S.T. John Cattling LO364

Additional material courtesy of Alan Sandall, Frome Rotary Club

Technical

Admiralty Number: 3676
Official Number: 143829
Yard Number: 356
Completed: 1918
Gross Tonnage: 276
Net Tonnage: 113
Length: 125.7 ft
Breadth: 23.4 ft
Depth: 12.8 ft
Engine: 480ihp T.3-cyl by Bow, McLachlan & Co Ltd, Paisley
Built: Bow, McLachlan & Co Ltd, Paisley

History

Further information John Cattling at War

12.4.1918: Launched by Bow, McLachlan & Co Ltd, Paisley (Yd.No.356) (“Castle” class) for The Admiralty as JOHN CATTLING (Ad.No.3676).
24.4.1918: Completed (1-12pdr, 1-3.5” A/S Howitzer, Hydrophone and W/T). Based Portland.
8.8.1918: Off St. Cathrine’s Point, Isle of Wight, in collision in the morning with HM Trawler MICHAEL CLEMENTS (Ad.No.3676) which foundered in position 50.21N 01.25W.
28.11.1919: Registered by The Admiralty at London (Part I) as JOHN CATTLING O.N.143892.
4.5.1920: Sold by auction at Milford to The Iago Steam Trawler Co Ltd, Milford Haven for £8300.
2.6.1920: Registered at London (Part IV)(LO364). Charles Curzon designated manager.
1930: Transferred to Fleetwood when Edward D. W. Lawford moved his vessels to the port.
29.8.1939: Requisitioned for war service on examination service and as a minesweeper (1-12pdr, 2-20mm) (P.No.FY.536) (Hire rate £82.16.0d/month).
30.1.1940: Ty/Sk. George W. Aldan RNR appointed CO.
24.5.1940: Off Dover picked up one officer and five ratings from carley float, survivors from HMS WESSEX (P.No.D43) (Lt. Cdr. W. A. R. Cartwright RN) bombed and sunk in defence of Calais.
24.5.1940: Arrived Calais for service as W/T link.
26.5.1940: At 1857 ‘Operation Dynamo’ (Dunkirk evacuation) put into effect.
29.5.1940: At 1330 ARLEY and FYLDEA entered Dunkirk harbour in company to pull the fully laden passenger steamer LOCHGARRY (1280grt/1898) away from the east pier; occupied the vacant berth. BROCK, CALVI, JOHN CATTLING and POLLY JOHNSON berthed, triple banked to evacuate troops, At 1530 attacked by German aircraft (Junkers Ju87, Stuka dive bombers), destroyer HMS GRENADE (P.No.H86) (Cdr Richard Courtenay Boyle RN) hit by two bombs and set on fire with 14 killed and 4 wounded. Warship cast off from jetty in case she foundered alongside, but drifted into harbour channel. Left berth, connected and towed destroyer to the west side of the outer harbour. CALVI bombed and sank alongside and POLLY JOHNSON damaged. In the evening GRENADE magazines exploded.
30.6.1940: Arrived Dover at 1800 with 77 troops. Ty/Sk. George W. Aldan RNR awarded DSC for this incident and evacuation. (See also GWENLLIAN (FD102).
13.9.1940: Sk. Robert Burwood RNR appointed CO (Sk. Aldan injured by bomb blast while on shore leave).
4.4.1941: Ch. Sk. Albert Winterburn Bowles RNR appointed CO.
30.5.1941: Sk. Tom Smith RNR appointed CO.
Late 1942: Ty/Sk. Joseph Thomas Arnold RNR appointed CO.
26.1.1943: A/Capt Edward Douglas Wyndham Lawford RN awarded DSO for service in HMS POZARICA (P.No.4.261) A/A ship on Russian convoys.
31.12.1943: Ty/Sk. Bertram Carlton RNR appointed CO.
5.9.1944: Ty/Sk. Alfred Halliwell DSC RNR appointed CO.
5.1945: Paid off.
6.1945: Surveyed and restored at Glasgow.
12.7.1945: Returned to owner at Fleetwood.
1949: Sold to George Walker, Aberdeen.
5.1949: London registry closed.
25.5.1949: Registered at Aberdeen (A628).
16.12.1950: Repossessed by Clydesdale & North of Scotland Bank Ltd, Glasgow.
15.1.1951: Sold to Andrew Walker King, James King & John Black, Aberdeen. Andrew W. King designated managing owner.
12.2.1954: Sold to Andrew Walker King, James King & James Caie, Aberdeen. Andrew W. King designated managing owner.
22.2.1954: Sold to Andrew Walker King & James King, Aberdeen. Andrew W. King designated managing owner.
5.1957: Sold for breaking up in Germany.
10.5.1957: Arrived Hamburg from Aberdeen under own power.
21.5.1957: Aberdeen registry closed.
(John Cattling, Boy, age 19, b. Harford, Devon – VICTORY (SB?))

(Note: During WW2 the ship was adopted by the Rotary Club and Inner Wheel in Frome, Somerset and close contact maintained between the Rotary Club and the Commanding Officers throughout the war.)

Click to enlarge images

S.T. John Cattling LO364

S.T. John Cattling LO364
Picture from the Internet

Skipper George William Aldan

Skipper George William Aldan
Picture courtesy of The John Pennell Collection

Skipper Aldan letter

Skipper Aldan letter
courtesy of Frome Rotary Club

Changelog
24/01/2009: Page published. 7 updates since then.
07/05/2017: Added image and removed FMHT watermark.
14/05/2019: Updated the history of this vessel.
25/02/2021: Updated history.