Ltd (64/64), Grimsby.
3.2.1941: Herbert George Crampin appointed manager.
4.1944 – 1.1945: Fishing from Fleetwood.
10.3.1945: Sold to Deveron Steam Fishing Co Ltd, Grimsby.
2.4.1945: Albert Wright Butt appointed manager.
17.4.1945: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to Barclays Bank Ltd, London (G).
4.1.1949: In gale force winds and driving sleet, stranded at Kilnsea in Spurn Bight. First trip for Sk. G. J. Homer. Neaped and remained ashore for twelve days until refloated with the aid of United Towing’s steam tug BRAHAM (230grt/1938 850ihp) and returned to Grimsby.
1953: Assisted in righting the Hull steamer HEBBLE (1078grt/1924) at Immingham which had capsized when the graving dock in which she was being refitted was flooded on 31.1.1953 in the ‘Great Storm’. Filled with ballast in an adjacent lock pit to act as anchor while steam locomotives attached by steel cables pulled the HEBBLE upright as the dock was slowly flooded.
23.2.1953: Mortgage (G) discharged.
10.1954: Sold for breaking up.
12.10.1954: Grimsby registry closed “Vessel broken up”.
Click to enlarge images

S.T. Deveron GY96
Picture courtesy of The Steve Farrow Collection

S.T. Deveron GY96
Picture courtesy of The Jeffrey Pullen Collection

S.T. Deveron GY96
Picture courtesy of The Mike Thompson Collection

S.T. Deveron GY96
Picture reproduced by permission of The Grimsby Telegraph

Changelog
20/05/2012: Page published. 6 revisions since then.
25/07/2014: Picture 1 added.
09/10/2014: Information updated.
10/10/2014: Spelling errors corrected.
11/11/2015: Added stranding information.
14/11/2015: Replaced picture.
19/11/2015: Added picture and updated information.
10/03/2018: Removed FMHT watermark from image.
29/03/2018: Added an image.
09/04/2020: Updated information.

Technical

Official Number: 136225
Yard Number: 168
Completed: 1915
Gross Tonnage: 227
Net Tonnage: 93
Length: 112.2 ft
Breadth: 22.6 ft
Depth: 12.5 ft
Built: Goole Shipbuilding & Repairing Co Ltd, Goole
Engine: T.3-cyl and boiler by Amos & Smith Ltd, Hull

History

1.1915: Completed by Goole Shipbuilding & Repairing Co Ltd, Goole (Yd.No.168) for Eastern Fishing Co Ltd, Hull as COMMANDER HOLBROOK.
18.1.1915: Registered at Hull (H223). Hugh G. Chapman designated manager.
29.5.1917: Requisitioned for Fishery Reserve.
By 11.8.1917: Fitted 1-6pdr LA.
1919: Released (Hugh G. Chapman, manager).
1923: Owners restyled Eastern Fishing Co (1923) Ltd, Hull. Hugh G. Chapman designated manager.
25.7.1939: Insured value £2,900.
25.8.1939: Insured value increased to £3,900.
11.6.1940: At Hull last landing before requisitioning. Iceland trip, 18 days – 922kits £1,884 gross.
11.6.1940: Requisitioned for war service as an auxiliary patrol vessel .
12.6.1940: Hire rate £62.8.6d/month.
12.6.1940 – 4.1941: Based Ramsgate – Dover Patrol.
2.12.1940: Ty.Sk. W. H. Thundercliffe RNR appointed CO.
3.1941: At London repairs.
5.1941: Based Dover – Patrol.
6.1941 – 7.1941: Based Lowestoft – Patrol.
7.1941: Repairs Lowestoft.
8.1941 – 11.1941: Based Lowestoft with M/S7.
1.8.1941: Chief Sk. Albert Stanley Victor Jones RNR appointed CO.
12.11.1941: On patrol off the Norfolk coast (Chief Sk. A. S. V. Jones RNR) in company with HMT FRANCOLIN (Sk. Lieut. J. L. Dinwoodie RNR). When some two miles off Happisburgh Lighthouse attacked by Dornier 217 E-2, engaged when running in to attack and damaged aircraft which released bomb and then struck mast of FRANCOLIN crashing into sea; no survivors. FRANCOLIN struck by bomb and foundered with loss of one crew member.
12.1941 – 6.1942: At Hull fitted out as a minesweeper (P.No.FY.111).
8.5.1942: Sk. G. H. Smith RNR appointed CO.
7.1942 – 6.1943: Based Dover (Ungrouped) as a minesweeper.
7.1942: At Port Edgar.
7.1943 – 3.1944: Based Belfast (LL sweeps).
7.1.1944: Sk. J. Ball appointed CO.
4.1944 – 4.1945: Based London (LL sweeps).
21.8.1944: Sk. S. S. Young RNR appointed CO.
1945: Reclassed at South Shields.
11.1945: Returned to owner at Hull.
30.11.1945: Insured value £16,000; for 1946 same.
By 31 8.1946: Sold to Argosy Trawling Co Ltd, Fleetwood. William Stevenson, St. Anne’s-on-the-Sea designated manager.
1946: Transferred to fish out of Fleetwood.
By 31.8.1948: Sold to Odafoam Ltd, Liverpool. William Stevenson, St. Anne’s-on-the-Sea designated manager.
27.9.1949: One of five trawlers that went aground in the Wyre Channel in thick fog when outward for the fishing grounds. Refloated next tide and proceeded.
14.10.1949: Landed 137 kits, £438 gross.
3.1950: Sold to Alexander Hay, Grampian Fishing Co Ltd & Port? Small? Fishing Co Ltd, Aberdeen.
6.1950: Hull registry closed.
6.6.1950: Registered at Aberdeen (A659).
1.7.1950: Registered at Aberdeen as EPHRATAH (A659) (MoT Minute RG No.1154/50 dated 10.6.1950).
1960: Sold to BISCO (£2610) and allocated to Shipbreaking Industries Ltd for breaking up at Charlestown, Fife (Contract No.90E).
22.11.1960: Delivered Charlestown from Aberdeen under own power.
28.3.1962: Breaking up commenced.
16.5.1962: Aberdeen registry closed “Vessel broken up”.

Click to enlarge image

HMT Commander Holbrook
Picture reproduced under IWM Non-Commercial Licence

S.T. Commander Holbrook H223
Picture courtesy of The Osta Collection

Changelog
20/05/2012: Page published. 7 updates since then.
31/08/2019: Updated information and added an image.
19/01/2021: Updated ownership details.