Category Archives: Lost Vessels

Vessels that have been lost

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.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.

S.T. Creswell M129

Technical

Completed: 1917
As Built: 360disp 125.6 x 23.5 x 12.8 feet
Gross Tonnage: 275
Net Tonnage: 107
Length: 125.5 ft
Breadth: 23.4 ft
Depth: 12.8 ft
Built: Smith’s Dock Co, Southbank-on-Tees
Engine: 480ihp T.3-cyl by Smith’s Dock Co Ltd, South Bank-on-Tees, Middlesbrough

History

12.6.1917: Laid down.
17.9.1917: Launched by Smith’s Dock Co Ltd, South Bank-on-Tees, Middlesbrough (Yd.No.713) (“Castle” class) for The Admiralty as WILLIAM BEATTY (Ad.No.3534).
13.10.1917: Completed (1 – 12pdr, 1 – 7.5” A/S Howitzer and W/T).
4.5.1920: Sold by auction at Milford Haven to David Pettit, Hakin for £8000.
25.5.1920: Registered at London (LO359).
28.7.1920: Registered at London as CRESSWELL (LO359).
31.7.1920: London registry closed.
9.8.1920: Registered at Milford (M129).
1920: Transferred to D. Pettit Ltd, Milford Haven (David Pettitt, manager).
30.10.1928: Fishing the Porcupine Bank in bad weather. Trawler CAWDOR (M249) fishing forty miles away sprung a leak and despite crew efforts, ingress could not be stemmed.
31.10.1928: Sent SOS. In very heavy seas CRESSWELL (Sk. M. A. Smith) responded and stood by but after an hour it was decided to abandon the CAWDOR and the crew transferred to CRESSWELL in their own boat.
1.11.1928: CAWDOR foundered. Sk. Smith awarded a piece of plate by the BOT in recognition of his service.
16.11.1928: Damaged in storm.
8.1934: Sold to Boston Deep Sea Fishing & Ice Co Ltd, Fleetwood (Basil A. Parkes, Cleveleys, manager).
11.1939: On a trip to West of Scotland grounds (Sk. George Bull); thirteen crew (total).
12.11.1939: At 7.00am. stopped by shell fire from U-boat (U.41) while trawling 18 miles NW by N of Flannan Islands. Crew abandoned vessel on liferaft (10), smashed boat (2) and lifebelt (1) and later vessel sunk by gunfire (approx 58.39N 07.36W) (at least 20 rounds). After two hours submarine returned and took survivors, eight in number onboard but one man subsequently died; six men lost*. In late afternoon off St. Kilda, closed steam trawler PHYLLISIA (FD148) returning to Fleetwood and at 4.42pm. transferred the seven men ^.
14.11.1939: Survivors landed at Fleetwood.
13.12.1939: Milford registry closed “Sunk by enemy action”.
(*Lost – George Thomas Andrews (37), Third Hand; Phillip Killey, Ch Eng; Frederick Kirby (45) and James Larter (36), Deckhands; Thomas Gately (40) and Stanley Lazenby, Firemen/Trimmers.
^Survivors – Sk. George Bull; William Faussett, Mate; Frederick Lee (16) Deck Boy; plus four more)
(William Beatty, Surgeon, age 32, b. St. Andrews, Scotland – VICTORY (SB908))

Changelog
13/05/2012: Page published. 5 updates since then.
06/02/2020: Updated information.

S.T. Cartagena FD139

Technical

Official Number: 148226
Yard Number: ??
Completed: 1914
Gross Tonnage: 271
Net Tonnage: 123
Length: 125.8 ft
Breadth: 23.5 ft
Depth: 12.7 ft
Built: Port Arthur Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Port Arthur, Canada
Engine: 480ihp T.3-cyl by Port Arthur Shipbuilding Co., Port Arthur, Montreal

History

1.1917: Ordered.
1917: Launched by Port Arthur Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Port Arthur, Canada (Yd.No.) (Canadian “Castle” – “T.R.” class) for the The Admiralty (paid for and built under direction of RCN) as TR.4.
27.11.1917: Completed and accepted (1-12pdr).
24.5.1918: Commissioned in Royal Canadian Navy.
3.1919: Paid off and laid up.
1920: Accepted offer of Rose Street Foundry & Engineering Co Ltd, Inverness (Captain Donald John Munro CMG RN as agent) to bring drifters with trawlers as escorts to UK for lay-up in Muirtown Basin, Caledonian Canal, Inverness prior to sale and possible refit for classification as steam trawlers (The Rose Street Foundry & Engineering Co Ltd letter dated 12 April 1920).
1921: Brought over at The Admiralty’s expense.
1.1926: Still laid up but gun platform removed and a fish room made forward of the cross bunker bulkhead.
2.1926: Rejected offer for all remaining trawlers at £2,000 each (B. Allenby, Aberdeen letter dated 10 Feb 1926).
26.8.1926: Sold “as is” to Boston Deep Sea Fishing & Ice Co Ltd, Grimsby. Laid up in Caledonian Canal and then Grimsby.
14 & 22.9.1926: Surveyed by BoT at Grimsby for voyage to the Continent.
22.9.1926: Registered (Part I & IV) at Fleetwood as CARTAGENA (FD139). Fred Parkes, Blackpool designated manager.
10.1926: Moved to lay-up in Boulogne.
10.1927: Moved to Ostend for work to class her for fishing as a trawler under Bureau Veritas rules. Twelve tons of permanent ballast removed.
7.12.1927: Sailed Ostend for Fleetwood to complete surveys.
14.12.1927: Arrived Fleetwood. Completed survey to satisfaction of Bureau Veritas.
15.12.1927: Sale agreed to Brazilian Ministry of Marine, Rio de Janeiro.
19.12.1927: Slipped and bottom plating, tail shaft, sea connections and rudder surveyed by Bureau Veritas along with draught marks by BoT. At the request of BDSF&ICo Marine Engineer, a shell plate No.2 in E strake was faired.
28.12.1927: Basin trials to the satisfaction of Bureau Veritas.
29.12.1927: Sold to Brazilian Government (Ministry of Marine), Rio de Janeiro (£8,000 plus £613.5.7d for fishing gear), but to remain the property of BDSF&I Co until successfully delivered.
29.12.1927: Fleetwood registry closed. Registered at Rio de Janeiro.
13.1.1928: Crew signed on under Brazilian articles (Capt A. W. Rawling), twelve crew all told.
14.1.1928: Sailed Fleetwood for Lune Deep for compass adjustments.
15.1.1928: At about 10.30 a.m. sailed Lune Deep for Rio de Janeiro. Believed foundered between Lune Deeps and Hough Skerries in approx position 53.42N 04.00W; all crew lost.
12.2.1929: At BOT Formal Investigation (No.7869) held at Liverpool, the Court found that the reason for the loss must remain a matter of pure conjecture. No blame could be attached to Boston Deep Sea Fishing & Ice Co Ltd or Mr Fred Parkes and his servants.
11.1929: HMS BEAUFORT preparing new survey of coastal waters off North Wales discovered a new wreck 3 miles off the Great Orme.
23.10.1989: Dive on wreck in position 53.25,00N 04.072,6W, confirmed large steam trawler in good condition and bell ‘TR4’ removed (K. Hurley).
22.11.1989: Dive recorded by Hydrographic Office HH100/351/01.
6.2007: Wreck identified as TR4/CARTAGENA by Nigel Cossons in position 53.25,015N/04.07,500W, in 35-40 metres.
2015: Diving is ongoing.

Lost: Capt. A.W.Rawlings; P.G.Petterson, Thornton, Mate; W.H.Grayson, Third hand; L. Gratrix, Ch Eng, Thornton; M.F.Wilson, 2nd Eng; A.Taylor & R.Taylor, Bolton (Victoria St, Fleetwood), J.McFarlane, Liverpool & W.A.Stelford, Deckhands; P.Brennan, Liverpool, J.P.Monaghan, Firemen; N. Robertson, Cook/Steward.
Click to enlarge image

Castle Class Trawler

Castle Class Trawler
Picture from the Internet

Cartagena

Wreck sketch courtesy of Nigel Cossons

Wreck dive movie courtesy of Nigel Cossons.

Changelog
26/04/2014: Information updated.
01/10/2015: Information updated.
03/10/2015: Pictures added.
01/11/2019: Updated information.