Category Archives: Steam Trawlers

S.T. Transvaal FD381

Additional information courtesy of Andy Hall
Technical

Official Number: 138979
Yard Number: 658
Completed: 1916
Gross Tonnage: 250
Net Tonnage: 119
Length: 125.3 ft
Breadth: 22.5 ft
Depth: 12 ft
Engine: T.3-cyl by Amos & Smith Ltd, Hull
Built: Cochrane & Sons Ltd, Selby

History

9.12.1915: Launched by Cochrane & Sons Ltd, Selby (Yd.No.658) for Henry L. Taylor & Staff, Grimsby as TRANSVAAL.
9.8.1916: Registered at Grimsby (GY953).
15.8.1916: Completed (Henry L. Taylor, manager). Requisitioned by The Admiralty from the builders and fitted out as mine sweeper (1-12pdr, 1-6pdr HA) (Ad.No.3307). Based Peterhead.
12.7.1917: Arrived on the fishing grounds (Lieut W.E. Dawson RNR), escorting the Fraserburgh fleet. At 6.00pm. heard gunfire and discovered a submarine attacking the sailing drifters SPIDER (BF279) and SURPRISE (BF2008). At 7.10pm. engaged with 12pdr and 6 pdr and pursued. Submarine dived and at 7.20pm. depth charges dropped. At 8.00 pm. joined by HM Drifter CLOVER (BF323) (Ad.No.4329) but submarine escaped.
By 12.3.1919: Returned to owner at Grimsby (Henry L. Taylor, manager).
12.1919: Sold to Henry L. Taylor & H. G. Hopwood, Grimsby.
12.1919: Sold to Melville Steam Trawling Co Ltd, Fleetwood. (Herbert M. Johns, manager).
26.10.1920: Grimsby registry closed.
27.10.1920: Registered at Fleetwood (FD381).
26.11.1923: Sold to The Transvaal Steam Trawling Co Ltd, Fleetwood (Magnus B. J. Wedum, manager).
2.12.1935: Went to assistance of steam trawler CAVE (H643) which had run aground entering Stornoway harbour. Connected, refloated and assisted to berth.
1.12.1939: Requisitioned for war service and designated for minesweeping duties (magnetic)(Hire rate £70.16.8d/month).
20.1.1940: Returned.
9.6.1941: Sold to Basil A. Parkes, Fleetwood.
1.12.1941: Sold to The Don Fishing Co Ltd, Aberdeen.
11.8.1942: Requisitioned for war service and fitted out as a fuelling trawler(Esso) (33ton tank for refuelling diesel landing craft) (P.No.Y.7.45). Mediterranean Command.
6.1944: Operation Neptune-Normandy landings. Assigned as a fuelling trawler to Force O.
18.11.1944: Foundered in English Channel in severe weather conditions (Off hire 17.11.1944). All crew MPK.
14.12.1945: Fleetwood registry closed. (CHR has some anomalies in dates).

(MPK – Ty/Sk.Thomas Threlfall RNR; Herbert W. Cook, 2nd Hand; Dennis Reaney & Laurence J. Smith, Enginemen; William Hamblett, George T. King, James McCourt, John E. Pharaoh, Joseph C. Vorley, Eric Walker, Herbert D. Ward & James Watson, seamen; Jack Edwards, Alfred Lloyd & Joseph Skayman, stokers; Alexander Smith, Ldg Cook; Thomas P. Kelly, Signalman; James J.Rogers Ord. Telegraphist.)

Click to enlarge image

S.T. Transvaal FD381

Changelog
24/01/2009: Page published. 4 updates since then.
28/07/2016: Information added.
10/07/2017: Removed FMHT watermark from image.

S.T. St Clair FD15

Additional information courtesy of Bill Blow

Technical

Official Number: 118797
Yard Number: 357
Completed: 1904
Gross Tonnage: 255
Net Tonnage: 94
Length: 128.3 ft
Breadth: 22.2 ft
Depth: 12.0 ft
Built: Cook, Welton & Gemmell, Hull
Engine: 500ihp T.3-cyl and boiler by C. D. Holmes & Co Ltd, Hull
Speed: 10.5 knots

History

23.11.1903: Launched by Cook, Welton & Gemmell, Hull (Yd.No.357) for Thomas Hamling & Co Ltd, Hull as St. CLAIR.
1.1.1904: Registered at Hull (H803).
1.1904: Completed (John Robinson, manager).
9.4.1904: On a trip (Sk. Hambling). Stood by wooden full rigged ship SIGRID (1003grt/1865) (Capt Carl Gabrielsen) dismasted off Westray, Orkney on passage Trondheim – Mobile. Master declined tow.
11.4.1904: SIGRID foundered 8 miles NW by W of Noup Head, Westray, Orkney. Crew taken onboard and landed in Orkney. Capt Gabrielsen later charged with sinking the ship with criminal intent.
1913: Harold Hall appointed manager.
1.1.1914: Tonnage altered to 102.74net under provision of Merchant Shipping Act 1907.
28.8.1914: Arrived Hull from fishing grounds with the dead body of the engineer and four crew members of the Buckie drifter BARLEY RIG (BCK145) which had been picked up the previous day from a small boat off Blyth. The BARLEY RIG with a crew of nine had been mined of the NE coast and they had been five hours in the boat.
8.1915: Requisitioned for war service as a minesweeper (1-6pdr, 1-3pdr) (Ad.No.1844). Based Aegean Sea.
12.3.1919: Waiting instructions whether required for Post-War Service (SS).
1919: Returned to owner at Hull.
2.10.1924: Sold to Dinas Steam Trawling Co Ltd (64/64), Fleetwood (Joseph A. Marr, manager).
3.10.1924: Hull registry closed.
6.10.1924: Registered at Fleetwood (FD15).
23.6.1935: Arrived Oban with boiler trouble and repairs undertaken.
1936: Joseph A. Marr, Jnr appointed manager.
3.10.1936: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to William Deacons Bank Ltd, London (A).
Pre 8.1938: Laid up at Fleetwood.
13.6.1940: Requisitioned for war service and fitted out at Barry as a minesweeper (P.No.FY.1876) (Hire rate £63.15.0d/month).
15.9.1940: Renamed SUN SPOT.
1942: Mortgage (A) discharged.
1942: Sold to Northern Trawlers Ltd (64/64), Grimsby. William Alfred Bennett appointed manager.
5.1945: Returned to owner. Reverted to St. CLAIR (FD15).
25.11.1946: Fleetwood registry closed.
26.11.46: Registered at Grimsby (GY387).
23.1.1948: Alteration to tonnage and other particulars. Certificate of Survey at West Hartlepool dated 9.5.1947. 246.72grt 93.75net.
10.5.1948: Sold to Associated Trawlers (Gt. Yarmouth) Ltd (64/64), Great Yarmouth.
18.5.1948: Albert Edward Bewley, Gorleston appointed manager.
31.5.1948: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to Midland Bank Ltd, London (A).
6.1.1949: Mortgage (A) discharged.
20.1.1949: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to Barclays Bank Ltd, London (B).
11.8.1949: Sailed Yarmouth for West of Scotland grounds (Sk.Frederick Thomsett).
23.8.1949: Homeward to Gt. Yarmouth with a good catch, in thick fog in the Pentland Firth stranded on Isle of Stroma. Refloated but wind and tide carried across the Firth, grounding on rocks off Island of Swona; all crew taken off by lifeboat.
28.8.1949: Wreck declared a total loss and later sold to local company for breaking up in situ.
3.4.1950: Mortgage (B) discharged.
17.4.1950: Grimsby registry closed “Vessel foundered 23.8.1949”.

Click to enlarge images

S.T. St Clair FD15
Picture courtesy of The John Stevenson Collection

S.T. St Clair H803 Picture from the Internet

S.T. St. Clair H803 Picture from the Internet

S.T. St. Clair GY387 Picture from the Internet

Changelog
24/01/2009: Page published. 4 revisions since then.
17/08/2014: Picture added.
22/06/2016: Information updated.
16/07/2016: Picture added.
29/06/2022: Picture added.

S.T. St. Botolph FD31

Additional information courtesy of David Slinger

Technical

Official Number: 180469
Yard Number: 758
Completed: 1946
Gross Tonnage: 361
Net Tonnage: 138
Length: 136.1 ft
Breadth: 25.2 ft
Depth: 13.2 ft
Engine: 600ihp T.3-cyl by C. D. Holmes & Co Ltd, Hull
Built: Cook, Welton & Gemmell Ltd, Beverley, 1945

History

21.11.1945: Launched by Cook, Welton & Gemmell Ltd, Beverley (Yd.No.758) for Saint Andrew’s Steam Fishing Co Ltd, Hull as St. BOTOLPH.
22.1.1946: Completed. Registered at Hull (H188). Basil Arthur Parkes designated manager.
1946: Sold to Neale & West Ltd, Cardiff. Hull registry closed. Registered at Cardiff (CF8).
4.4.1949: Outward for the fishing grounds (Sk. Rymer). In heavy seas off Barra responded to distress rockets from Icelandic fish carrier ELDBORG (280grt/1928) bound Fleetwood disabled with engine damage. Connected and commenced 250 mile tow to Fleetwood.
5.4.1949: Delivered Fleetwood, ELDBORG landed 2,900 kits.
5.1956: Neale & West Ltd closed their Cardiff base citing high coal prices, unruly crews and Spanish over-fishing; vessels for sale.
5.1956: Five vessels bought en bloc by Fred Parkes, Blackpool – AKITA (CF4), CHAFFCOMBE (CF18), OKU (CF3), SASEBO (CF27) and St. BOTOLPH (CF8).
6.1956: Sold to St. Christopher Steam Fishing Co Ltd, Fleetwood. Cardiff registry closed.
11.1956: Converted for burning oil fuel, F.P. above 150° F.
20.6.1956: Registered at Fleetwood (FD31). Fred Parkes, Blackpool, designated manager.
20.3.1963: Laid up in Glasson Dock.
9.1963: Sold to Lacmots Ltd, Glasson Dock for breaking up.
11.11.1963: Breaking up commenced. Fleetwood registry closed.

Click to enlarge images

S.T. St. Botolph CF8
Picture from the Internet

S.T. St Botolph CF8
Picture courtesy of The David Buckley Collection

S.T. St Botolph FD31
Picture courtesy of The Frank Pook Collection

S.T. St. Botolph FD31
Picture © Mike Helm

S.T. St. Botolph FD31
Picture courtesy of The Osta Collection

Changelog
24/01/2009: Page published. 6 updates since then.
14/03/2017: Added image and removed disputed image.
05/07/2020: Updated information and added an image.

S.T. Rudyard Kipling FD33

Technical

Official Number: 144068
Yard Number: 686
Completed: 1921
Gross Tonnage: 333
Net Tonnage: 140
Length: 138.8 ft
Breadth: 23.7 ft
Depth: 12.9 ft
Built: Cochrane & Sons Ltd, Selby
Engine: T.3-cyl by C. D. Holmes & Co Ltd, Hull

History

11.11.1920: Launched by Cochrane & Sons Ltd, Selby (Yd.No.686) for Newington Steam Trawling Co Ltd, Hull as RUDYARD KIPLING.
21.1.1921: Completed (John Work, manager).
4.2.1921: Registered at Hull (Part I & IV) as RUDYARD KIPLING O.N.144068 (H247).
28.1.1930: The President of the German Reich awarded Sk. F.V.H. Hahn, P. Dunbar, Mate and F. Doncaster, Ch. Eng, J.H. Twiddle, 2nd Eng two gold watches, two binocular glasses and in addition monetary awards for the crew. These awards are in recognition of the services rendered to the German steam trawler JOHS THODE which stranded on the Murman Coast in January 1929.
3.12.1921: Francis Schofield (29) died as a result of accident aboard; buried in Iceland.
12.4.1934: Sailed Hull for Iceland last trip before sale (Sk. A. Smith).
1.5.1934: At Hull landed 1,722 kits grossed £719.
16.5.1934: Sold to The Sun Steam Trawling Co Ltd, Fleetwood (Michael A. Munby, manager).
5.10.1936: Hull registry closed.
16.10.1936: Registered at Fleetwood (FD33).
9.1939: On a trip to the Donegal ground (Sk. Charles Robinson); twelve crew.
16.9.1939: Stopped by U-boat (U.27) about 100 miles off Co. Donegal coast. Sunk by explosive charges at 15.53 in position 53°50N/11°10W after crew ordered onto submarine; towed boat towards Irish coast.
17.9.1939: Crew set adrift in early hours, 5 miles off Donegal coast and landed later in Killybegs*. Search carried out by destroyers from Scapa Flow based 6th Destroyer Flotilla, H M Ships MATABELE (P.No.F26) (Cdr G K Whitmy Smith RN) and SOMALI (P.No.F33) (Lt Cdr Nicholson RN) and with aircraft.
29.9.1939: Fleetwood registry closed.

Crew * (all Fleetwood unless stated) – Sk. Charles Robinson; John Smith, Mate; H. Spencer, Bosun; C. H. Ashworth, Ch Eng; R. Clark, 2nd Eng; C. Shorrock, Blackpool, H. Ellerby, H. Mayer & G. Harrison, deckhands; L. A. Taylor & A. J. Willoughby, firemen; F. A. Irvine, Carleton, cook).

Note – On 20.9.1939 U.27 was found by destroyers from Scapa Flow based 8th Destroyer Flotilla, H M Ships FORTUNE (P.No.H70) (Cdr E. A. Gibbs RN) and FORESTER (P.No.H74) (Lt Cdr E. B. Tancock RN), attacked with depth charges and sunk in position 58 35N 09 02W. All thirty-eight crew taken prisoner.

Click to enlarge images

S.T. Rudyard Kipling H247
Picture fron the Internet

S.T. Rudyard Kipling FD33
Picture courtesy of The Fred Baker Collection

Crew of Rudyard Kipling
Picture courtesy of The David Buckley Collection

Changelog
24/01/2209: Page published. 7 revisions since then.
24/09/2014: Second picture added.
11/11/2017: Removed FMHT watermarks from images.
26/07/2021: Updated history.
04/08/2022: Added an image.

S.T. Royal Marine FD63

Additional information courtesy of Bil Blow and David Slinger

Technical

Official Number: 181282
Yard Number: 683
Completed: July 29 1941
Gross Tonnage: 510
Net Tonnage: 160
Length: 167.7 ft
Breadth: 28.1 ft
Depth: 14.1 ft
Engine: 970ihp T.3-cyl by C. D. Holmes & Co Ltd, Hull
Boiler: Central Marine Engine Works, West Hartlepool
Built: Cook, Welton & Gemmell Ltd, Beverley
Speed: 11 knots

History

20.11.1940: Ordered.
1.4.1941: Laid down.
29.7.1941: Launched by Cook, Welton & Gemmell Ltd, Beverley (Yd.No.683) (“Hill” class) for The Admiralty as HMS BUTSER (P.No.T219)
16.1.1942: Completed (1-12pdr HA, 4-MG, 1-20mm, DC).
1941: Home Fleet.
1942: To Freetown, 2nd A/S Group.
1945: Armament increased (2-20mm).
1946: Laid up at Rosyth on Disposal List (SORF, Rosyth).
10.4.1946: Sold to Devon Fishing Co Ltd, Hull for the sum of £27,750 with estimated cost of conversion at £30,000.
11.1946: Converted to a fishing vessel by Smith’s Dock Co Ltd, North Shields. Remeasured 538.20g 210.40n.
11.1946: Converted for burning oil fuel, F.P. above 150° F.
1946: Engine re-rated 1050ihp.
25.11.1946: Registered at Hull (Part I & IV) as BALTHAZAR O.N.181282 (H359). Mark Hellyer & Graham Hellyer designated managers.
11.1.1952: Sold to The Loyal Steam Fishing Co Ltd (64/64), Grimsby. Albert Wright Butt designated manager.
1.1952: Hull registry closed.
21.1.1952: Registered at Grimsby (GY213).
7.2.1952: Registered at Grimsby as ROYAL MARINE (GY213) (MoT Minute R.G.No.1016/52 dated 28.1.1952).
7.5.1952: Arrived Harstad, northern Norway having been arrested for alleged fishing inside territorial waters (Sk. Charles Major).
14.5.1952: At court in Harstad, fined £8175, which included confiscation of catch, gear, ship value and legal costs, for allegedly fishing in Norwegian waters.
10.2.1954: At appeal disagreement between judge and jury.
7.4.1960: Sold to Wyre Trawlers Ltd (64/64), Fleetwood (Associated Fisheries Group).
9.4.1960: Grimsby registry closed.
9.4.1960: On passage Grimsby – Fleetwood, developed engine trouble off West Coast of Scotland. Distress answered by steam trawler WYRE MARINER (FD34) (Sk Percy Bedford) outwards for Bear Island grounds. Closed, connected and commenced tow for Fleetwood.
11.4.1960: Delivered Fleetwood after 250 mile tow, transferred to tugs BISPHAM (21grt/1938) and LANDY II (66grt/1949) and brought into dock.
4.1960: Registered at Fleetwood (FD63).
21.4.1960: Leslie Wheildon designated manager.
17.8.1960: First landing at Fleetwood, Iceland 21 days, 910 kits, £5.500 gross.
25.7.1963: Abandoned by crew south of Mull of Galloway after fire broke out in boiler room. Taken in tow by WYRE CONQUEROR (FD187) and returned to Fleetwood but damaged beyond economical repair. Laid up.
9.1963: Sold to West of Scotland Shipbreaking Co Ltd, Troon for breaking up.
22.10.1963: Left Fleetwood for Troon under tow.
24.10.1963: Delivered Troon Harbour (draughts 8’3”/16’9”).
11.6.1964: Breaking commenced.
8.9.1964: Re-berthed.
2.10.1964: Beached (draughts 7’0”/10’0”).
27.10.1964: Re-beached.
17.11.1964: Re-beached.
15.12.1964: Breaking completed.
21.4.1965: Fleetwood registry closed “Vessel broken up”.

Click to enlarge images

HMT Butser
Picture reproduced under IWM Non-Commercial Licence

HMS Butser T219
Picture reproduced under IWM Non-Commercial Licence

HMT Butser
Picture reproduced under IWM Non-Commercial Licence

S.T. Royal Marine FD63
Picture from the Internet.

S.T. Balthazar H359
Picture courtesy of The JJ Collection

S.T. Royal Marine GY213
Picture courtesy of The JJ Collection

S.T. Royal Marine GY213
Picture courtesy of The Billy Worrall Collection

S.T. Royal Marine FD63
Picture courtesy of The Peter Hearn Collection

S.T. Royal Marine FD63 on fire
Picture courtesy of The David Slinger Collection

S.T. Royal Marine FD63
Picture from the Internet

Changelog
24/01/2009; Page published. 8 updates since then.
11/03/2017: Removed disputed image.
20/02/2018: Added an image.
03/08/2018: Removed FMHT watermark and updated information.
21/04/2019: Added an image.
26/09/2019: Updated information and added an image.

The Bosun's Watch

Fleetwood Steam and Sailing Trawlers

Category Archives: Steam Trawlers

S.T. Transvaal FD381

S.T. St Clair FD15

S.T. St. Botolph FD31

S.T. Rudyard Kipling FD33

S.T. Royal Marine FD63