Category Archives: Steam Trawlers

S.T. Thunderstone GY907

Additional information courtesy of Bill Blow

Technical

Official Number: 135967
Yard Number: 276
Completed: 1913
Gross Tonnage: 225
Net Tonnage: 112
Length: 117 ft
Breadth: 22 ft
Depth: 11.7 ft
Built: Earle’s Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd, Hull
Engine: 430ihp T.3-cyl and boiler by Charles D Holmes & Co Ltd, Hull

History

21.6.1913: Launched by Cook, Welton & Gemmell Ltd, Beverley (Yd.No.276) for The North Western Steam Fishing Co Ltd (64/64), Grimsby as THUNDERSTONE.
20.8.1913: Alick Black appointed manager.
23.8.1913: Registered at Grimsby (GY907).
8.1913: Completed.
17.9.1913: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to The Union of London & Smiths Bank Ltd, London (A).
4.1915: Requisitioned for war service.
23.4.1915: Commissioned.
24.4.1915: Arrived Devonport. Fitted out as a minesweeper (1-3pdr) (Ad.No.1755).
9.10.1915: Mortgage (A) discharged.
11.10.1915: Sold to Thomas William Baskcomb (64/64), Grimsby. Thomas Willam Baskcomb appointed manager.
12.10.1915: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to Barclay & Co Ltd, London (B).
22.2.1917: Mortgagee re-styled Barclays Bank Ltd, London. Based Egypt.
By 12.3.1919: Returned to owner at Grimsby.
10.7.1919: Mortgage (B) discharged.
10.7.1919: Sold to Harry Wood & Co (Grimsby) Ltd (64/64), Grimsby.
29.7.1919: Harry Wood appointed manager.
8.8.1919: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to National Provincial & Union Bank of England Ltd, London (C).
11.8.1923: Sold by order of the mortgagee under mortgage (C) to The Pelham Steam Fishing Co Ltd (64/64), Grimsby.
15.8.1923: Sir Alec Black, Bart appointed manager.
1925: Transferred to Fleetwood.
19.9.1928: Sold to The Earl Steam Fishing Co Ltd (64/64), Grimsby.
20.9.1928: Sir Alec Black, Bart appointed manager. Returned to Grimsby.
20.4.1940: Requisitioned for war service as a barrage balloon vessel (Hire rate £58.2.6d/month).
10.12.1940: Sold to Sir Alec Black, Bart (64/64), Grimsby.
12.12.1940: Sir Alec Black, Bart appointed manager.
11.1941: Paid off for repair at Aberdeen.
28.6.1942: Sir Alec Black died.
16.1.1943: Probate granted. Transferred to Public Trustee, London & John Edgar Harrison, Grimsby (64/64) joint owners).
3.2.1943: John Edgar Harrison appointed manager.
8.2.1943: Sold to Shire Trawlers Ltd, London.
10.2.1943: William Alfred Bennett, Sanderstead, Surrey appointed manager.
24.8.1943: Returned.
25.5.1944: Sold to Parkholme Trawlers Ltd (64/64), Fleetwood.
2.6.1944: Harvey Wilfred Wilson, Grimsby appointed manager.
10.6.1944: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to National Provincial Bank Ltd, London (D).
30.12.1944: Mortgage (D) discharged.
30.7.1949: Sold to Trawlers Grimsby Ltd (64/64), Grimsby. Harvey Wilfred Wilson appointed manager.
10.4.1953: Sold to Derwent Trawlers Ltd (64/64) Grimsby.
11.4.1953: Harvey Wilfred Wilson appointed manager.
9.2.1955: John C. Ross appointed manager.
14.11.1956: Sold to Forward Steam Fishing Co Ltd (64/64), Grimsby.
15.11.1956: Fred Bannister appointed manager.
4.1962: Sold to Van den Bossche & Co, Boom for breaking up.
17.4.1962: Arrived Boom.
29.10.1962: Grimsby registry closed.

Click to enlarge images

S.T. Thunderstone GY907
Picture from the Internet

S.T. Thunderstone GY907
Picture courtesy of Mark Stopper

S.T. Thunderstone GY907
Picture courtesy of the JJ collection

Changelog

15/01/2009: Page published. 4 updates since then.
23/04/2018: Removed FMHT watermarks from images.
01/04/2021: Updated history and added an image.

S.T. Swift FD170

Additional information courtesy of Michael Lowery

Technical

Official Number: 108526
Yard Number: 544
Completed: 1897
Gross Tonnage: 242
Net Tonnage: 76
Length: 133.7 ft
Breadth: 21.6 ft
Depth: 10.8 ft
Engine: 570ihp T.3-cyl and boiler by N.E. Marine Engineering Co Ltd, Sunderland
Built: Edwards Bros, Howden-on-Tyne

History

4.5.1897: Launched by Edwards Bros, Howden-on-Tyne (Yd.No.544) for Kelsall Bros & Beeching Ltd (64/64), Manchester as SWIFT.
9.6.1897: Registered at Fleetwood (FD170).
6.1897: Completed. Employed as a fish carrier for the company’s boxing fleet.
1899: Transferred to Hull.
8.4.1899: Registered at Hull (H99).
12.5.1899: Fleetwood registry closed.
13.5.1899: Suffered damage to shell plating following collision off Cromer with steamer HISPANIA, Grangemouth for Dieppe, cargo pitch. HISPANIA put into Gt Yarmouth with port bow stove in.
2.3.1907: Arrived Hull with survivors and Norwegian schooner PRESTO in tow. PRESTO had sailed Brevig for West Hartlepool cargo ice a month ago, and experienced blizzards and icing. Crew in very poor shape due to hunger, fatigue and frostbite and unable to work the ship with one man washed overboard and too ill to aid him.
3.3.1907: Men recovering in hospital.
8.9.1911: Registered office transferred to Hull (George Beeching, Hull & John E. A. Kelsall, London, managers).
1914: New boiler fitted.
10.1914: Requisitioned for war service as a minesweeper (1-12pdr) (Ad.No.675).
27.1.1915: Registered at Hull as QUICKLY (H99) (BoT Minute M842/1915 dated 19.1.1915).
7.1915: Fitted out as a Special Service decoy trawler (2-12pdrs, 1-6pdr HA). Based Granton.
20.7.1915: With Special Service decoy trawler GUNNER (Ad.No.1153) engaged U-boat (U16) and scored several hits but did not damage pressure hull and submarine returned to Helgoland on 22 July. Later operated under names Q.32, CAROLINA, MASTER, SINTON and SWIFT.
11.1918: Returned to owners at Hull.
12.11.1918: Registered at Hull as SWIFT (H99) (BoT Minute M14349/1918 dated 29.10.1918).
7.6.1919: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to London County Westminster & Parr’s Bank Ltd, London (A).
7.6.1919: John Slater, London appointed manager.
6.3.1923: Mortgagee re-styled as Westminster Bank Ltd, London.
14.10.1927: Mortgage (A) transferred to William Augustus Hayward, Eastbourne.
14.10.1927: Mortgage (A) transferred to Mercantile Marine Finance Corporation Ltd, London.
22.10.1928: Robert Burton, Hull appointed manager.
16.9.1932: Charles Hugh Emerson appointed manager.
10.1932: Mercantile Marine Finance Corporation Ltd in liquidation.
1.11.1932: Mortgage (A) transferred to Harold Frank Hayward, London; Maud Florence Katherine Rogers, Chelsea and Ernest Norton, London (joint mortgagees).
3.1936: Combined boxing and trawling fleet of Kelsall Bros. & Beeching Ltd and the Hull Steam Fishing & Ice Co Ltd consisting of 59 vessels laid up at Hull (declining catches, coal bill and increased maintenance costs had made the venture uneconomical).
6.3.1936: At Extraordinary General Meeting at Hull, Kelsall Brothers & Beeching Ltd placed in Creditors’ Voluntary Winding-up (Richard Field Helm of Messrs Hodgson Harris & Co, London appointed liquidators).
1936: Sold to Dutch subjects for breaking up.
11.2.1937: Hull registry closed “Sold to foreigners for breaking up”.

Click to enlarge images

S.T. Swift FD170
Picture courtesy of Jan H (shipsnostalgia)

S.T. Swift FD170
Picture courtesy of David Slinger

Changelog
15/01/2009: Page published. 4 updates since then.
01/09/2015: Information updated.
16/11/2015: Information updated.
02/08/2016: Information updated.
07/09/2017: Removed FMHT watermark from image.

S.T. Red Sword LO459

Technical

Official Number: 160855
Yard Number: 526
Completed: 1929
Gross Tonnage: 353
Net Tonnage: 138
Length: 140.3 ft
Breadth: 24.6 ft
Depth: 13.3 ft
Engine: 96nhp T.3-cyl by C. D. Holmes & Co Ltd, Hull
Built: Cook, Welton & Gemmell Ltd, Beverley
Speed: 11.6 knots

History

7.8.1929: Launched by Cook, Welton & Gemmell Ltd, Beverley (Yd.No.526) for F. & T. Ross Ltd, Hull as GALVANI.
23.9.1929: Registered at Hull (H88).
26.9.1929: Completed. Percy Ross designated manager.
1938: At Hull landed from Iceland/White Sea/Westward-Faroe/Faroe (Sks. W. Adams, W. Isaacs) 319 days 13,894 kits £17,641 gross.
20.5.1940: Last trip before requisitioning. Sailed for Icelandic grounds (Sk. A. Cousins).
6.6.1940: At Hull landed 1160 kits £1,382 gross.
1940: To requisitioning, at Hull landed from Iceland (Sks. S. Ereson, A. Cousins) 119 days 6,085 kits £12,617 gross.
7.6.1940: Requisitioned for war service as an auxiliary patrol vessel (P.No.4.71)(Hire rate £166.4.1d/month). Employed on Fishery Protection (Nore/Humber/Hull).
5.1941: Fitted out as a minesweeper. Based Lowestoft with M/S Group 7.
28.8.1945: Returned to owner after refit at Hull.
29.8.1945: Sailed for White Sea grounds (Sk. F. Smith).
21.9.1945: At Hull landed 1653 kits £6,287 gross.
30.11.1945: Insured value £30,000; for 1946 proposed £32,000.
13.2.1946: Sailed Hull for Icelandic grounds (Sk. W. Isaacs).
19.2.1946: Sold to Iago Steam Trawler Co Ltd, Fleetwood. Percy Lincoln Campbell designated manager.
9.3.1946: At Hull landed 1,925 kits grossed £7,964. Transferred to Fleetwood. (A. Capt) Cdr. Edward D. W. Lawford DSO designated manager.
7.1946: First Fleetwood vessel to fish White Sea after WW2 (Sk. J. Tomlinson) – landed 1600 boxes £5000 gross.
5.11.1946: Registered at Hull as RED SWORD (H88).
31.7.1947: Hull registry closed.
8.1947: Registered at London (LO459).
2.8.1955: Sold to Thos. Hamling & Co Ltd, Hull .(Harold Watson Hall, manager).
8.1955: London registry closed.
6.8.1955: Registered at Hull (H80). Harold Watson Hall designated manager.
9.8.1955 – 20.10.1955: Made 3 trips to Iceland (Sk. G. Gibbins). Totals: 63 days 3015 kits £11,012 gross.
19.0d. 12.1955: Sold to BISCO (£6,000) and allocated C. W. Dorkin & Co Ltd, Gateshead for breaking up (value of gear landed prior to sale £868.11.1d). 26.3.1956: Delivered to their Sunderland yard. (Towage cost £345.10s.2d).
15.11.1956 Hull registry closed “vessel broken up”

Click to enlarge images

S.T. Red Sword LO459
Picture courtesy of The Peter Green Collection

S.T. Red Sword H80
Picture courtesy of the JJ collection

S.T. Red Sword LO459
Picture from the Internet

Red Sword Crew
Picture courtesy of The Harry Day Collection

Changelog
15/01/2009: Page published. 4 updates since then.
12/01/2016: Picture added.
14/11/2017: Removed FMHT watermark from image.
31/08/2019: Updated information and added an image.
20/10/2020: Updated history.

S.T. Othello FD389

In Fleetwood (Wyre Trawlers Ltd) ownership. Did not fish from the port.
Additional information courtesy of Mike Thompson and Bill Blow

Technical

Official Number: 164424
Yard Number: 1180
Completed: 1937
Gross Tonnage: 516.38
Net Tonnage: 284.80
Length: 173.2 ft
Breadth: 28.6 ft
Depth: 14.7 ft
Built: Cochrane & Sons Ltd, Selby
Engine: 1050ihp T.3-cyl and boiler by Amos & Smith Ltd, Hull

History

Last coal fired trawler to operate out of Hull

27.2.1937: Launched by Cochrane & Sons Ltd, Selby (Yd.No.1180) for Earl Steam Fishing Co Ltd (64/64), Grimsby as Le TIGER.
30.4.1937: Registered at Grimsby (GY398).
30.4.1937: Sir Alec Black, Bart appointed manager.
4.5.1937: Completed.
6.5.1937: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to National Provincial Bank Ltd, London (A).
13.8.1938: Mortgage (A) discharged.
16.8.1938: Sold to Hellyer’s Fishing Co (Grimsby) Ltd (64/64), Grimsby for £100. (but in Hellyer’s Ledger purchase for £28,500).
16.8.1938: Owen Stooks Hellyer appointed manager.
7.12.1938: Sold to Earl Steam Fishing Co Ltd (64/64), Grimsby for £28,500.
9.12.1939: Sir Alec Black, Bart appointed manager.
15.12.1939: Sold to The Admiralty for £30,231.
5.1.1940: Grimsby registry closed. Fitted out as an anti-submarine trawler (1-4”, AA weapons, ASDIC, DC)(P.No.FY.243).
24.11.1940: Rescued crew of HMS AMETHYST (P.No.T.12) (433grt/1934) mined (acoustic) in Thames estuary.
3.1942: Transferred on loan to US Navy.
3.7.1942: Off US Eastern seaboard (Ty/Lt C A Hoodless RNR). Escorting convoy BX-27, rescued 31 survivors from the American Liberty steamer ALEXANDER MACOMB (7191grt/1942) which had been torpedoed and sunk by U-boat (U.215). Later that day approx. 300 miles east of Boston and 125 miles south of Nova Scotia carried out depth charge attack on U-boat (U.215) sinking her in position 41.48N 66.38; no survivors.
10.1942: Returned to Royal Navy.
2.1943: Based South Africa on escort duties.
1945: The Admiralty set up a scheme to enable companies to buy back vessels purchased. Due to Earl Steam Fishing Co Ltd being in voluntary liquidation allocated to Loyal Steam Fishing Co Ltd, Grimsby.
20.10.1945: A Control Committee was formed to manage Hull and Grimsby trawlers which were being offered by the Admiralty for sale back to their original owners. The owners who were allocated these vessels and wanted to take part in the scheme agreed to register the trawlers under the Hull Ice Co. Ltd and profits were shared. Management of the trawlers was given to the companies which had bought them.
10.1945: Sold to Hull Ice Co Ltd, Hull.
31.7.1946: Re-classed. Registered at Grimsby (GY312) to the Hull Ice Co Ltd (64/64), Hull. Albert Wright Butt, Grimsby appointed manager.
16.11.1946: Sold to The Loyal Steam Fishing Co Ltd (64/64), Grimsby.
18.11.1946: Albert Wright Butt, Grimsby appointed manager.
8.7.1947: Registered at Grimsby as REGAL (GY312) (MoT Minute RG.No.1260/1947 dated 1.7.1947).
9.9.1948: Sold to Devon Fishing Co Ltd, Hull.
14.9.1948: Grimsby registry closed.
14.9.1948: Mark Hellyer & Graham Hellyer appointed managers.
4.10.1948: Registered at Hull as OTHELLO (H581).
7.11.1952: Sold to Hellyer Bros. Ltd, Hull. Mark Hellyer & Graham Hellyer appointed managers.
25.6.1953: Off the Norway coast (Sk. Norman Longthorp). At 4.30am. stranded on rocks in position 68.50N 15.00E. Worked engine and came afloat at 7.00am. and proceeded Harstad for inspection. At Harstad put in Kaarby’s Shipyard drydock. Lower part of stem and keel broken and beat in from 9ft draught mark to frame No.15. No.1 plate on both sides in ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’ and ‘D’ strakes broken and bent in forepart – forepeak full of water, but both bulkheads tight. No other damage to shell plating, rudder or propeller.
28.01.1953: Surveyed by Lloyd’s agent appointed surveyor. Temporary repairs effected by taking away all damaged parts of stem, keel and plates. New 1/4” plates bent and adjusted over surface of damage and welded to shell plates both sides. Forepeak filled with concrete up to 2ft above the fracture. Vessel refloated and proved tight and pumps working satisfactorily. “Vessel is considered to be in good seaworthy condition and trim to proceed to England with her cargo of fish.” At noon sailed for Hull.
28.6.1962: Sailed Hull for Iceland (Sk. A. Clarkson).
17.6.1962: At Hull, last landing 1,559 kits grossed £5,035. Laid up.
1963: To be sold to Wyre Trawlers Ltd, Fleetwood.
1963: Allocated Fleetwood PLN (FD389).
1963: As a result of defects found on survey at Hull, considered uneconomical to rectify (never moved to Fleetwood).
4.1963: Sold to Van Heighten Freres S.A., Ghent for £3,043.
9.4.1963: Delivered Ghent for breaking up.
19.4.1963: Hull Registry closed.

Click to enlarge images

HMT Le Tiger

S.T. Le Tiger GY398
Picture courtesy of the JJ collection

S.T. Othello H581
Picture courtesy of the JJ collection

S.T. Othello H581
Picture courtesy of The JJ Collection

Changelog
15/01/2009: Page published. 7 updates since then.
28/02/2016: Information added.
10/07/2017: Removed FMHT watermarks from images.
02/10/2022: Added an image.

S.T. Northern Gem LO109

Technical

Official Number: 164666
Yard Number: 546
Completed: July 1936
Gross Tonnage: 655
Net Tonnage: 254
Length 188.1: ft
Breadth 28.1: ft
Depth 15.5: ft
Engine: T.3-cyl & LP turbine with DR gearing & hydraulic coupling by Deutsche Schiffs und Maschinenbau AG Seebeck, Wesermünde.
Built: Deutsche Schiffs und Maschinenbau AG Seebeck, Wesermünde,

History

1936: Ordered by Leverhulme Ltd, London to absorb frozen credits in Germany.
6.1936: Completed by Deutsche Schiff und Maschinenbau AG Seebeck, Wesermünde (Yd.No.546) for MacLine Ltd, London (Leverhulme Ltd) as NORTHERN GEM.
22.6.1936: Registered at London (LO109). Operating out of Fleetwood (Edward D. W. Lawford, manager).
15.7.1936: First landing at Fleetwood from Iceland, 940 kits 40 baskets – 941 boxes £884 gross.
29.9.1937: Last landing at Fleetwood, 990 boxes £689 gross.
9.10.1937: Sold to Northern Trawlers Ltd, London (Henry Markham Cook, manager).
8.1939: Landed at Grimsby prior to survey and Admiralty trials.
9.1939: Sold to The Admiralty (£32,963) and fitted out as an anti-submarine trawler (P.No.FY.194).
21.9.1939: Ch. Sk. Laurence Frederick Scarlett DSC RD RNR appointed CO.
11.3.1940: London registry closed.
1940: Northern patrol based at Kirkwall.
4/5.1940: Norwegian Campaign. Also NORTHERN DAWN (P.No.FY.146), NORTHERN SPRAY (P.No.FY.146) and NORTHERN WAVE (FY.153). The last ship out of Narvik.
21.8.1940: Sk. Lieut. William John Valentine Mullender DSC RNR appointed CO.
1941: Transferred to Iceland Command.
From 8.1941: Convoy escort duties Russian convoys.
27.6 – 4.7.1942: Escorting convoy PQ17 – Reykjavik – Murmansk/Archangel.
12.1942: Sk. Horace Charles Aisthorpe RNR appointed CO.
22.12.1942: Sailed Loch Ewe escorting convoy JW-51B – Loch Ewe – Kola Inlet.
31.12.1942: Convoy attacked by German surface forces. At 11.15 am. destroyer HMS ACHATES (P.No.H12) (Lt Cdr. A. H. T. Johns RN) laying smokescreen to protect convey hit by shells from German heavy cruiser ADMIRAL HIPPER. At 1.30pm. 135nm ESE of Bear Island ACHATES foundered 73.18N 30.06E. Rescued 81 survivors, unfortunately one died onboard.
14.4.1943: Act/Sk. Lieut. Walter Charles King RNR appointed CO.
21.4.1943: Convoy ONS-5 sailed Liverpool for Halifax, NS.
29.4.1943: American steamer McKEESPORT (6198grt/1919) (Capt Oscar John Lohr) torpedoed in North Atlantic (60.52N 34.20W) by U-boat (U258). On scene and picked up 68 survivors.
8.5.1943: Landed 67 survivors at Saint John, NB, one died of exposure on route.
1944: Assigned to Operation Neptune – Normandy landings.
23.5.1944: Convoy escort duties in British waters and across the Channel in support of landings.
3.7.1944: Operation Neptune ended.
20.10.1945: A Control Committee was formed to manage Hull and Grimsby trawlers which had been bought by the Admiralty pre war and were being offered for sale back by Admiralty Deal to their original owners. The owners who bought back these vessels and wanted to take part in the scheme agreed to register the trawlers under the Hull Ice Co. Ltd and profits were shared. Management of the trawlers was given to the companies which had bought them.
30.11.1945: Returned.
11.1945: Repurchased from the Admiralty through the Hull Ice Co Ltd, Hull Control Committee (Admiralty Deal) allocated to the Northern & Shire Group (taking into account the 3 trawlers lost by Shire) paid for by 4 instalments – Total £23,062.
2.1946: Refurbished and surveyed at Liverpool.
2.1946: Remeasured 620g 254n.
26.2.1946: Registered at Grimsby (GY204).
1.11.1946: Sold to Northern Trawlers Ltd, London (William Arthur Bennett, Grimsby, manager).
3.1948: Converted for burning oil fuel, F.P. above 150° F.
3.1948: Remeasured 620g 238n.
1953: Made one trip to Greenland fishery.
Pre 1959: John Bennett appointed manager.
24.2.1960: John Arthur Butt appointed manager.
6.1966: Sold to Scrappingco S.r.l, Antwerp for breaking up.
15.6.1966: Delivered Antwerp.
27.6.1966: Grimsby registry closed.

PDF Document The Perils Of U-boat Alley

Click to enlarge images

S.T. Northern Gem LO109
Picture from the Internet

S.T. Northern Gem LO109
Picture from The Osta Collection

HMT Northern Gem leaving harbour at Hvalfjord, Iceland
Picture reproduced under IWM Non-Commercial Licence

Northern Gem GY204
Picture courtesy of The Mark Stopper Collection

S.T. Northern Gem GY204
Picture from the Internet.

Changelog
15/01/2009: Page published. 7 updates since then.
21/11/2017: Removed FMHT watermarks from images.
30/06/2021: Updated information.

The Bosun's Watch

Fleetwood Steam and Sailing Trawlers

Category Archives: Steam Trawlers

S.T. Thunderstone GY907

S.T. Swift FD170

S.T. Red Sword LO459

S.T. Othello FD389

S.T. Northern Gem LO109