Additional information courtesy of Barry Johnson Milford Trawlers
Technical

Admiralty Number: 3506
Official Number: 143858
Yard Number: 667
Completed: 1917
Gross Tonnage: 275
Net Tonnage: 107
Length: 125.5 ft
Breadth: 23.4 ft
Depth: 12.8 ft
Built: Smith’s Dock Co Ltd, South Bank-on-Tees, Middlesbrough
Engine: 480ihp T.3-cyl by Smith’s Dock Co Ltd, South Bank-on-Tees, Middlesbrough
Boiler: Palmer’s Shipbuilding & Iron Co Ltd, Hebburn on Tyne

History

17.10.1916: Laid down. Requisitioned by The Admiralty on the stocks; no instalment monies paid.
08.2.1917: Launched by Smith’s Dock Co Ltd, South Bank, Middlesbrough (Yd.No.667) and requisitioned by The Admiralty (non-standard “Castle” class) as JAMES JOHNSON.
13.4.1917: Completed.
8.4.1918: At midnight 2 miles S. by W. from Daunt Lightship in collision with armed trawler LORD HARDINGE (Ad.No.2993) (GY1013) which foundered. All crew picked up.
19.8.1919: Landed at Milford.
21.11.1919: Registered by The Admiralty at London (Part I) as THOMAS DEAS O.N.143858. Engaged in commercial trawling.
3.2.1920: Registered by The Admiralty at London (Part IV) (LO294).
Between 18.5.1920 – 18.6.1920: Allocated to Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries, London. Fishing out of Swansea.
1920: Allocated to the Minesweepers’ Cooperative Trawling Society, London.
13.8.1920: Minesweepers’ Cooperative Trawling Society Ltd, London registered.
29.11.1920: Landed at Milford and laid up.
1.1922: Scheme abandoned, the necessary working capital of £100,000 having not been subscribed.
9.1922: At HM Dockyard, Pembroke completed fitting out for fishing under Special Survey of Lloyd’s Register and classed 100A1 Stm Trawler at Milford.
10.1922: Sold to Henry James Shooter, Exeter; Sk. Henry William Salter, Milford Haven & Sk. Thomas Salter, Hakin.
9.10.1922: London registry closed.
10.10.1922: Registered at Milford (M253).
22.10.1923: Shares re-allocated to James Henry Shooter, Exeter & Sk. Thomas Salter, Hakin.
11.6.1926: In the Channel had a narrow escape when a mail boat crossed the bows, quick thinking by the helmsman averted collision.
23.12.1926: Sold to Mrs Elizabeth Ann Heck Pettit, Milford Haven. David Pettit designated manager.
27.1.1931: Outward from Milford for the fishing grounds on the afternoon tide in darkness, misty light rain stranded in Gellyswick Bay. Refloated under own power with no damage.
1932: David Pettit (66) died.
1933: Transferred Mrs Elizabeth Ann Heck Owens, Hakin. Mrs Elizabeth Ann Heck Owens designated managing owner.
28.7.1933: Arrived Limerick, Co. Limerick with broken steam pipe having been aground in river.
11.11.1936: Sailed Milford for West of Ireland grounds at 4.15 p.m. (Sk. Robert W. C. Kettle). Anchored off to await crew member. Picked up and proceeded down Haven, At 7.15 p.m. in collision with steam tanker SAN DARIO (1136grt/1936) alleged to be at anchor unlit. Stood by and checked damage before returning to Milford.
23.3.1937: Sailed Milford for West coast of Ireland grounds (Sk. Robert W. C. Kettle).
31.3.1937: Spoke THOMAS LEEDS (M70) stopped with condenser door blown off. THOMAS LEEDS effected repair but requested tow to Milford.
1.4.1937: Connected.
3.4.1937: Delivered THOMAS LEEDS to Milford.
24.9.1939: Last landing at Milford.
30.9.1939: Sold to J. Marr & Son Ltd, Fleetwood for £5750. Geoffrey Edwards Marr, Cleveleys designated manager.
21.1.1941: Homeward in an easterly gale and rough seas, ran ashore near Port Askaig, Islay. At 10.10pm Kilchoman coastguard telephoned the Port Askaig Lifeboat Station that a trawler was ashore in the Sound of Islay. The motor lifeboat CHARLOTTE ELIZABETH was launched at 10.50pm and at 11.30pm found the trawler aground with a crew of fourteen and carrying a catch worth about £2,000.
22.1.1941: Another trawler arrived and the lifeboat succeeded in passing a tow line to her but in the severe weather it parted. It was decided that in view of the weather the other trawler would continue on passage. At day-break the lifeboat assisted the trawler to layout out a kedge anchor and at high water refloated herself. The lifeboat returned to station at 12.05pm. The Fleetwood Steam Trawlers Mutual Insurance Association sent £50 to the lifeboat crew in gratitude for them helping to refloat the trawler. The crew gave £4 of the gratuity to the Institution.
16.2.1941: Lost after explosion approximately 4 miles off Spurn Point, believed to have been mined; Crew of thirteen lost.
20.3.1941: Milford registry closed “Vessel sunk by enemy mine”.

(Lost – Sk. W. Scott (44), 24 Knowsley Gate, Fleetwood; John Henry Raywell (25), 79 Rosamond Street, Hull, 2nd Hand; George Robert Dodson (43), 70 Shakespeare Road, Fleetwood, 3rd Hand; Thomas George Hudson (48), 3 Coniston Avenue, Fleetwood, Ch Eng,; Richard Neill (39), 63 Warrenhurst Road, Fleetwood, 2nd Eng.; George Robert Bush (19), 308 Radcliffe Road, Fleetwood, Charles Henry Powdrell (57), 174 St. Georges Road, Hull, Harold Powdrell (51) 9 Esther’s Avenue, Eastbourne Street, Hull, Walter Semper (29), 4 York Terrace, Marmaduke Street, Hull & Robert Wilson (23), 141 Chilcorn Street, Hull, Deckhands; William Gordan Phillips (40), 10 Darbyshire Road, Fleetwood & Thomas Patrick Power (41), C/O Seaman’s Mission, Dock Street, Fleetwood, Fireman/Trimmers and Thomas Madden (36), 1 St. Andres Terrace, Panott Street, Hull, Cook.

(John (aka James) Johnson, OS (volunteer), age 24, b. Newport, Rhode Island, America – VICTORY (SB110)

(Record of Death of Merchant Seaman, recorded May 1941. Lost at sea, River Humber: presumed killed: vessel sunk by enemy mine – Sk. W. Scott (44), 24 Knowsley Gate, Fleetwood; John Henry Raywell (25), 79 Rosamond Street, Hull, 2nd Hand; George Robert Dodson (43), 70 Shakespeare Road, Fleetwood, 3rd Hand; Thomas George Hudson (48), 3 Coniston Avenue, Fleetwood, Ch Eng,; Richard Neill (39), 63 Warrenhurst Road, Fleetwood, 2nd Eng.; George Robert Bush (19), 308 Radcliffe Road, Fleetwood; Charles Henry Powdrell (57), 174 St. Georges Road, Hull; Harold Powdrell (51) 9 Esther’s Avenue, Eastbourne Street, Hull; Walter Semper (29), 4 York Terrace, Marmaduke Street, Hull & Robert Wilson (23), 141 Chiltern Street, Hull, Deckhands; William Gordon Phillips (40), 10 Darbyshire Road, Fleetwood & Thomas Patrick Power (41), c/o Seaman’s Mission, Dock Street, Fleetwood, Fireman/Trimmers and Thomas Madden (36), 1 St. Andrews Terrace, Panott Street, Hull, Cook.

Click to enlarge image

S.T. Thomas Deas M253
Picture courtesy of David Slinger

Changelog
17/01/2009: Page published. 5 updates since then.
19/02/2015: Information added.
03/11/2016: Information updated.
25/04/2022: Information updated.
10/11/2022: Added Record of Death