Additional information courtesy of Bill Blow, Granton Trawlers and Hull Trawlers

Technical

Official Number: 132235
Yard Number: 211
Completed: 1911
Gross Tonnage: 346
Net Tonnage: 135
Length: 140.3 ft
Breadth: 24.1 ft
Depth: 12.5 ft
Built: Cook, Welton & Gemmell Ltd, Beverley
Engine: 580ihp T.3-cyl and boiler by Amos & Smith Ltd, Hull
Speed: 11 knots

History

2.2.1911: Launched by Cook, Welton & Gemmell Ltd, Beverley (Yd.No.211) for Imperial Steam Fishing Co Ltd (64/64), Hull as Dane.
28.3.1911: Completed. Frank O. Hellyer designated manager.
7.4.1911: Registered at Hull (H227).
23.9.1912: Grossed £1,100 from a three week Icelandic trip.
3.2.1914: At the offices of the Mercantile Marine, Hull a gold watch, suitably inscribed, awarded by the Danish Legation was presented by H. Pattison, Danish Consul at Hull, to Skipper Olaf Peter Paulson (“Peter the Dane”) for gallantry at sea in rescuing three Icelanders, whose motor boat, CAPITOLA, had overturned in heavy seas, after drifting from the Westmann Islands. The Icelandic Government also sent a letter of appreciation.
8.7.1914: At Hull landed from an Icelandic trip (Sk. Peter Paulson) 2000 kits of haddock & cod for a record £1824. Last year Skipper Peter Paulson’s gross earnings ran into many thousands, establishing a record for an individual skipper.
15.4.1915: Requisitioned for war service as a minesweeper (1-6pdr) (Ad. No.1370).
1.5.1915: Fitting as Sub-divisional Leader.
6.1915: Renamed Dane II.
4.12.1915: Registered at Hull as Dane II (H227) (BoT Minute 32044/15). Based Aegean Sea.
Post 12.3.1919: Returned to owner at Hull and registered at Hull as Dane (H227) (BoT Minute 8883.19).
1920: Sold to Hellyer Bros. Ltd (64/64), Hull. Frank O. Hellyer & Owen S. Hellyer, designated managers.
Pre 1927: Sold to Jens C. Christensen, Hessle (c/o Hellyer Bros Ltd, managers).
6.1.1928: Sold to Christensen & Co Ltd, Hessle. Jens C. Christensen designated manager.
7.12.1929: Bosun Samuel James Alexander (48) Hull, was washed overboard and drowned in northern waters.
1931: Sold to Dane Fishing Co Ltd, Hull (William B. Willey, manager).
9.10.1934: Sailed Hull for Bear Island grounds on last trip before sale (Sk. F. Kirby).
1.11.1934: At Hull landed 961 kits £1,471 gross.
11.1934: Sold to Henry Elliott, Fleetwood (managing owner).
28.11.1934: At 6.00pm. sailed Fleetwood for Faroe grounds (Sk. William Harrison); twelve crew all told.
10.12.1934: At 1.30am. left the Faroe Bank and proceeded towards Fleetwood with about ten tons of fish onboard. No attempt was made to accurately fix the position prior to departure.
10.12.1934: There is conflict of evidence as to what, in terms of navigation, actually happened on the homeward voyage. At 3.10am. the skipper was on the bridge with the bosun on watch when a light was picked up on the starboard bow bearing SW. No attempt was made to identify this light which the skipper presumed was South Rona; it was in fact Monarch Island Light. Had this light been correctly identified steps would have been taken to avert the casualty. At 5.30am. with the bosun on watch, struck the West Dureberg Reef, off the Monarch Islands, Outer Hebrides. With the skipper in the wheelhouse, engine put astern and successfully refloated; the engine was then stopped and later worked to move to a position of safety and then laid to until daylight. During this time the vessel was sounded and ingress of water observed in the fish room and the engine room pump was used and a distress call made.
11.12.1934: Steam trawler HARRY HAWKE (FD) (Sk. George Birch) responded to distress call and accompanied on passage to Leverbugh, Isle of Harris; berthed at pier to await steam trawler SPRINGWELL (FD297) despatched with salvage equipment.
13.11.1934: SPRINGWELL berthed alongside and transferred gear and labour. Took onboard catch and sailed for Fleetwood.
17.12.1934: Arrived Fleetwood for permanent repair; estimated cost £1.300. Repaired and returned to service.
1935: Sold to H. Elliott & Sons Trawlers Ltd (64/64), Fleetwood. Henry Elliott designated manager.
26.2.1935: At the formal BOT Inquiry at Liverpool (No.S.374) into the stranding, the Court found Sk. Harrison in default and suspended his ticket for nine months.
28.11.1935: Whilst fishing the Rockall grounds (Sk. William Brewster), electrical wiring in the wheelhouse fused setting alight the woodwork. Fanned by the breeze the flames quickly enveloped a portion of the structure and within a few minutes the blaze lit up the entire vessel. Skipper and deckhand James Conley rushed to the wheelhouse and attempted to put out the flames but the fire had secured such a hold that their efforts had little affect and the two men had to leave. Conley had to smash one of the wheelhouse doors and the skipper scrambled to safety through one of the windows. So intense was the heat that eight of the windows in the structure were broken. Eventually a hose pipe was connected to the donkey engine and the blaze was brought under control, but not before considerable damage had been done. One of the warps was cut to provide more working space, and it unfortunately became entangled in the propeller taking some time to free. Temporary lights were rigged for the remainder of the trip.
1939: Sold to Prince Fishing Co Ltd, Hull (Hellyer Bros Ltd, managers).
1.10.1939: Sailed Hull for Faroe and West of Scotland grounds first trip for new owners (Sk. J. Hardcastle).
18.10.1939: At Hull landed 504 kits grossed £900.
1.1.1940: Sailed Hull for Iceland (Sk. J. Hardcastle). Ordered to return from sea for requisitioning.
4/5.1.1940: At Hull landed 261 kits grossed £592.
10.1.1940: Requisitioned for war service as a minesweeper (P.No. FY.554) (Hire rate £86.10.0d/month).
1943: Sold to H. Markham Cook Ltd (64/64), Grimsby.
1.1946: Returned to owner.
10.9.1946: Laid up in Alexandra Dock, Grimsby.
11.1946: Hull registry closed.
29.11.1946: Registered at Grimsby (GY417).
29.11.1946: Harry Markham Cook appointed manager.
28.5.1947: Sold to Drum Fishing Co Ltd (64/64), Edinburgh.
12.6.1947: Grimsby registry closed.
6.1947: Registered at Granton as DRUMSHEUGH (GN37).
12.6.1947: Edwin James Walker appointed manager.
26.4.1949: Homeward from Icelandic grounds (Sk. Fred Hill); sixteen crew all told. Arrived Wick, after steaming for three days through severe weather with no drinking water and short of bunkers with only two tons remaining. The crew had to melt down the remainder of the ice to use as drinking water. Skipper Hill reported that they were lucky that they had the wind with them, otherwise we were bound to have run out of coal and been left at the mercy of the wind and seas. The Atlantic gale was so fierce and cold that ice formed on the deck, wheelhouse and winch.
2.1954: Sold to BISCO and allocated to Malcolm Brechin, Granton for breaking up.
1954: Granton registry closed.

Download the BOT report into the stranding of DANE

Click to enlarge images

S.T. Dane H227
Picture courtesy of the James Cullen Collection

S.T. Drumsheugh GN37
Picture Courtesy of The Alan Hirst Collection

S.T. Drumsheugh GN37
Picture courtesy of The James Cullen Collection

Changelog
26/04/2014: Picture added.
20/10/2014: Picture added.
30/04/2017: Updated information and removed FMHT watermarks.
01/05/2017: Further information update.
24/03/2020: Information updated.