Author Archives: Bill Johnson

S.T. Daily Mirror FD71

Technical

Admiralty Number: 4294
Official Number: 143471
Yard Number: 410
As built: 360disp 125.6 x 23.5 x 12.8 feet
Completed: 1919
Gross Tonnage: 286
Net Tonnage: 109
Length: 125.5 ft
Breadth: 23.5 ft
Depth: 12.7 ft
Built: Cook, Welton & Gemmell Ltd, Beverley
Engine: 480ihp T.3-cyl and boiler by Amos & Smith
Speed: 10.5 knots

History

18.3.1919: Launched by Cook, Welton & Gemmell Ltd, Beverley (Yd.No.410) (“Castle” class) for The Admiralty as Egilias Akerman (Ad.No.4294).
13.11.1919: Completed as a fishing vessel.
1.1920: Sold to Boston Deep Sea Fishing & Ice Co Ltd, Boston. Renamed KESTEVEN (BN146). Fred Parkes designated manager.
1923: Sold to Victor Fourney, Boulogne.
1923: Boston registry closed.
1923: Registered at Boulogne as IMPRÉVU (B789).
10.06.1925: Towed into Plymouth by the French steam trawler PROFESSEUR BERGONIÉ after damaging her propeller on a sunken wreck.
1930: Sold to Boston Deep Sea Fishing & Ice Co Ltd, Fleetwood.
3.1930: Boulogne registry closed.
17.3.1930: Registered at Fleetwood as DAILY MIRROR (FD71). Fred Parkes, Blackpool designated manager.
21.11.1932: Landed at Fleetwood, 600 boxes of herring for only 15 hrs fishing.
1934: Sold to Thomas L. Devlin & Sons, Granton (Thomas L. Devlin, manager).
26.5.1934: Fleetwood registry closed.
5.1934: Registered at Granton as COMPUTATOR (GN42).
22.11.1936: Ran ashore at the back of the west pier Granton while returning from the fishing grounds in dense fog. Refloated without assistance and undamaged but will by dry-docked in Leith as a precaution.
27.3.1937: Stowing gear for trip home in heavy weather 100 miles ENE of Buchan Ness (Sk. David R. Liston), three crew washed overboard and drowned*.
03.05.1937: Homeward from the fishing grounds in dense fog, stranded four miles north of Buchan Ness, refloated on next tide. Later dry-docked at Leith for examination.
06.10.1937: Landed 660 eight stone boxes of iced trawled herrings at North Shields which made 6s down to 4s per box.
30.8.1939: Requisitioned for war service as a minesweeper (P.No.FY.635) (Hire rate £89.7.6d/month).
6.1941: Based Portland with M/S Group 49 (Ch Sk. C. W. H. Shearing RNR). 1942: Transferred to Thomas L. Devlin & Sons Ltd, Granton (T. L. Devlin, manager).
21.1.1945: Foundered after collision with HMS VANOC (P.No.H33) in Seine Bay, Normandy.

(Egilias Akerman, AB, age 26, b. Brussels, Belgium – ROYAL SOVEREIGN (SB163))

(* Thomas Wood (40), 2nd Fisherman; James Rennie (22), deckhand, Newhaven and E. I. Peebles (21), trimmer, Leith)

Click to enlarge image

S.T. Daily Mirror FD71

S.T. Daily Mirror FD71
Picture courtesy of The Emiel Rycx Collection

Changelog
14/05/2012: Page published. 7 Updates since then.
05/10/2015: Picture added.
24/12/2017: Removed FMHT watermark from image.
04/03/2020: Information updated.

S.T. Cobbers FD3

Technical

Admiralty Number: 4208
Official Number: 137614
Yard Number: 450
Completed: 1919
As built: 360disp 125.6 x 23.5 x 12.8 feet
Gross Tonnage: 275
Net Tonnage: 107
Length: 125.4 ft
Breadth : 23.4 ft
Depth : 12.6 ft
Built: J Duthie Torrey Shipbuilding Co, Aberdeen
Engine: 480ihp T.3-cyl by Fawcett, Preston & Co, Liverpool
Armament : 1 x 12 pdr

History

4.1919: Launched by J. Duthie Torry Shipbuilding Co, Aberdeen (Yd.No.450) (“Castle” class) for The Admiralty as WILLIAM KNIGHT (Ad.No.4208).
5.2.1919: Forms for tender to purchase received by the Admiralty.
3.1919: Sold to East Hull Steam Fishing Co Ltd, Hull.
19.6.1919: Completed as a fishing vessel.
1919: Sold to Henry Sutton, Great Yarmouth (Benjamin Knowles, Hull, manager).
30.6.1919: Registered at Yarmouth as HENRICUS (YH104).
29.8.1921: Sold to Pêcheries de Havre, Le Havre.
1.9.1921: Yarmouth registry closed.
9.1921: Registered at Le Havre as LE PERREY.
8.1923: Sold to Soc. Anon “Armement Ostendais”, Ostend. Le Havre registry closed. Registered at Ostend as ALFRED DEFUISSEAUX (O146).
1.1939: Sold to Saint Andrew’s Steam Fishing Co Ltd, Hull (Basil A. Parkes, Cleveleys, manager).
1.1939: Ostend registry closed.
30.3.1939: Registered at Fleetwood as COBBERS (FD3).
Pre 4.1940: Employed on Fishery Protection (WA/Fort William/Fleetwood).
30.5.1940: Requisitioned for war service as an auxiliary patrol vessel (Hire rate £86.5.0d/month).
3.3.1941: Sunk by German aircraft in the North Sea (Ty. Sk. Lawrence Turner RNR). Eleven lost including Skipper *.

Lost* – Ty. Sk. Lawrence Turner RNR; Leonard H. Bean, 2nd Hand; Joseph W. Whitehead, Engineman; John E. Comer, John S. B. Shears, Albert Stranex, Seamen; John Cammish, Robert H. Cowe, Albert E. Lorne, O/S; Herbert J. L. Carter & George Crawford, Stokers 1/c.

(William Knight, Private, Marine, age 26, b. Whitchurch, Hampshire – VICTORY (ML116))

Click to enlarge image.

S.T. Alfred Defuisseaux O145

S.T. Alfred Defuisseaux O145
Picture from the Internet

Sk.Turner

Sk.Turner. Clipping courtesy of The Phil Rogers Collection

Changelog
14/05/2012: Page published. 7 updates since then.
02/02/2021: Added clipping.
29/08/2021: Updated history and technical details.
17/05/2022: Added an image.

S.T. Angle FD57

Technical

Official Number: 127417
Yard Number: 383
Completed: 1908
Gross Tonnage: 222
Net Tonnage: 86
Length: 120.5 ft
Breadth: 21.5 ft
Depth: 11.6 ft
Built: Smith’s Dock Co Ltd, North Shields
Engine: 68rhp T.3-cyl by W. V. V. Lidgerwood, Coatbridge
Boiler: David Rowan & Co, Glasgow
Armament 1 x 12 pdr
Pennant : FY1367

History

25.8.1908: Launched by Smith’s Dock Co Ltd, North Shields (Yd.No.383) for Neyland Steam Trawling & Fishing Co Ltd, Neyland (Alexander Scott, Llanstadwell, manager) as ANGLE.
9.1908: Completed.
6.10.1908: Registered at Milford (M225).
20.12.1910: When 160 miles from Queenstown sighted the schooner KATHLEEN, which had been on passage Rio Grande to Liverpool, dismasted and in distress. Connected with difficulty and commenced tow to Queenstown.
23.12.1910: Delivered Queenstown.
4.1915: Requisitioned for war service as a minesweeper (1- 12pdr) (Ad.No.1367).
2.5.1915: Some 45 miles NW of Skelligs picked up nine survivors of steam collier FULGENT (2008grt/1910) (Admiralty hire) on passage Cardiff – Scapa Flow with coal and torpedoed by U.boat (U21) on 30.4.1915. Landed at Kilrush, Co. Kerry including body of Master C. W. Brown.
1919: Returned to owner.
24.2.1919: Sold to The Croston Steam Trawling Co Ltd, Fleetwood (Joseph A. Taylor, manager).
4.3.1919: Milford registry closed.
8.3.1919: Registered at Fleetwood (FD57).
7.1.1924: Sailed Fleetwood (Sk. William Glyn); eleven crew. Clear of Wyre Light, streamed log, severe south-east gale and snow storm off Isle of Man. Distance travelled underestimated due to gale and ran on the Bahama Bank, Isle of Man. Investigation concluded that disaster might have been averted if Bahama Bank lightvessel had not been removed; eleven crew lost plus two pleasure trippers*.
4.2.1924: Fleetwood registry closed “Lost”.

(Lost* – Sk.William Glynn; James Flaxman, Mate; Harry Gill, Bosun; Ernest Lord, Ch Eng; John Kay, 2nd Eng; James Casey, Ben Hickford, James Dennis, Deckhands; John Lord, & William Smith, Firemen; Charles Wilkinson, Cook; J Perkins & F Barrar, pleasure trippers.

Notes: By the end of January the owners were getting extremely worried and despatched Lieutenant Roger Owen, of the Fleetwood Steam Trawler Owners’ Mutual Insurance Association to investigate a wreck that had been reported on the Bahama Bank, off the Isle of Man.

Conditions enabled the divers on the chartered half-decker MOIRREY to dive on the wreck. The divers found the vessel open fore and aft and “Flattened like a fluke” and the greatest difficulty was experienced in finding any identifying marks. The letters “ANG..” was eventually found with the whole word “Fleetwood” underneath it.

No bodies were ever found. A clock found by the wreck was stopped at 12:30 and the ship’s boat was located at one side of the vessel. Lieutenant Owen’s opinion was that the cause of the ANGLE’s loss was that the vessel was running before a south-east gale and ran into heavy snow on the 7th of January. Distance travelled was reckoned using a patent log which underestimated the distance when running before a gale. As a result the trawler overran her distance and ran onto the Bahamas Bank. Owen concluded that the disaster might not have occurred if the Bahama Bank Lightship had not been removed.

The crew were…..

W.Glynn Skipper Fleetwood
J.Flaxman Mate Fleetwood
H.Gill Bosun Manchester
J.Casey Donkeyman Blackpool
J.Dennis Deckie Fleetwood
B.Hickford Deckie Fleetwood
C.Wilkinson Cook Address unknown
E.Lord Chief Engineer Fleetwood
J.Hay Second Engineer Blackburn
W.Smith Fireman Lowestoft
J.lord Fireman Fleetwood
J.Perkins Pleasure Tripper Manchester
F.Barrar Pleasure Tripper Blackburn

It is highly probable that the two people with the surname ‘Lord’ were from the same family thus making the tragedy a double one for them.

Changelog
14/05/2012: Page published. 8 updates since then.
04/07/2019: Updated information.

S.D/T. Boys’ Friend LT151 (Seasonal)

Seasonal visitor

Technical

Official Number: 149233
Yard Number: 979
Completed: 1915
Gross Tonnage: 120
Net Tonnage: 36
Length:90.88 ft
Breadth: 21.65 ft
Depth: 9.84 ft
Built: Gebrs Boot Schps “de Hoop”, Leiderdorp
Engine: T.3-cyl and boiler by Arnhemsche Stoomsleephelling Maatschappij, Arnhem

History

1.1915: Ordered.
8.1915: Completed by Gebrs Boot Schps “de Hoop”, Leiderdorp (Yd.No.979) for N.V. Maatschappij De Oceaan Ster, IJmuiden (J. van der Made, manager) as OCEAANSTER I. At a cost of fl.51000 (guilders). Registered at IJmuiden (IJM232).
18.1.1919: Sold to Maatschappij Scheveningen (W. den Dulk Wzn, manager). Registered at Scheveningen as MARTINI (SCH135).
1921: Re-possessed by Veenkolen Bank Sappermeer, IJmuiden.
1921: Sold to N.V. Visscherij Onderneming – De VEM, IJmuiden. Registered at IJmuiden (IJM8).
4.10.1923: Sold to N.V. s’Gravenhaagsche Visscherij & Handels Maatschappijs, IJmuiden. Registered at IJmuiden as ANNIE (IJM8).
12.1929: Sold to Colls Durrant, Lowestoft (C. W. Dance, manager).
1930: Ijmuiden registry closed.
1930: Re measured 52n 94.1 x 20.0 x 9.4 feet.
22.5.1930: Registered at Lowestoft as BOYS’ FRIEND (LT151).
1930s: Seasonal white fish trawling from Fleetwood.
1935: Sold to Vigilant Fishing Co Ltd, Lowestoft (R. H. Self, manager).
Pre 1943 -1945: Seasonal white fish trawling from Fleetwood.
24.7.1943: Typical landing. 116 kits – hake-12, cod/codling-9, whiting-18, flats-14, ling/coley-1, roker-52. gurnard-3, sole & prime-7.
1946-1950s: Seasonal white fish trawling from Fleetwood.
9.1955: Sold to Belgium for breaking up.
26.9.1955: Sailed Lowestoft for Antwerp in tow of Margaret Hide (LT746) also for breaking up.
1955: Lowestoft registry closed.

Click to enlarge images

S.D/T. Martini SCH135

S.D/T. Martini SCH135
Picture courtesy of The Jan Harteveld Collection

S.D/T. Boys’ Friend LT151

S.D/T. Boys’ Friend LT151
Picture courtesy of The Robert Durrant Collection

S.D/T. Boys Friend LT151

S.D/T. Boys Friend LT151
Picture courtesy of The James Cullen Collection

S.D/T. Boys' Friend LT151

S.D/T. Boys’ Friend LT151
Picture from the Internet

Changelog

14/05/2012: Page published. 8 updates since then.
14/10/2018: Removed FMHT watermarks from images.
19/09/2019: Updated information.

S.T. Barbara Robertson FD50

Technical

Admiralty Number: 4244
Official Number: 139350
Yard Number: 887
Completed: 1919
Gross Tonnage: 324
Net Tonnage: 148
Length: 138.3 ft
Breadth: 23.7 ft
Depth: 12.7 ft
Built: Cochrane & Sons Ltd, Selby
Engine: 600ihp T.3-cyl by Charles D. Holmes & Co Ltd, Hull

History

20.12.1918: Launched by Cochrane & Sons Ltd, Selby (Yd.No.887) (“Mersey” class) for The Admiralty as JAMES McDONALD (Ad.No.4244).
5.2.1919: Forms for tender to purchase received by the Admiralty.
3.1919: Sold to Jutland Steam Trawling Co Ltd, Hull (Edward Cargill, manager).
9.9.1919: Completed as a fishing vessel.
16.9.1919: Registered at Hull (H80). Official No.139350.
20.10.1919: Registered at Hull as GRAND FLEET (H80).
29.5.1920: Sold to Jutland Amalgamated Trawlers Ltd, Hull (Edward Cargill, manager).
30.3.1929: Sold to The Crampin Steam Fishing Co Ltd (64/64), Grimsby.
5.4.1929: Hull registry closed.
6.4.1929: Registered at Grimsby (GY44).
6.4.1929: Herbert George Crampin, Cleethorpes appointed manager. Fitted for lining to pursue the Greenland halibut fishery.
3.1938: Sold to C. R. Mauritzen, Newbridge, Midlothian.
28.4.1938: Grimsby registry closed. Transferred to Danish flag.
5.10.1938: Arrived Leith from Spitsbergen having fished the summer season in Arctic waters. Landed salt fish.
21.10.1938: Registered at Leith (LH216).
29.3.1939: Registered at Leith as BARBARA ROBERTSON (LH216) (BoT Minute M/RG1114/39).
26.8.1939: Leith registry closed.
8.9.1939: Registered at Fleetwood (FD50).
17.9.1939: Sold to Boston Deep Sea Fishing & Ice Co Ltd, Fleetwood.
8.1939: Armed trawler under T124 Articles fitted with 12pdr gun.
9.12.1939: Sailed Hull for Icelandic grounds (Sk. A. E. Hall); eighteen crew. Outward in convoy with ADAM (FD65), CHILTERN (H660) and FORCE (FD100).
12.1939: In Seydia Fjord, Gunner Goodison put ashore ill.
28.12.1939: Homeward to Hull from Icelandic grounds. At about 2.10 am when 35 miles NW of the Butt of Lewis on a S by E heading, shelled by U-boat (U.30); abandoned vessel in boat but one man left behind (George E. Clark). At about 4.00 am trawler sunk by gunfire in position 58.54N 6.30W and after 14 hours in boat, sixteen survivors picked up by HMS ISIS (P.No.D87) directed to area by a Gladiator bi-plane; one man MPK. Survivors landed at North Scottish port. (Less than an hour after the sinking, U.30 had stopped the Swedish steamer HISPANIA (1337grt/1912) and asked them to pick up the survivors).
13.1.1940: Fleetwood registry closed “Vessel sunk by enemy action”.

(MPK – George Edward H. H. Clark (28), deckhand).

(James McDonald, AB (volunteer), age 24, b. Edmonton, London – VICTORY (SB105))

Click to enlarge image

S.T. Grand Fleet GY44

S.T. Grand Fleet GY44
Picture courtesy of The Jeffrey Pullen Collection

Changelog
13/05/2012: Page published. 5 updates since then.
04/05/2015: Picture added.
08/08/2019: Updated information.