Category Archives: Wartime Visitors

S.T. East Coast A935

Wartime visitor
Additional information courtesy of Malcolm Cook

Technical

Official Number: 123378
Yard Number: 427
Completed: 1907
Gross Tonnage: 192.47
Net Tonnage: 52.38
Length: 115.5 ft
Breadth: 21.75
Depth: 13.4 ft
Built: A. Hall & Co Ltd, Aberdeen
Engine: T.3-cyl by A. Hall & Co Ltd, Aberdeen

History

1907: Launched by A. Hall & Co Ltd, Aberdeen (Yd.No.427) for The East Coast Steam Fishing Co Ltd (64/64), Aberdeen as HORACE STROUD.
2.1907: Completed.
22.2.1907: Registered at Aberdeen (A122). William Anderson & James B. Taylor designated joint managers.
7.4.1910: Registered at Aberdeen as EAST COAST (A122) (BoT Minute No.7644 dated 31.3.1910).
By 1912: James Scott Jnr designated manager.
3.10.1912: At Fleetwood landed 1,200 line caught halibut, £300 gross.
11.1913: Reportedly sold to Portuguese buyers for £500 in excess of original cost; sale not concluded.
1.1.1914: Tonnage altered to 76.73 net under provision of Merchant Shipping Act 1907. Remeasured: 115.5 x 21.75 x 13.4 feet
2.1915: Requisitioned for war service as a minesweeper (1-12pdr) (Ad.No.1172). Based Stornoway.
29.4.1918: Sold to John Thomas Graham, James Bruce Graham and John Thomas Graham Jnr, all Hartlepool (joint owners (64/64).
29.4.1918: Aberdeen registry closed.
1.5.1918: Registered at Hartlepool (HL94).
By 12.3.1919: Returned to owner at Aberdeen.
16.5.1919: Sold to The Friarage Steam Fishing Co Ltd, Hartlepool.
12.11.1919: Sold to Pêcheries des Flandres, Ostend.
1.1920: Hartlepool registry closed.
1.1920: Registered at Ostend (O125). J. de Coninche designated manager.
11.1922: Sold to David Dow Noble and John Duthie, Aberdeen (joint owners (64/64)).
11.1922: Ostend registry closed.
1922: Remeasured at Aberdeen – 192.47g 73.54n.
16.11.1922: Registered at Aberdeen (A935). John Duthie designated manager.
21.11.1923: Sold to David Dow Noble (64/64), Aberdeen. David D. Dow designated managing owner.
3.1.1931: Sold to David Dow Noble and Mrs Jane Noble (joint owners (64/64)). David D. Dow designated managing owner.
16.1.1939: At about 6.30pm. steam trawler CRISABELLE STEPHEN (A374) outward from Aberdeen for fishing grounds (Sk. F. Fraser); nine crew, ran onto rocks at Scaurs of Cruden, south of Peterhead. Stood by and at about 8.00pm. when vessel came afloat under own power, EAST COAST connected and commenced 14 mile tow to Aberdeen. After an hour and a half, Sk. Fraser requested that vessel be beached, but she started to settle and foundered in under three minutes. Men were seen in the water and Wemys, a fireman from the EAST COAST, jumped in to try and save the men but had to be hauled back, one man picked up but died onboard. All nine crew members were lost.
29.8.1940: Sold to David Dow Noble (64/64), Aberdeen.
3.2.1941: Sold to The Don Trawling Co (Milford Haven) Ltd (64/64), Milford Haven.
23.2.1941: First landing at Milford.
1941 – 1944: Landing at Fleetwood intermittently as directed.
14.6.1943: At Fleetwood typical wartime landing. 144 kits. – cod-1, whiting-1, flats-20, roker-74, gurnard-3, dogs-25, sole & prime-20.
22.3.1944: Last landing at Milford before requisition.
3.1944: Requisitioned for war service for miscellaneous naval duties (Hire rate £48.0.0d/month). Assigned to Operation Neptune – Normandy landings. Fitted with portable tanks for employment as a smoke making trawler.
7.6.1944: Sent to Grimsby with defective winch.
12.10.1944: Returned to owner.
25.10.1947: Sailed Milford for Irish grounds (Sk. Sam Larner); ten crew* all told.
3.11.1947: Called Cork for additional supplies.
6.11.1947: In the afternoon on Irish grounds, some thirty miles off the Co. Cork coast, in a moderate southerly gale and confused sea, started to take in water aft. Distress call made at 5.40pm which was picked up by Mrs M. L. Blake, Ballycotton who throughout the service kept the life-boat station informed of all messages. The Ballycotton lifeboat, MARY STANFORD (Cox. Patrick Sliney) was launched at 5.50pm. Several nearby trawlers responded, including CASWELL (SA70), MILFORD VISCOUNT (M196), SLEBECH (M199) and ARTHUR CAVANAGH (M161) and a French trawler which closed and at about 7.15pm took off one crew member. Accompanied by the trawler CASWELL (Sk. Albert Wiseman), providing a radio link, the lifeboat reached the casualty at 9.15pm and found the trawler steaming slowly towards land, escorted by SLEBECH (Sk. E. E. Carter). At 11.15pm. with ingress of water gaining, Sk. Larner decided to abandon the trawler and with difficulty Cox Sliney closed and took of nine crewmen.
7.11.1947: The trawler did not founder overnight and at 6.00am, with the weather moderating, Sk. Larner was put back onboard and SLEBECH closed and connected; Sk. Larner was taken off by the lifeboat. With her after deck awash the trawler was towed to within 500yds of Ballycotton Pier and the skipper and a lifeboatman boarded to secure a line from the lifeboat which towed her into harbour, berthing at 11.00am. The EAST COAST sank alongside ten minutes later. Later salved, repaired, surveyed and returned to service.
3.1958: Sold to Thos W. Ward Ltd, Sheffield for breaking up at Milford Haven.
8.3.1958: Arrived Castle Pill.
16.7.1958: Aberdeen registry closed “Vessel broken up. Advice received from shipbreaker ”.

Crew* – All Milford unless stated. Sk.Sam Larner; E. Harding, Mate; F.R. Williams, Bosun; W. Must, Third hand; R. Perrin, Ch Eng; W. Davies, 2nd Eng; R. Huddlestone, Johnston, deckhand; E. Tippe (Polish) & J. Jones, London, firemen; J. Richards, cook.

Click to enlarge image

S.T. East Coast A935

S.T. East Coast A935
Picture courtesy of RNLI lifeboat magazine archive

Changelog
08/05/2020: Page published.
25/05/2020: Updated information and added an image.
28/05/2020: Added more information.
11/09/2021: Updated information.

S.T. St. Jean B3036

Additional information courtesy of Birgir Þórisson

Technical

Official Number: Unknown
Yard Number: 34
Gross Tonnage: 286.73
Net Tonnage: 101
Length: 42.00 m (137.8 ft)
Breadth: 6.98 m (22.9 ft)
Depth: 3.60 m (11.8 ft )
Built: Société des Ateliers et Chantiers de France, Dunkirk
Engine: 480ihp T.3-cyl and boiler by Société des Ateliers et Chantiers de France, Dunkirk

History

1906: Completed by Société des Ateliers et Chantiers de France, Dunkirk (Yd.No34) for Armand Coppin et Cie, Boulogne as St. Jaean at a cost of 180,000 francs (£7,140)
1906: Registered at Boulogne (B3036). Armand Coppin designated manager.
17.5.1907: Reported that whilst on the Iceland grounds vessel had been ashore and was towed to Reykjavik by the French steam trawler LIBERTÉ.
1914: Requisitioned at Boulogne for war service by Marine Francais as an auxiliary patrol trawler/escort. Attached to 3rd Patrol Squadron Western Mediterranean (Sk. Jean-Marie Grall).
27.4.1918: Following attack on tanker ROMANY (3983grt/1902) by U-boat (UB48 – Wolfgang Steinbauer) some 50 miles SW by W3/4W of Cape Spartivento, Sardinia, shelled and damage by U-boat; three crew including skipper, Jean-Marie Grall, killed.
1919: Returned to owner.
21.2.1923: Put into Penzance to take bunker coal.
1927: New boiler fitted.
2.10.1936: In the evening off Rye Bay (Sk. Victor Lepreto) stopped by sloop HMS Lupin (Cdr H. A. Rowley RN) on Fishery Patrol duties, after initially refusing to stop, making off and shots were fired. Sk. Lepreto was arrested for entering British exclusive fishery limits for a purpose not recognised by international law and fishing within the three mile limit. Brought into Dover.
3.10.1936: At Dover Magistrates Court, Sk. Lepreto told the bench that he was seeking shelter. The weather being fine this was not accepted and he was fined £10 for entering British exclusive fishery limits; the charge of fishing off Rye Bay inside the three mile limit was not proceeded with.
1939: Sold to Pêcheries de la Morinie, Boulogne. Paul Ficheux designated manager.
8.1939: In Fleetwood for repair. At outbreak of war not required by Free French Naval Force (FNFL) or The Admiralty.
1940: Fishing Iceland grounds out of Fleetwood. Boston Deep Sea Fishing & Ice Co Ltd, managing agents.
1.1941: Sk. André Lecoeur ex JOSEPH DUHAMEL became fishing master.
1.5.1943: Typical landing. 1100 kits – cod-650, haddock-300, flats-20, ling & coley-130.
1945: Returned to France.
1946: Sold to Société Dunkerquoise de Remorquage et de Sauvetage, Dunkirk.
1948: Broken up. 1949: Boulogne registry closed.
31.7.1957: An appeal was heard in the Chancery Division of The High Court on behalf of Boston Deep Sea Fishing & Ice Co Ltd against assessments to income tax for 1940-41 and 1944-45 on profits made from operating the St. JEAN out of Fleetwood. The BDSF&I Co Ltd owned 49% of the shares in the trawler owners, Pêcheries de la Morinie, Boulogne-sur-Mer and the profits were paid over to the French company after the war. For the Crown it was argued that the profits were taxable as those of a foreign company carrying on business in the UK through an agent. Mr. Justice Harman held that agency could not exist while France was in enemy occupation. He allowed the appeal with costs against the Crown.

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S.T. St-Jean B3036

S.T. St-Jean B3036
Picture from the Internet

Changelog
17/02/2018: Page published.
18/02/2018: PLN added.
19/02/2018: Updated details.
23/02/2018: Picture added.

S.T. Prince de Liège O83

Wartime visitor
Additional information courtesy of Maurice Voss

Technical

Official Number: ????
Yard Number: 989
Completed: 1926
Gross Tonnage: 338
Net Tonnage: 137
Length: 138.8 ft
Breadth: 23.8 ft
Depth: 13.3 ft
Built: Cochrane & Sons Ltd, Selby

History

18.11.1925: Launched by Cochrane & Sons Ltd, Selby (Yd.No.989) for Pickering & Haldane’s Steam Trawling Co Ltd, Hull as LORD WEIR.
28.1.1926: Registered at Hull (280).
28.1.1926: Completed (John McCann & Edward Cartwright, joint managers).
1929: Albert Turgoose & James Clark, appointed joint managers).
1938: Re measured 42,16 x 7,23 metres – 324.40Bgrt 112.64n.
7.1938: Sold to Pêcheries à Vapeur S.A., Ostend (John Bauwens, manager).
16.7.1938: Hull registry closed.
21.7.1938: Arrived at Ostend in company with LORD MOUNTBATTEN (H225 (GRAAF VAN VLAARDEREN (O92)).
27.7.1938: Registered at Ostend as PRINCE de LIÈGE (O83).
5.1940: Escaped to England with refugees.
6.1940: Transferred to Belgian Economic Mission, London. Fishing from Fleetwood.
23.9.1940: Requisitioned for war service as a boom defence vessel (P.No.Z.172).
12.1945: Returned to owner.
9.1946: At Antwerp rebuilt by Guthrie & Hursch with new bow section 148.2 feet – 375.36Bgrt 137n
T.3-cyl and boiler by C. D. Holmes & Co Ltd, Hull.
18.9.1946: Returned to service after rebuild and Special Survey.
1951: Sailed for Hemiksem for conversion to a motor trawler.
1951: Re engined by St. Pieterswerf, Hemiksem with 4 stroke 6-cyl Carels oil engine 755bhp by Société d’Electricité et de Mécaniques, Ghent (Engine No.9663). Re measured 391.89 Bgrt 159.82n.
20.12.1951: Returned to service.
22.12.1962: Outward for Icelandic grounds. Stranded on Corn Holm Rock, Copinsay, Orkney in approx. position 58 54N 02 41.7W. Abandoned by crew and subsequently declared a Total Loss. Ostend registry closed.

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S.T. Prince de Liège O83

S.T. Prince de Liège O83
Picture courtesy of The Emiel Ryck Collection

M.T. Prince De Liege O83

M.T. Prince De Liege O83
Picture courtesy of The JJ Collection

M.T. Prince de Liège O83

S.T. Prince de Liège O83
Picture courtesy of The Emiel Ryck Collection

Changelog
29/07/2013: Page published. 5 updates since then.
26/10/2015: Added 2 pictures.
24/01/2019: Removed FMHT watermarks from images.

S.T. Katwijk II KW134 (Wartime visitor)

Information courtesy of Jan Harteveld and Maurice Voss

Technical

Official Number: Unknown
Yard Number: 232
Completed: 1905
Gross Tonnage: 189
Net Tonnage: 41
Length: 35,38m (116.1 ft)
Breadth: 7,70m (22.0 ft)
Depth: 3,50m (11.5 ft)
Built: G. Seebeck A.G., Geestmünde
Engine: T-3-cyl by G. Seebeck A.G., Geestmünde

History

1905: Launched by G. Seebeck A.G., Geestmünde (Yd.No.232) for Hochsee Fischdampfer GmbH, Hamburg as GUSTAV PLATZMANN.
1905: Registered at Hamburg (HH23).
1908: Registered at Hamburg as SEENEIKE (HH23).
1908: Sold to Hochseefischerei A.G., Cuxhaven. Hamburg registry closed. Registered at Cuxhaven as Senator O’SWALD (HC6).
1914-1918: Requisitioned by the Imperial German Navy.
10.1918: Abandoned at Zeebruge during the German evacuation. Taken over by the Belgian State (Administration de la Marine), Brussels. Cuxhaven registry closed. Registered at Antwerp as YSER.
1920: Converted to a pilot boat and registered at Antwerp as LOODSBOOT 3.
1933: Sold to Gebroeders Taat, Katwijk, Holland. Renamed ANTWERP 3 and laid up at IJmuiden.
2.1942: Vessel made ready for fishing. Registered at Katwijk as KATWIJK II (KW134).
8.4.1942: At sea eleven crew, vessel taken over by a resistance group – eight men, and skipper forced to set course for England. On arrival directed to Fleetwood.
1940s: Fishing out of Fleetwood. Bloomfields Ltd,Fleetwood managing agents.
22.7.1943: Typical wartime landing, Home Waters. 683 kits – hake-478, cod-4, flats-27, ling/coley-150, roker-15, gurnard-9.
8.1945: Returned to Holland and fishing.
Late 1949: Laid up.
1951: Sold to Frans Rijsdrik, Hendrik Ido Ambacht for breaking up. Katwijk registry closed.

Click to enlarge image

S.T. Katwijk II KW134

S.T. Loodsboot 3
Picture courtesy of The Maurice Voss Collection

Changelog

29/04/2013: Page published. 9 updates since then.
19/01/201: Removed FMHT watermark from image.
13/03/2021: Updated history.

S.T. Hornrif IJM155 (Wartime visitor)

Additional information courtesy of Andy Hall and Jan Harteveld.

Technical

Official Number: 108585
Yard Number: 28
Completed: 1898
Gross Tonnage: 182 (As built 168)
net Tonnage: 68 (As built 93)
Length: 109.0 ft
Breadth: 21.1 ft
Depth: 10.4 ft
Built: Cumming & Ellis, Inverkeithing
Engine: 300ihp T.3-cyl by MacColl & Pollock Ltd, Sunderland

History

23.3.1898: Launched by Cumming & Ellis, Inverkeithing (Yd.No.28) for Muirhead’s Trawlers Ltd, Edinburgh as MOUNT CENIS.
4.6.1898: Trials in Firth of Forth. Attained speed of 11 knots.
6.1898: Completed. James Muirhead designated manager. Registered at Granton (Part I & IV) O.N.108585 (GN51)(5/1898).
19.10.1903: Alongside West Pier, Granton at low tide. Sk. William Jarvis and a Customs Officer rescued an engineer who had slipped from a ladder and fallen between the vessel and the pier. Taken to Leith Hospital with cut on his head.
Pre 1904: William G. Muirhead designated manager.
25.1.1904: Company to go into liquidation.
9.2.1904: At Cupar Sherrif’s Court, Sk. William Jarvis was fined £80 and fishing gear forfeited or 60 days imprisonment for illegal trawling inside the three mile limit in the Firth of Forth.
14.3.1904: Disabled with machinery problem 25 miles E of May Island. Liverpool steam trawler JABOO (LL358) connected and delivered Granton.
2.4.1904: In the afternoon at the height of a gale a small boat from the Russian schooner CECILIA was blown out into the Forth. A boat from the German schooner JOHANNES (101grt/1896) put out immediately and succeeded in overtaking the first boat, transferred two man and both proceeded to pull back to Granton. However, with the gale increasing both were driven seawards. Seeing the danger MOUNT CENIS slipped and proceeded to sea to recover the two boats. Approached the boats and wth great difficulty took hold of them and brought safely to Granton.
3.5.1904: Along with MOUNT BLANC (GN56); MMOUNT ROSA (GN55); MOUNT VISO (GN56) and SIMPLON (GN59) mortgaged to Joseph Constant (Shipbrokers) Ltd, London. Taken over in default of mortgage and offered for sale.
2.11.1904: Muirhead’s Trawlers Ltd in voluntary liquidation.
1.1905: Sold to Newhaven Trawlers Ltd, Edinburgh.
25.1.1905: Registered at Granton as Alert (GN52). Edward Walker, Newhaven designated manager.
26.1.1908: Arrested at 5.15pm. off May Island, Firth of Forth by Fishery cruiser BRENDA (174grt/1898) (Capt George C. Mackenzie) allegedly fishing within a prohibited area. At Cupar Sheriff Court Sk. Albert Norris failed to appear on the charges; evidence given in his absence that he was working the starboard trawl in a position some 2.5 miles 67° west of May Island. When approached by the Fishery cruiser no one was observed onboard and had to the summoned by the whistle. On boarding by the Second Officer, Thomas Guthrie, Sk. Norris laughed and took it as a joke; he thought that the BRENDA had gone to the Moray Firth. Having two previous convictions, the last one in March 1904, the Sheriff found the case proven and Norris £100 or alternatively sixty days imprisonment; trawl and gear confiscated.
9.6.1909: Advertised in Lloyd’s List “Under Owners’ instructions” by Thomas McLaren & Co, Glasgow, the High class Modern steam trawlers, HEATHER (GW6) and BLUEBELL (GW5). Also NETTLE (GW11) and GOWAN (GW9) along with ACTIVE (GN51) and ALERT (GN52).
21.06.1909: At Lerwick Sheriff Court Shetland, Skipper Hugh Robertson was fined £100 or alternatively sixty days imprisonment for illegally trawling near Fair Isle.
1909: Sold to Stoomtrawler-Visscherij Mij. “Holland I-IV”, IJmuiden. S. A. Bakker,designated manager. Granton registry closed. Registered at IJmuiden as OTOÑO (IJM155).
1910: Sold to N.V. Visscherij Mij. “Pesca”, IJmuiden. S. A. Bakker later P. Dijksen designated manager.
1923: Sold to N.V. Nationale Stoomvisscherij, IJmuiden. I. S. Groen designated manager. Registered at IJmuiden as ALBERT GROEN (IJM155).
1928: Sold to Stoomvisscherij Mij. “Die Scelvisch”, IJmuiden. G. de Rooy & L. S. J. Reijersberg designated managers. Registered at IJmuiden as AVILA (IJM155).
1934: Sold to N.V. Nationale Stoomvisscherij, IJmuiden. Donald J. Groen designated manager. Registered at IJmuiden as LEENTJE ELIZABETH (IJM155).
1938: Briefly registered at IJmuiden as PRINSES BEATRIX (IJM155). Reverted to LEENTJE ELIZABETH (IJM155) when name taken by PRINSES BEATRIX (IJM117) q.v. 1939: Sold to Stoomvisscherij Mij. “Hornrif”, IJmuiden. Donald J. Groen designated manager. Registered at IJmuiden as HORNRIF (IJM155).
1940: Escaped to England and fishing out of Fleetwood.
27.4.1943: Typical wartime landing, Home Waters. 405 kits – hake-230, cod/codling-20, flats-15, ling/coley-60, roker-50, gurnard-30.
1945: Returned to Holland.
1954: Laid up.
5.3.1957: Sold for breaking up. IJmuiden registry closed.

Click to enlarge image

S.T. Hornrif IJM155

S.T. Hornrif IJM155
Picture courtesy of The Jan Harteveld Collection

Changelog

29/04/2013: Page published. 3 updates since then.
25/10/2018: Removed FMHT watermark from image and updated information.
14/01/2021: Updated history.