Category Archives: War Losses

Vessels lot due to war

S.T. Joseph Button M272

Technical

Admiralty Number: 3584
Official Number: 143829
Yard Number: 379
Completed: 1918
As built: 360disp 125.6 x 23.5 x 12.8 feet
Gross Tonnage: 290
Net Tonnage: 119
Length: 125.5 ft
Breadth: 23.6 ft
Depth: 12.7 ft
Built: Cook, Welton & Gemmell Ltd, Beverley
Engine: 480ihp T.3-cyl by Amos & Smith Ltd, Hull
Speed: 10.5 knots

History

17.12.1917: Launched by Cook, Welton & Gemmell Ltd, Beverley (Yd.No.379) (“Castle” class) for The Admiralty as JOSEPH BUTTON (Ad.No.3584).
24.4.1918: Completed (1-12pdr, Hydrophone and W/T).
14.11.1919: Registered by The Admiralty at London (Part I) as JOSEPH BUTTON O.N. 143829.
30.12.1919: Registered by The Admiralty as a fishing vessel at London (LO241).
1920: Sold to The Skomer Steam Shipping Co Ltd, Cardiff (Lewis Bull).
16.11.1923: Sold to Brand & Curzon Ltd, Milford Haven (Edward Brand & Charles Curzon, joint managers).
11.12.1928: Sailed Milford for the fishing grounds (Sk. A. J. Beckett). In collision in the Haven with schooner MATILDA of Wexford (100grt/1870), which subsequently foundered with the loss of four crew members.
2.1.1938: On grounds off SW Ireland (Sk. Robert Limbrick) picked up crew of steam trawler VICTOR (M97) (Sk. John H. Ryan) which had foundered off Galway coast.
3.1.1938: Landed survivors at Valentia, Co.Kerry.
5.1938: Sold to Milford Fisheries Ltd, Milford Haven (Owen W. Limbrick, manager).
20.5.1938: London registry closed.
23.5.1938: Registered at Milford (M272).
4.1939: Transferred to Fleetwood.
31.7.1939: Sold to J. Marr & Son Ltd, Fleetwood (Geoffrey Edwards Marr, manager) for £3750.
29.8.1939: Requisitioned for war service (Hire rate £87.0.0d/month).
11.1939: Fitted out at Liverpool as a minesweeper (P.No.NR).
21.10.1940: In a group of four minesweeping off Suffolk coast in a minefield laid by German aircraft (Sk. A. J. Cowie RNR).
22.10.1940: Foundered after striking a mine off Aldeburgh, Suffolk whilst searching for survivors from one of the group, HMTrawler WAVEFLOWER (P.No.FY.703) mined the previous day. Five crew MPK*.
27.12.1941: Milford registry closed “Lost by enemy action”.

MPK* – Frederick C. Stebbings, Engineman; William Barker, Stoker PO; Ronald Garnham & Edward A. Pearson, Stokers; Bertie Hosking, OS.

(Joseph Button, Landsman (prest), age 23, b. Chelmsford, Essex – VICTORY (SB556))

Click to enlarge image

HMT Joseph Button LO241

HMT Joseph Button LO241
Picture from the Internet

Changelog
24/12/2008: Page published. 3 updates since then.
04/03/2021: Updated history and technical details.
17/02/2024: Added an image.

S.T. Idena (1) FD288

Technical

Official Number: 139217
Yard Number: 278
Completed: 1916
Gross Tonnage: 270
Net Tonnage: 105
Length: 128.8 ft
Breadth: 23 ft
Depth: 12.6 ft
Engine: T.3-cyl by W. Beardmore & Co Ltd, Glasgow
Built: Dundee Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Dundee

History

23.11.1916: Launched by Dundee Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Dundee (Yd.No.278) for Lancashire Steam Fishing Co Ltd, Fleetwood as IDENA.
27.2.1917: Registered at Fleetwood (FD288).
2.1917: Completed (James A. Robertson, manager).
3.1917: Requisitioned from the builders and fitted out as a minesweeper (1-12pdr) (Ad.No.3332).
18.10.1917: Re-registered at Fleetwood (FD288).
5.2.1918: Abandoned damaged and sunk by gunfire off Tromso.
14.2.1918: Fleetwood registry closed.

Changelog
23/12/2018: Page published. 3 updates since then.

S.T. Holdene FD161

Technical

Official Number: 139203
Yard Number: 619
Completed: 1915
Gross Tonnage: 74
Net Tonnage: 107
Length: 125 ft
Breadth: 23.5 ft
Depth: 12.8 ft
Engine: T.3-cyl by Smith’s Dock Co Ltd, South Bank-on-Tees, Middlesbrough
Built: Smith’s Dock Co Ltd, North Shields

History

14.9.1915: Launched by Smith’s Dock Co Ltd, South Bank-on-Tees, Middlesbrough (Yd.No.619) for The Lune Steam Fishing Co Ltd, Fleetwood as HOLDENE.
29.9.1915: Registered at Fleetwood (FD161).
9.1915: Completed (Henry Melling, manager). Requisitioned from the builders for war service and fitted out as an anti aircraft vessel (1-13pdr HA & 1-3pdr HA) (Ad.No.437).
2.2.1917: Mined off Orford Ness. Seven crew lost*.
19.2.1917: Fleetwood registry closed.

(Lost* – William Clues & Frank Haigh, enginemen; John Holland, seaman; James Markwell, deckhand; Alfred W. Lawrence, trimmer; William J. Wright, cook; John L. Brown, boy cook.)

Changelog
22/12/2008: Page published. 3 updates since then.

S.T. Hermia FD92

Additional material courtesy of Bill Blow and Jan Harteveld

Technical

Official Number: 110950
Yard Number: 38
Completed: 1900
Gross Tonnage: 216.40
Net Tonnage: 61.26
Length: 120.0 ft
Breadth: 21.7 ft
Depth: 11.0 ft
Built: Menzies & Co Ltd, Inverkeithing
Engine: 400ihp T.3-cyl by Shanks, Anderson & Co, Glasgow
Boiler: James Neilson & Son Ltd, Glasgow

History

4.1900: Completed by Menzies & Co Ltd, Inverkeithing (Yd.No.38) as a liner for The Rushworth Steam Fishing Co Ltd (64/64), Grimsby as HERNIA.
27.4.1900: Registered at Grimsby (GY1153).
30.4.1900: John Edward Rushworth designated manager.
5.5.1900: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to The Lincoln & Lindsey Banking Co Ltd, Lincoln (A).
24.11.1905: When about 200 miles NNW from Hoy Head, Orkney (Sk. G. H. Turner), shipped a heavy sea and Samuel Robbins (36), AB, Grimsby was washed
overboard and drowned.
11.3.1909: Mortgage (A) transferred to Stamford, Spalding & Boston Banking Co Ltd, Grimsby.
21.8.1912: Mortgage (A) transferred to Barclay & Co Ltd, London.
1914: New boiler fitted made by Riley Bros (Boilermakers) Ltd, Stockton-on-Tees.
5.5.1915: Alteration of tonnage to 210.18g 82.60n. Certificate of Survey dated Grimsby 3.5.1915.
6.1915: Requisitioned for war service as a minesweeper (1-6pdr HA) (Ad.No.855). Based Humber as patrol & escort vessel.
7.2.1917: Mortagee re-styled Barclays Bank Ltd, London.
27.10.1917: Mortgage (A) discharged.
27.10.1917: Sold to The Mersey Steam Trawlers Ltd, Fleetwood.
29.10.1917: Ernest Taylor designated manager.
31.10.1917: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to The Manchester & Liverpool District Banking Co Ltd, Manchester (B).
11.12.1918: Left Immingham for return to owner.
11.3.1919: Grimsby registry closed.
12.3.1919: Registered at Fleetwood (FD92).
1922: Joseph A. & H. Taylor designated managers.
1924: Walter J. Morley designated manager.
1925: Sold by order of the mortgagee under mortgage (B) to Walter Henry Utley Morley, Fleetwood. Walter Morley designated manager.
22.4.1925: The Mersey Steam Trawlers Ltd in voluntary Liquidation. William Ignatius Swarbrick, Chartered Accountant, Preston appointed Liquidator.
16.7.1925: The Mersey Steam Trawlers Ltd wound-up.
1929: Sold to N.V. Visscherij Maatschappij “De Daad”, IJmuiden.
5.3.1929: Fleetwood registry closed.
3.1929: Registered at IJmuiden as PROTINUS (IJM85).
1933: Reederij Fa. Erenst & Weimar designated managers.
1937: F. J. F. Erenst designated manager.
20.3.1940: On a trip in North Sea (Sk.Klaas Wijker); eleven crew. When fishing westward of the Danish/Norwegian coast, bombed by German Heinkel He111 aircraft, skipper and deckhand lost their lives. Crew with two seriously wounded took to boat and stood off as trawler foundered possibly in or near position 57.14N 4.11E.
25.3.1940: Sighted and picked up by HMS/M UNITY having drifted for five days during which the two seriously ill men died. On landing, possibly at Blyth, two other crewmen who had suffered severe frostbite had legs amputated. IJmuuiden registry closed – lost by enemy action.

Note. At the time of this incident The Netherlands had yet to join in the war.

Click to enlarge image

S.T. Protinus IJM85

S.T. Protinus IJM85
Picture courtesy of George Westwood

Changelog
22/12/2008: Page published. 4 updates since then.
08/10/2020: Updated history.

S.T. Hayburn Wyke FD99

Technical

Admiralty Number: 3559
Official Number: 144289
Yard Number: 819
Completed: 1917
Gross Tonnage: 324
Net Tonnage: 134
Length: 138.5 ft
Breadth: 23.7 ft
Depth: 12.8 ft
Built: Cochrane & Sons Ltd, Selby
Engine: 600ihp T.3-cyl and boiler by Charles D. Holmes & Co Ltd, Hull

History

28.8.1917: Launched by Cochrane & Sons Ltd, Selby (Yd.No.819)(“Mersey” class) for The Admiralty as ROBERT BARTON. (Ad.No.3559).
10.11.1917: Completed as a minesweeper (1-12pdr, W/T).
14.11.1917: Delivered.
19.12.1919: Registered by The Admiralty at London (Part I) as ROBERT BARTON O.N.144289.
1919: Allocated to Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries, London and engaged in commercial trawling.
13.08.1920: Minesweepers’ Cooperative Trawling Society Ltd, London registered.
23.12.1920: Registered by The Admiralty at London (Part IV) (LO494). Laid up.
10.1921: 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 West Dock Steam Fishing Co Ltd, Hull (E. W. Robins, manager).
5.10.1922: London registry closed.
18.10.1922: Registered at Hull as HAYBURN WYKE (H717).
1926: Fishing out of Fleetwood.
10.1926: At Londonderry landed 61 year old Richard Swan taken ill on the fishing grounds. Swan subsequently died in hospital.
04.1930: Sold to Dinas Steam Trawler Co Ltd, Fleetwood (Joseph A. Marr Jnr, manager).
2.5.1930: Sailed Hull for Norwegian grounds (Sk. James M. Pegler); Fleetwood crew eleven all told. Found fishing was not too good and set a course for Rockall some 1,000 miles away via the Orkney Islands.
18.5.1930: At Fleetwood, after a 3,000 mile 16 day trip landed from Norwegian, Rockall and Butt of Lewis grounds, 300 boxes. When free running vessel averaged 101/2 knots.
25.4.1930: Hull registry closed.
26.4.1930: Registered at Fleetwood (FD99).
8.6.1930: In Wyre Channel, one of 23 trawlers inbound, when a few hundred yards from lock pit found channel blocked by trawlers NELLIE BRADDOCK (FD175) and ERNA (FD158) aground on Tiger’s Tail. Swept by tide and also took the ground. Refloated on next tide and entered Wyre Dock.
1.8.1931: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to William Deacons Bank Ltd, London.
3.1938: On the St. Kilda grounds (Sk. J. W. Greens) along with other Fleetwood trawlers. Dodging in heavy weather with Bosun on watch when a loud bang was heard from aft and vessel did not answer to the helm; engine stopped. Skipper on bridge and crew sent aft discovered chains and rods intact and assumed rudder damaged or parted. Called DINAMAR (FD73) nearby and asked him to standby until weather dropped away. Later with some improvement in weather steamed slowly towards Hirta, St. Kilda, escorted by DINAMAR. Once in the lee of the island it was discovered that the rudder was smashed. After discussion it was decided to rig a jury rudder using a trawl door and still in gale force conditions the boat was launched with four men including the skipper to suspend and secure the door. After 36 hours, with the door over the stern on chains and shackled to the remains of the rudder stock, the trawl warps were connected and a successful trial undertaken heaving and veering the winch. On completion left St. Kilda for the 300 mile trip to Fleetwood with two men on the winch, initially constantly exposed to seas sweeping over the trawl deck.
29.3.1939: Arrived safely in Fleetwood, the feat being described as “superb seamanship”.
10.1939: Sold to Oddsson & Co Ltd, Hull.
14.5.1940: At Hull last landing before requisitioning. West Coast (fished round), – 380kits £505 gross.
23.5.1940: Fleetwood registry closed.
27.5.1940: Registered at Hull (H334).
27.5.1940: Requisitioned for war service as an auxiliary patrol vessel.
28.5.1940: Hire rate £94.10.0d/month.
1.1941: Based Ipswich with M/S & Patrol Group 79.
8.1941: Fitted out as a minesweeper (P.No. FY139). Based Swansea
2.1.1945: At anchor off Ostend (Sk. Lieut Francis Wilson RNR). Torpedoed by German ‘Seehund’ midget submarine and foundered rapidly. Crew of twenty-two* missing presumed killed.
23.3.1945: Hull registry closed. Wreck lies in position 51.15.27N 02.48.44E.

*Crew – Skipper Lieut Francis Wilson RNR;
Ty/Skipper Edward R. Smith RNR;
Harry S. Sharman, Ch Engineman;
David Marriott & Andrew Reekie, enginemen;
John G. Gardner, Leading seaman;
Arthur Brewster,
George W. Carrington,
Robert A. McMillan,
Thomas Murphy,
Harold R. Waite,
Raymond White,
Ronald J. White & John Wright, seamen;
Walter A. Rogers, telegraphist;
James P. Howell, signalman;
Jack Hooper, ordinary signalman;
Benjamin P. Charlton,
Daniel Ferrie & William J. Spears, stokers;
Thomas Sweeney, cook;
Frederick Bass, steward.

(Robert Cutts Barton, Midshipman, age 20, b. Pembroke – VICTORY (SB673))
Click to enlarge image

S.T. Hayburn Wyke FD99

S.T. Hayburn Wyke FD99
Picture courtesy of the JJ collection

S.T. Hayburn Wyke FD99

S.T. Hayburn Wyke FD99
Picture from the Internet

Changelog
22/12/2008: Page published. 6 updates since then.
19/05/2016: Picture added.
21/05/2016: Information updated.
06/06/2016: Information updated.
03/09/2016: Information updated.
21/09/2017: Removed FMHT watermark from image.
26/12/2020: Updated history.