Discovery of Photos of Trawler Red Gauntlet LO.33
My wife and I live in Sussex and often visit the port of Newhaven, a Channel port steeped in history, with a heritage of cross-channel ferry operation and fishing. It featured in both World Wars; in particular, as a supply port in the Great War and the main port from which the Dieppe Raid was launched in World War Two.
On a recent visit in November, I dropped my wife in the town where she went to hunt for treasures in the local Flea Market, which is situated in a one-time chapel. I drove to the harbour as I usually do, to watch the activities and reminisce about my visits there as a child in the 1950s.
On returning later to meet my wife in the Flea Market she showed me a small brown photo album she had found. It comprised photos of fishermen at work and posing, onboard a trawler. But on the first page was a hand-written note giving details of a trip made by the Steam Trawler "Red Gauntlet" in 1935 and on the last page was a newspaper cutting dated August 13th 1943 which stated that she had been lost.
We realised that this was an important social document and bought it. As soon as we returned home I searched on the Internet to see if I could discover anything about the ship. Sure enough, a number of websites confirmed that she had been lost with all hands on August 5th 1943, as a result of enemy action off Felixstowe by the German E-boat S-86.
One of the websites that mentioned this loss was 'The Bosum's Watch', and so I contacted the creator of this site and told him of our discovery and asked his advice. It seemed an appropriate place to publish the photos and the information, in order to make it available to as wide an audience as possible and he offered to do just that.
We are still deciding what to do with the Album itself, but it is likely we will donate it to an appropriate museum - for posterity.
It is my hope that someone will take up the baton and undertake some research to establish more about the history of this particular ship, the men who served on her in peacetime and wartime and those who went down with her in August 1943.
It would be wonderful to think that there just might be someone around who sailed on her or who could identify the men in the photos. Who are those men that look so happy at their work - despite the hardships?
And the final mystery? How did this Album end up in a Flea Market at Newhaven in Sussex?
The challenge is set.
Ashley Leaney
Sussex
The Log
The first page of the Album is handwritten and states as follows...
Steam Trawler "Red Gauntlet".
300 tons - 140 feet long.
Iago Steam Trawler Company, Fleetwood, Lancs.
Left Fleetwood Thursday morning 12th. Sept. 1935
Returned [Fleetwood] Tuesday night 24th Sept.
Fished in North Atlantic, off St Kilda - for Hake, dog fish and "coalies".
Haul about 26 tons realised £850.
Skipper Hicks
chief engineer......Bill
Mate................Charlie Singleton
2nd. [engineer] ....Bruin
Bo'sun..............Joe
Fireman.............George
Fireman.............Harry
Deckhands:-
Joe
Sam
Dick
Dougie
"Extra Hands" - J. S. Mann & D.A.P.
Cook...............Tom Higham
"Sparks"...........Harry.
The last page of the Album has the following newspaper cutting...
THE TIMES FRIDAY AUGUST 13 1943
TRAWLER LOST
The Board of Admiralty regrets to announce
that H.M. trawler Red Gauntlet
(Lieutenant J. N. Childs, R.N.V.R.) has
been lost. The next-of-kin of the casualties
have been informed.
Such a short statement - what heartache this must have caused to those left behind.
We Will Remember Them.
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