Technical

Official Number: 144068
Yard Number: 686
Completed: 1921
Gross Tonnage: 333
Net Tonnage: 140
Length: 138.8 ft
Breadth: 23.7 ft
Depth: 12.9 ft
Built: Cochrane & Sons Ltd, Selby
Engine: T.3-cyl by C. D. Holmes & Co Ltd, Hull

History

11.11.1920: Launched by Cochrane & Sons Ltd, Selby (Yd.No.686) for Newington Steam Trawling Co Ltd, Hull as RUDYARD KIPLING.
21.1.1921: Completed (John Work, manager).
4.2.1921: Registered at Hull (Part I & IV) as RUDYARD KIPLING O.N.144068 (H247).
28.1.1930: The President of the German Reich awarded Sk. F.V.H. Hahn, P. Dunbar, Mate and F. Doncaster, Ch. Eng, J.H. Twiddle, 2nd Eng two gold watches, two binocular glasses and in addition monetary awards for the crew. These awards are in recognition of the services rendered to the German steam trawler JOHS THODE which stranded on the Murman Coast in January 1929.
3.12.1921: Francis Schofield (29) died as a result of accident aboard; buried in Iceland.
12.4.1934: Sailed Hull for Iceland last trip before sale (Sk. A. Smith).
1.5.1934: At Hull landed 1,722 kits grossed £719.
16.5.1934: Sold to The Sun Steam Trawling Co Ltd, Fleetwood (Michael A. Munby, manager).
5.10.1936: Hull registry closed.
16.10.1936: Registered at Fleetwood (FD33).
9.1939: On a trip to the Donegal ground (Sk. Charles Robinson); twelve crew.
16.9.1939: Stopped by U-boat (U.27) about 100 miles off Co. Donegal coast. Sunk by explosive charges at 15.53 in position 53°50N/11°10W after crew ordered onto submarine; towed boat towards Irish coast.
17.9.1939: Crew set adrift in early hours, 5 miles off Donegal coast and landed later in Killybegs*. Search carried out by destroyers from Scapa Flow based 6th Destroyer Flotilla, H M Ships MATABELE (P.No.F26) (Cdr G K Whitmy Smith RN) and SOMALI (P.No.F33) (Lt Cdr Nicholson RN) and with aircraft.
29.9.1939: Fleetwood registry closed.

Crew * (all Fleetwood unless stated) – Sk. Charles Robinson; John Smith, Mate; H. Spencer, Bosun; C. H. Ashworth, Ch Eng; R. Clark, 2nd Eng; C. Shorrock, Blackpool, H. Ellerby, H. Mayer & G. Harrison, deckhands; L. A. Taylor & A. J. Willoughby, firemen; F. A. Irvine, Carleton, cook).

Note – On 20.9.1939 U.27 was found by destroyers from Scapa Flow based 8th Destroyer Flotilla, H M Ships FORTUNE (P.No.H70) (Cdr E. A. Gibbs RN) and FORESTER (P.No.H74) (Lt Cdr E. B. Tancock RN), attacked with depth charges and sunk in position 58 35N 09 02W. All thirty-eight crew taken prisoner.

Click to enlarge images

S.T. Rudyard Kipling H247
Picture fron the Internet

S.T. Rudyard Kipling FD33
Picture courtesy of The Fred Baker Collection

Crew of Rudyard Kipling
Picture courtesy of The David Buckley Collection

Changelog
24/01/2209: Page published. 7 revisions since then.
24/09/2014: Second picture added.
11/11/2017: Removed FMHT watermarks from images.
26/07/2021: Updated history.
04/08/2022: Added an image.