Additional information courtesy of Andy Hall

Technical

Official Number: 136898
Yard Number: 615
Completed: 1914
Gross Tonnage: 321
Net Tonnage: 127
Length: 130.3 ft
Breadth: 24 ft
Depth: 13.1 ft
Engine: T.3-cyl and boiler by C. D. Holmes & Co Ltd, Hull
Built: Cochrane & Sons Ltd, Selby

History

6.10.1914: Launched by Cochrane & Sons Ltd, Selby (Yd.No.615) for The Mount Steam Fishing Co Ltd, Fleetwood as SCOMBER.
3.12.1914: Registered at Fleetwood (FD98). George E. J. Moody, Grimsby designated manager.
23.12.1914: Completed. Requisitioned from the builders and fitted out as a minesweeper(1-6pdr HA) (Ad.No.445). Based Humber.
Post 12.3.1919: Returned to owner at Fleetwood.
4.1.1922: At Grimsby landed a record catch of 2,000 boxes from a White Sea trip which realised £5,900.
10.10.1923: Returning from fishing grounds through the Inner Sound. In a heavy rain squall ran at full speed on rocks off Eilean Beag, Crowlin Islands off the southern tip of the Applecross peninsula . Took to boat and picked up by Macbrayne’s steamer PLOVER (208grt/1904) on passage Kyle to Harris. Skipper and four crew decided to stay on Crowlin Island standing by the vessel.
11.10.1923: Insurance Surveyor attended in drifter FLOWER O’ MORAY (84grt/1908) (INS584). Found water in engine room, fish hold and fore hold.
12.10.1923: Carried out external examination; no serious damage.
12-21.10.1923: Lightening ship, plugging rivet holes and tallowing seams. Laid out anchors astern and on both quarters. Considered seaworthy.
22.10.1923: After heaving on anchors and with FLOWER O’ MORAY towing astern, came afloat. Berthed at Kyle of Lochalsh at 8.30 pm.
23-26.10.1923: Cleaning engine room and storing.
26.10.1923: At daylight sailed for Fleetwood, via Oban to rectify boiler tube leaks.
28.10.1923: Arrived Fleetwood. Subsequently repaired and returned to service.
1.1926: Sir George E. J. Moody, Grimsby designated manager.
7.3.1926: Inwards from northerly grounds when some 2 miles west of Lune lightship sighted the mast of a sunken steamer projecting about 4 ft out of the water. On a rising tide unable to identify the vessel but placed a lighted bouy near the scene. On arrival at Fleetwood notified harbour authorities and tug FYLDE (256grt/1904) was despatched to scene. The buoy was picked up but no trace of the mast or sunken ship.
11.10.1929: On arrival at Fleetwood, Sk. Charles Brewster reported that while laid-to in stormy weather north-east of St. Kilda, struck by an immense wave which flooded the deck several feet deep. The majority of the crew saw the wave coming and escaped, but the Bosun, James Green, Fleetwood, and deckhand, William Miller, Blackpool, were both hurled against the ship’s casing and narrowly escaped being swept overboard. Green was carried below unconscious with cuts about the head and eyes. Miller had his chest, arms, and shoulders injured. Both men were given first aid by the skipper and course set for Castlebay, Barra, 130 miles away, to obtain medical assistance. At Castlebay the injured men received attention by a doctor and later sailed for Fleetwood.
193?: W. M. Kelly, Fleetwood designated manager.
11.11.1937: Arrived Fleetwood from a six day trip (Sk. Charles Brewster) and landed the largest herring catch of the season, with 7,000 stone in addition to 300 stone of mixed fish.
18.3.1938: Relaid message to Wick Radio from Grimsby steam trawler BLAKKUR (GY378)- ‘Took heavy sea, boat lost, bridge smashed, casing broken, radio damaged one man injured, proceeding Thórshavn’.
29.5.1938: At about 9.30pm. arrived Buncrana, Co. Donegal from the Tory Island grounds to land Sam Robinson, 2nd Eng, who had sustained severe lacerations to his right hand when caught in revolving machinery.
30.5.1938: Robinson put ashore at daylight.
2.9.1938: On sailing from Oban at 12.30 am. stranded next to beacon at entrance and held hard and fast. At 10.20 am. came afloat and berthed at Oban for inspection.
18.07.1939: At Fleetwood Magistrates Court, William Holden (34) fisherman, Fleetwood, was fined 20/-, ordered to pay one guinea advocates fee and to refund his 6/- advance, having pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to join the trawler the day before. Prosecuting. Mr. R. Blackburn stated that Holden should have appeared at noon to sail, but at 1:30p.m. was found in a club. He then promised to go to the ship but did not arrive and a search was made of a number of hotels and clubs, but he could not be found; the trawler was delayed two hours. Holden said this was only the third time in 17 years that he had missed his ship, he got a drop too much beer.
6.5.1940: Requisitioned for war service as a boom defence vessel (P.No.Z.183)(Hire rate £85.12.0d/month). Cost of conversion £25,036. Based Milford Haven.
23.11.1943: Compulsorily acquired by M.O.W.T.
23.5.1944: Assigned to Operation Neptune – Normandy landings.
5.6.1944: Sailed Solent for Mulberry B with Convoy ETC27W.
3.7.1944: Operation Neptune ended.
1944: Based at the Humber (J. Gibson-Johnston & Co, Hull, agents).
1947: Re-conditioned and surveyed at an estimated cost of £8,750.
1947: Remeasured 319g. 127n on completion of re-conditioning and survey.
2.1947: Sold to Inch Fishing Co Ltd, Edinburgh. Registered at Granton as INCHTURE (GN44).
9.2.1948: In severe weather, Sk. Norman Lyle, using the wireless direction finding equipment, steamed 90 miles and located the disabled steam trawler INCHMICKERY (GN29) adrift some 220 miles off Aberdeen. With great difficulty connected and commenced tow to Aberdeen.
8.2.1948: Delivered Aberdeen after a four day tow during which the hawser parted four times.
02.12.1948: In North Sea (Sk. Magnus Young) received a radio message from the Dundee steam trawler FRASER FENTON (DE 23) (Sk. Alex Dorwood D.S.C) disabled with boiler trouble and awash in heavy seas. Made for the position indicated and reached the FRASER FENTON after dark. Attempted to come alongside four times but the seas threatened to set both trawlers into each other and it was hours before a line was got on board. Two trawl warps were connected and tow commenced, but the gale was so fierce that the vessels could make only three knots all through the first night.
05.12.1948: Delivered Granton fifty seven hours after making contact.
1953: Sold to Clyde Fishing Co Ltd, Edinburgh.
1953: Sold to Cantieri Navali del Golfo, Genoa for breaking up.
9.1953: Broken up at Le Spezia.

Click to enlarge image

S.T. Scomber FD98
Picture courtesy of The David Slinger Collection

Changelog
04/01/2009: Page published. 4 updates since then.
05/06/2016: Minor information update.
20/09/2017: Removed FMHT watermark from image.
04/04/2018: Significant information update.