S.T. Gaul FD143
Technical
Official Number: 121030
Yard Number: 64
Completed: 1904
Gross Tonnage: 270
Net Tonnage: 94
Length: 130 ft
Breadth: 22 ft
Draught: 12.4 ft
Engine: 80 hp T.3-cyl by Amos & Smith Ltd, Hull
Built: Cook Welton & Gemmell, Beverley
Speed: 10.5 knots
History
24.11.1904: Launched by Cook, Welton & Gemmell, Beverley (Yd.No.64) for The Imperial Steam Fishing Co Ltd, Hull (Frank O. Hellyer & Owen S. Hellyer, managers) as GAUL (H761).
30.1.1905: Registered at Hull (H761).
2.1905: Completed.
2.1915: Requisitioned for war service as a minesweeper (1-12pdr, 1-7.5” A/S Howitzer) (Ad.No.733). 3.11.1917: Sold to The New Docks Steam Trawling Co (Fleetwood) Ltd, Fleetwood (Taylor & Tomlinson Ltd, managers).
8.4.1919: Hull registry closed.
9.4.1919: Registered at Fleetwood (FD143).
1920: Returned to owner.
1925: Chartered by Hellyer Bros Ltd, Hull for use in reconnoitring for icefields, marking boundaries, fish carrying, etc in the halibut fishery in the Davis Strait, Greenland.
2.1926: Chartered by Andreas Goodmundsson, Leith to carry fish from Iceland to Grimsby.
27.3.1926: On completion of charter, sailed Grimsby for Fleetwood with a scratch crew (Sk. Karl Johnson).
30.3.1926: In heavy weather driven on submerged reef in Ballevullin Bay, NW Tiree while on passage Grimsby – Fleetwood; crew of nine took to boat which overturned; seven men lost, two reached the shore. (Crew all Grimsby men. Survivors. G. Platt, deckhand and E. Thompson, trimmer. Lost. Sk. Karl Johnson; W. Robinson, Mate; R. Dean, third hand; T. Moon deckhand; A. Keightley, Chief engineer, R. Kershaw, 2nd engineer and A. Beard, cook.
29.7.1926: Fleetwood registry closed on advice from owners.
Click to enlarge image
S.T. Gaul FD143
Picture courtesy of Alan Hirst
One of the crewmembers of the ill-fated S.S. GAUL, Deckhand Thomas Albert Moon, was washed ashore on the small island of Wiay in the Outer Hebrides. My maternal Great-Grandfather, who was the tenant of that island at the time, found the body and brought the matter to the attention of the authorities. Thomas Moon, a Grimsby man, was subsequently interred in Nunton Cemetery on the Island of Benbecula. The grave in tended by the local community who are planning of restoring the memorial and inscription. I am trying to establish whether there are any present-day relatives of Thomas Moon in the Grimsby area and would be very appreciative if you could give me permission to download and use the photograph of the GAUL in our efforts to trace relatives, alternatively advise contact details with any other who may hold copyright for the image. Any assistance you can offer would be gratefully received.
Thank you very much,
Angus Mac Kinnon
Troon Ayrshire Scotland