“Copyright 2010 © by Barry Banham”

Technical

Official Number:140844
Yard Number: 15
Completed: 1920
Gross Tonnage: 95
Net Tonnage: 40
Length: 86.0 ft
Breadth: 18.5 ft
Depth: 9.3 ft
Engine: T.3-cyl by W. Beardmore & Co Ltd, Coatbridge
Boiler: Elliott & Garrood Ltd, Beccles
Built: J. W. Brooke & Co Ltd, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft

History

1919: Launched by J. W. Brooke & Co Ltd, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft (Yd.No.15) (“Admiralty drifter”) for The Admiralty as MOONSET.
10.2.1920: Completed as a fishing vessel.
20.10.1920: Transferred to The Fishery Board for Scotland, Edinburgh for disposal.
1920: Sold to Alexander B. Taylor, Peterhead for £5,250 under HM Treasury mortgage agreement (Disposal of Admiralty Drifters to Ex-service Fishermen).
9.11.1920: Registered at Peterhead (Part IV) as FLORA TAYLOR (PD444).
10.11.1920: Registered at Peterhead (Part I) O.N.140844. Alexander B. Taylor designated managing owner (John D. Irvin, North Shields, managing agent).
1923: Sold to John D. Irvin, North Shields. John D. Irvin designated managing owner (R. Hastie & Sons Ltd managing agents).
4.3.1925: Fishing about six miles E of Seaham Harbour, Co. Durham (Sk. Arthur Hunn) picked up mine in trawl. With some difficulty taken onboard and returned to North Shields to await disposal instructions.
11.8.1927: Fishing some some twenty miles NE of Tyne (Sk. T. Hadaway), brought up mine in trawl. Horns of mine were torn away and shell riddled with bullet holes. Returned to Tyne to have mine disposed of by Admiralty. Directed to buoy in river and red flag hoisted.
20.3.1930: Sold to Thomas Thorburn Irvin Jnr, Aberdeen. Thomas Thorburn Irving Jnr designated managing owner.
26.2.1930: Reported that a company had been formed in London (William Arthur Bennett, chairman, Thomas Thorburn Irvin, managing director) to exploit the fishing opportunities in the Davies Strait, Greenland, particularly halibut. The company was to use motor dories and steam liners to catch the fish and a refrigerated parent ship to freeze the catches. On return to UK, after four to five months, the fish would be defrosted as required to meet market demand. 5.1930: At North Shields, with steam trawlers, ETHEL IRVIN (A355), ELSWICK (A97), FORT JAMES (A818), FORT WILLIAM (GY712), FLORENCE DOMBEY (A264), IRVIN (SN21), FLORA TAYLOR (PD444), SAXON (SN22), AUDREY (SN38), NELLIE WILSON (SN108) and drifter CONSOLATION (BK5), converted for great lining and other modifications in preparation for a halibut line fishing expedition in Greenland waters. FORT JAMES and ETHEL IRVIN to be manned by Aberdeen crews, the remainder by Norwegians with Tyneside engineers. The refrigerated steamer NORTHLAND, 5155grt/1903 (LO29) (Capt.Williams) will act as parent ship for the fleet and the catches will be transferred to her for preparation and refrigeration. NORTHLAND will also fish for cod, the livers to be processed and the fish filleted and salted, waste fish trimmings to be reduced to fish meal. Captain Thorsen of Brevik, Norway will act as leader of the expedition and direct the whole of the fishing operations.
17.5.1930: Sailed North Shields in company with eight other trawlers for Greenland fishing grounds.
10.1930: Returned to Aberdeen.
11.1930: Sold to Reginald V. Gouldby (32/64) & Arthur C. Gouldby (32/64), Lowestoft.
26.11.1930: Peterhead registry closed.
28.11.1930: Registered at Lowestoft (LT239). Reginald V. Goulby designated managing owner.
1931: Seasonal white fish trawling from Fleetwood (New Docks Steam Trawling Co (Fleetwood) Ltd, managing agent).
14.5.1934: Inwards for Fleetwood, while steaming across Morecambe Bay, deckhand George Harper sustained a broken leg when caught by a door in the heavy swell. On arrival transported to hospital.
3.7.1934: Disabled with machinery problem, steam drifter INSPIRATION (LT1211) connected and delivered Fleetwood.
3.4.1939: Sold to Mrs Lily E. Gouldby, Lowestoft.
Pre 1943-1945: Seasonal white fish trawling out of Fleetwood.
23.7.1943: Typical wartime landing. 93 kits – hake-41, cod/codling-22, haddock-6, whiting-6, flats-7, roker-7, gurnard-2, sole & prime-2.
26.1.1946: Sailed Fleetwood for fishing grounds (Sk. Kenneth Thompson).
29.1.1946: Skipper received a message asking him to return to his dying mother’s bedside. Returned to Fleetwood.
10.7.1952: Last landing at Fleetwood.
18.7.1952: Cook, Arthur Wright (45), fell in Wire Dock and drowned.
3.10.1952: Sold to Gordon D. Claridge, Lowestoft.
4.1954: Sold for breaking up under White Fish Authority “scrap & build” programme.
30.7.1954: Lowestoft registry closed.
Click to enlarge image

S.T. Flora Taylor LT239
Picture courtesy of the Barry Banham Maritime Photo Collection

Changelog

24/03/2010: Page published. 4 updates since then.
01/07/2018: Removed FMHT watermark from image.
25/06/2020: Information updated.