Monthly Archives: January 2009

Trawler Tragedy Hits Community

From an unknown news source

It is fifty years ago since the Fleetwood trawler Michael Griffith was lost. Thirteen men lost their lives when the vessel went down near Barra in the Outer Hebrides on January 30th 1953, in what has been described as “The worst storm in living memory.”

As with all tragedies of this kind the loss cut across the fishing community and left 11 widows and 20 children fatherless.

Michael Griffith was owned by Clifton Steam Trawlers Ltd. She sailed from Fleetwood under Skipper Charles Singleton whose son, John Wilson, was bosun,on January 30. Hours after leaving th port she ran into hurricane force winds that put numerous other vessels in peril.

Two other Fleetwood vessels atempted to reach her after picking up a brief radio message saying that she had lost steam. Wyre General and Velia attempted to batter their way to her aid but Michael Griffith was never heard from or seen again.

A subsequent search of the area by aircraft, naval destroyers and trawlers found nothing. The only remnants discovered, lifebuoys, were washed up on the Northern Irish coast a few days later.

S.T. Touraco FD219

Additional information courtesy of Bill Blow

Technical

Official Number: 125090
Yard Number: 158
Completed: 1908
Gross Tonnage: 245
Net Tonnage: 113
Length: 120.5 ft
Breadth: 22 ft
Depth: 11.9 ft
Built: Cook, Welton & Gemmell Ltd, Beverley
Engine: 450ihp T.3-cyl and boiler by Amos & Smith Ltd, Hull

History

7.11. 1907: Launched by Cook, Welton & Gemmell Ltd, Beverley (Yd.No.158) for Cleethorpes Steam Trawling Co Ltd (64/64), Grimsby as TOURACO having been laid down as PENGUIN.
16.1.1908: Registered at Grimsby (GY347).
17.1.1908: Completed. Richard Shute appointed manager.
28.1.1908: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to The York City & County Banking Co Ltd, York (A).
9.1914: Requisitioned for war service as a minesweeper (1-6pdr HA, 1-7.5” A/S Howitzer) (Ad.No.609).
9.2.19015: Mortgage (A) transferred to The London Joint Stock Bank Ltd, London (The York City & County Banking Co Ltd, York in liquidation).
27.4.1915: William Hill, Cleethorpes appointed manager.
23.11.1915: Mortgage (A) discharged.
28.6.1916: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to The London Joint Stock Bank Ltd, London (B).
13.4.1918: Mortgage (B) discharged.
16.4.1918: Sold to Walter Harold Beeley (64/64), Grimsby. Walter Harold Beeley appointed manager.
14.5.1918: Sold to Ernest Taylor & Noah Ashworth, Fleetwood (joint owners).
16.5.1918: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to London City & Midland Bank Ltd, London (C).
21.5.1918: Joseph Allen Taylor appointed manager. Based Portland.
Post 12.3.1919: Returned to owner at Grimsby.
18.6.1919: Mortgage C) discharged.
20.6.1919: Sold to The Talbot Steam Trawling Co Ltd (64/64), Fleetwood (Joseph A. Taylor, manager).
7.7.1919: Grimsby registry closed.
7.7.1918: Joseph Allen Taylor appointed manager.
10.7.1919: Registered at Fleetwood (FD219).
1925: Sold to Richard Watson Lewis, Aberdeen (managing owner).
22.5.1925: Fleetwood registry closed.
23.5.1925: Registered at Aberdeen (A134).
30.12.1939: Sailed Kirkwall in evening but stranded Thieves Holm, Kirkwall Bay. Steamer ORCADIA (181grt/1868) in attendance and managed to re-float. Proceeded Kirkwall for survey but not making any water.
1930: Sold to John Hay Walker & James Hay Walker, Aberdeen (John H. Walker managing owner).
26.11.1932: Registered at Aberdeen as JEAN HAY (A134) (BoT Minute M/RG 1239/32 dated 19.11.1932).
1937: Sold for breaking up.
22.2.1938: Aberdeen registry closed “Vessel broken up.”

Changelog
08/01/2009: Page published. 4 updates since then.
09/08/2021: Updated history.

S.T. Tom Moore D216

Technical

Official Number: 118182
Yard Number: 727
Completed: 1903
Gross Tonnage: 194
Net Tonnage: 76
Length: 113 ft
Breadth: 21.5 ft
Depth: 12 ft
Engine: T.3-cyl by W. V. V. Lidgerwood, Coatbridge
Built: Smith’s Dock Co Ltd, North Shields

History

10.1903: Launched by Smith’s Dock Co Ltd, North Shields (Yd.No.727) for Clan Steam Trawling Co Ltd, Aberdeen as CLAN GRANT.
5.11.1903: Registered at Aberdeen(A909).
11.1903: Completed.
12.1911: Sold to Dublin Steam Trawling Co Ltd, Dublin (Arthur Richardson, manager).
26.12.1911: Aberdeen registry closed.
1.1912: Registered at Dublin as TOM MOORE (D216).
1913: Fishing from Fleetwood.
6.1915: Requisitioned for war service as a boom defence trawler (1-3pdr). Based Scapa.
Post 12.3.1919: Returned to owner at Dublin.
1922: Company restructured as Dublin Trawling, Ice & Cold Storage Co Ltd, Dublin (Arthur Richardson, manager).
1927: Thomas P. Fannon appointed managers.
Post 1945: Delete manager.
1954: Sold for breaking up.

Click to enlarge image

S.T. Tom Moore D216

S.T. Tom Moore D216
Picture courtesy of The Greenday Collection

Changelog

08/01/2009: Page published. 5 updates since then.
02/05/2018: Removed FMHT watermark from image.

S.T. Thornton FD41

Additional information courtesy of Milford Trawlers

Technical

Official Number: 122933
Yard Number: 259
Completed: 1905
Gross Tonnage: 225.12
Net Tonnage: 71.35
Length: 125.5 ft
Breadth: 21.9 ft
Depth: 8.8 ft
Built: J. Duthie, Sons & Co Ltd, Aberdeen
Engine: 380ihp T.3-cyl by W. V. V. Lidgerwood, Coatbridge
Boiler: A. & W. Dalglish, Pollokshaws, Glasgow

History

3q1905: Launched by J. Duthie, Sons & Co Ltd, Aberdeen (Yd.No.259) for Louis Cohen, Norbreck; Ernest Heinrich Friedrich Louis Schottler, Norbreck; William Johnson, Sheffield; Percy Johnson, Sheffield & Walter Henry Dickenson, Fleetwood (joint owners 64/64) as THORNTON.
21.10.1905: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to Williams Deacon’s Bank Ltd, London (A).
28.10.1905: Registered at Fleetwood (FD41). Fred Kelsall designated manager.
10.1905: Completed.
2.12.1905: Sold to Norbreck Steam Fishing Co Ltd, Fleetwood. John C. Ball designated manager.
7.12.1905: Mortgage (A) discharged.
8.12.1905: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to Williams Deacon’s Bank Ltd, London (B).
2.12.1906: Louis Cohen designated manager.
19.1.1909: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to Samuel Meggitt Johnson JP, Sheffield for £350 @ 6% interest (C). 4.10.1909: Mortgage (C) discharged.
4.10.1909: Vessel mortgage (64/64) to J.Marr & Son Ltd, Fleetwood (D).
8.10.1910: James Herbert Marr designated manager.
1.1.1914: Tonnage altered to 91.60net under provision of Merchant Shipping Act 1907.
20.5.1915: Requisitioned for war service as an armed trawler (1-6pdr) (Ad.No.1764). Based Stromness.
27.1.1919: Sold to John McR. Knight, Hakin & Morgan W. Howells, Milford Haven (joint owners 64/64).
21.2.1919: Fleetwood registry closed.
6.3.1919: Registered at Milford (M6). John McR. Knight designated managing owner.
By 12.3.1919: Returned to owner at Milford Haven.
19.3.1919: Sold to Mrs Emma Bishop (22/64), Haverfordwest; John Walters (21/64), Hakin; Evan Davies (7/64), Fishguard; David Morgan (7/64), Fishguard & Thomas G. Bishop (7/64), Goodwick. John Henry Bishop designated manager.
30.6.1921: Entering lock at Milford hit by IAGO (H963) amidships. At the Magistrates court at Milford , Robert Seaward, mate of IAGO fined £5 for breach of Dock Co’s bye-laws.
1922: Emma Bishop died.
10.8.1923: Sold to David Morgan, John Walters, John Henry Bishop, Albert Phillip Bishop & Thomas G. Bishop, Milford Haven (joint owners 64/64), Milford Haven. John Henry Bishop designated managing owner.
8.9.1925: In fine weather about 45 miles W1/2S from St. Ann’s Head, connected to steam trawler OCEANIC (M8) disabled with LP cylinder head valve cover blown out. Delivered Milford later that day.
28.11.1925: Arrived Milford from fishing grounds with skipper, Charles Thomas, suffering from injuries sustained when off the Irish Coast. When shooting the trawl he left the wheelhouse to check the gear when a big sea caused the vessel to lurch and he was thrown onto the engine room casing and against the steering chain. He was taken home and examined by a doctor, no bones broken but suspected damaged internally.
23.4.1926: Reported that when on the fishing grounds (Sk. Rowlands) and shooting trawl in darkness, third hand William Riby was knocked overboard. Swam to forward warp and was rescued by mate.
1934: Laid up Milford.
19.12.1934: Sold to Boston Deep Sea Fishing & Ice Co Ltd, Fleetwood. Basil Arthur Parkes, Cleveleys, designated manager.
11.2.1935: Sold to Darwin & Mostyn Iron Co Ltd, Mostyn for breaking up.
14.2.1935: Milford registry closed “Broken up”.

Changelog
08/01/2009: Page published. 6 updates since then.
23/01/2020: Updated information.

S.T. Thomas Leeds A256

Technical

Admiralty Number: 4210
Official Number: 139815
Yard Number: 452
Completed: 1919
Gross Tonnage: 276
Net Tonnage: 122
Length: 125.6 ft
Breadth: 23.6 ft
Depth: 12.7 ft
Engine: T.3-cyl by Bellis & Morcom, Birmingham
Built: J. Duthie Torry Shipbuilding Co, Aberdeen

History

6.1919: Launched by J. Duthie Torry Shipbuilding Co, Aberdeen (Yd.No.452) (“Castle” class) for The Admiralty as THOMAS LEEDS (Ad.No.4210).
12.9.1919: Completed as a fishing vessel.
1919: Sold to Onward Steam Trawlers (Fleetwood) Ltd (Walter Morley, manager).
11.12.1919: Registered at Aberdeen (A256).
19.12.1923: Sk. George Hughes fined £100 or alternatively 60 days imprisonment at Rothesay for engaging in otter trawling within the prohibited limit in the Firth of Clyde.
20.10.1927: Registered at Aberdeen as SAINT GABRIEL (A256).
1928: Sold to Iago Steam Trawler Co Ltd, London & Milford Haven (Edward D. W. Lawford, manager).
19.3.1928: Aberdeen registry closed.
20.3.1928: Registered at London (LO131).
16.5.1928: Registered at London as THOMAS LEEDS (LO131).
11.2.1930: Sold to H. Westenborg, R.Garrett & L. Jones, Milford Haven (Herman Westenborg, managing owner).
2.1930: London registry closed.
14.2.1930: Registered at Milford (M70).
21.10.1936: While stowing gear prior to leaving Irish grounds with herring (Sk. Reginald High), Third hand William Horton (34) fell overboard and was drowned.
31.3.1937: On West coast of Ireland grounds, condenser door blew off. Effected repair but requested tow to Milford.
1.4.1937: THOMAS DEAS (M253) connected.
3.4.1937: Delivered to Milford.
27.8.1939: Requisitioned for war service as a minesweeper (1-12pdr) (P.No.FY.520)(Hire rate £86.5.0d/month).
5.1941: Sold to H. Westenborg & R.Garrett, Milford Haven (Hermann Westenborg, managing owner).
19.5.1941: Off East Coast engaged and with three other trawlers shot down Heinkel 111 (Temp Sk. R. A. Cook RNR).
18.11.1945: Sold to Westenborg Trawlers Ltd, Milford Haven (Hermann Westenborg, manager).
11.1945: Returned.
3.1952: Laid up at Milford.
9.1952: Returned to fishing.
1953: Sold to Colonial Development Corporation, London. For transfer to Nigeria.
1954: Sold to Nigerian Shipping & Trade Co Ltd, Lagos. Registered at Milford as STRATHCATHRO (M70).
14.1.1954: Milford registry closed. Registered at Lagos.
5.4.1954: Sailed Milford for Lagos (Capt James Flett, Aberdeen).
25.10.1955: Stranded 13 miles west of Lagos near Ten Mile Beacon. Total loss.

(Thomas Leeds, OS (volunteer), age 22, b. Co. Down, Ireland – VICTORY (SB87))

Click to enlarge images

S.T. Thomas Leeds LO131

S.T. Thomas Leeds LO131
Picture courtesy of John Stevenson

HMT Thomas Leeds

HMT Thomas Leeds
Picture reproduced under IWM Non-Commercial Licence

Changelog
08/01/2009: Page published. 4 updates since then.
23/04/2018: Removed FMHT watermark from image.