Technical

Admiralty Number: 3795
Official Number: 143948
Yard Number: 344
Completed: 1918
As built: 360disp 125.6 x 23.5 x 12.8 feet
Gross Tonnage: 279
Net Tonnage: 109
Length: 125.5 ft
Breadth: 23.5 ft
Depth: 12.8 feet
Built: Ailsa Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Ayr
Engine: 480ihp T.3-cyl by Fawcett Preston & Co Ltd, Liverpool
Armament : 1 x 12 pdr
Built: Ailsa Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Ayr

History

6.11.1918: Launched by Ailsa Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Ayr (Yd.No.344) (“Castle” class) for The Admiralty as PETER HALL (Ad.No.3795).
30.12.1918: Completed as an armed trawler (1-12pdr).
12.12.1919: Registered by The Admiralty at London (Part I) as PETER HALL O.N.143948. Engaged in commercial trawling.
1920: Allocated to the National Fishery Scheme for the setting up of the Minesweepers’ Cooperative Trawling Society Ltd, London.
13.08.1920: Minesweepers’ Cooperative Trawling Society Ltd, London registered.
23.08.1920: Registered at London (Part IV) (LO437).
10.1920: At HM Dockyard, Devonport completed fitting out for fishing under Special Survey of Lloyd’s Register and classed 100 A1 Stm Trawler at Plymouth.
01.1922: Scheme abandoned, the necessary working capital of £100,000 having not been subscribed. Laid up.
08.1924: Completed Special Survey at Plymouth prior to sale.
11.1924: Sold to Société Anonyme Armement Ostendais, Ostend.
27.11.1924: London registry closed.
29.11.1924: Registered at Ostend as TRANSPORT UNION (O161).
27.12.1935: In bad weather some 7 miles NE of Noordhinder Light Vessel (Sk.Frederick Vanderwal) rescued crew of fourteen of Dutch trawler CORNELIA MARIA (SCH135) which was sinking. Steam trawler RIVER KELVIN (GY272) connected and successfully delivered Grimsby.
19.6.1928: At Fleetwood landed from Iceland 600 boxes of cod, haddock and colefish 1.
3.1939: Sold to Saint Andrew’s Steam Fishing Co Ltd, Hull. Ostend registry closed.
1.3.1939: Registered at Hull as ALVIS (H52). Basil Arthur Parkes, Cleveleys designated manager. Fishing out of Fleetwood.
15.3.1939: At Fleetwood landed first catch of 200 boxes. Seized by Customs because she had fished illegally in Scottish waters when under Belgium flag.
18.9.1939: Fishing 22 miles north of St. Kilda (Sk A. E. Thomasson). In position 58°10N/9°17W approached at 1319 by U-boat (U.35) which fired a single shot and ordered skipper to heave to and launch boat; there was no attempt to escape. Because of poor state of boat, Germans boarded trawler and after destroying radio and fishing gear allowed her return to St Kilda and home.
9.3.1940: Fishing 12 miles NW of Tory Island, Co. Donegal in company with FLYING ADMIRAL (H66); JOHN MORRICE (A786); PELAGOS (GN55) and SEDOCK (SN12) and reported with the Irish trawler LEUKOS (D86) also in the vicinity. Group approached by U-boat (U.38) which fired a single round at a trawler, hitting her in the engine room and she subsequently foundered. Although no conclusive evidence confirms, the trawler probably was the LEUKOS; all eleven crew lost*.
Pre 4.1940: Employed on Fishery Protection (WA/Fort William/Fleetwood).
30.4.1940: Requisitioned for war service as an anti submarine trawler (1-12pdr) (P.No. 4.118) (Hire rate £84.0.0d/month).
1.1942: Based Hartlepool with M/S Group 148.
5.1941: Fitted out as a minesweeper.
1944: Sold to Ocean Steam Trawling Co Ltd, Hull. William Leslie Barkworth designated manager.
3.1945: Returned to owner.
9.2.1946: Sold to Milford Fisheries Ltd, Milford Haven. Owen W. Limbrick designated manager.
2.5.1947: Sold to Henderson’s Trawling Co Ltd, Hull. Geoffrey Edwards Marr designated manager.
1948: Sold to Argosy Trawling Co Ltd, Fleetwood. William Stevenson, St. Anne’s-on-the-Sea designated manager.
1951: Sold to Alvis Trawlers Ltd, Fleetwood. Hull registry closed. Registered at Fleetwood (FD46). Sun Steam Trawling Co Ltd, managers.
1954: Sold to Boston Deep Sea Fisheries Ltd, Fleetwood. Basil Arthur Parkes, North Ferriby designated manager.
4.1.1954: Landed broken trip – machinery problems, 24 boxes 10 baskets £214 gross.
1.2.1954: Last landing at Fleetwood, 156 boxes 20 baskets £1,063 gross. Laid up.
5.1954: Sold to BISCO and allocated to Thos W. Ward Ltd, Sheffield for breaking up at Barrow.
15.5.1954: Arrived Barrow.
5.1954: Fleetwood registry closed.

(Lost* – Sk. James P. Thomasson (28), Fleetwood & Dublin; William Donnelly, Blackpool, Mate; P. J. Scanlon, Cleethorpes, Bosun; Alexander McLeod, Stornoway, Ch Eng; Bernard Smith (23), Dublin, 2nd Eng; Thomas Mulligan, Fleetwood & Dublin & Anthony Pill, Fleetwood & Dublin, deckhands; Michael Cullen (17), Dublin, fireman; Patricio McCarthy (42) Dublin, cook; James Hawkins (17) Fleetwood & Dublin & Robert Sumler (16), Fleetwood & Dublin, apprentices)

(Peter Hall, Landsman (prest), age 23, b.London – VICTORY (SB52))

Click to enlarge images

S.T. Transport Union O161
Picture courtesy of The Emiel Rycx Collection

S.T. Alvis FD46
Picture from the Internet

HMT Alvis
Picture reproduced under IWM Non-Commercial Licence

Changelog
13/05/2012: Page published. 8 updates since then.
31/01/2016: Picture added.
19/12/2016: Significant information update.
23/12/2016: Further information update.
25/06/2019: Information updated.
20/08/2021: Updated technical information.