Yearly Archives: 2009

S.T. Transport O159

Wartime visitor

Technical

Official Number: 160120
Yard Number: 495
Completed: 1928
Gross Tonnage: 342
Net Tonnage: 133
Length: 140.4 ft
Breadth: 24.4 ft
Depth: 13.2 ft
Engine: 600ihp T3-cyl and boiler by CD Holmes
Built: Cook, Welton & Gemmell, Beverley

History

8.5.1928: Launched by Cook, Welton & Gemmell Ltd, Beverley (Yd.No.495) for Saint Andrew’s Steam Fishing Co Ltd, Hull as St. JOAN.
31.7.1928: Registered at Hull (H456) (O.N.160120).
3.8.1928: Completed. C. F. Foster designated manager).
1931: W. H. Patterson designated manager.
1936: G. S. Clark designated manager.
30.8.1937: Company taken over by the Parkes family, Basil Arthur Parkes designated manager.
2.1939: Sold to Société Anonyme Armement Ostendais, Ostend.
20.2.1939: Hull registry closed.
8.3.1939: Registered at Ostend as TRANSPORT (O159).
1939: Re measured 359Bgrt 147n.
5.1940: Escaped to England via Le Havre (Sk. Robert Labbeke). Arrived Fleetwood.
6.1940: Transferred to Belgian Economic Mission, London. Fitted with 1-20mm Oerlikon aft of funnel. Complement increased by one Belgian DEMS gunner. Engaged transporting fish from Iceland to Fleetwood (I.D.No.161) (Boston Deep Sea Fishing & Ice Co Ltd, managing agents).
1.9.1940: Outward for Iceland. About 12 miles NW of St. Kilda, picked up Master and thirteen crew, survivors of Belgian steamer VILLE de HASSELT (7461grt/1920) (Capt G. Foy), Liverpool for Boston, MA unescorted, torpedoed and sunk (31.9.1940) by U.boat (U46) 100 miles NW of Barra Head in approx position 56.30N 13.00W.
2.9.1940: Landed survivors at Stornoway.
7.6.1943: Typical landing. Iceland grounds. 1310 kits – cod/cpdling-560, haddock-400, whiting-150, flats-50, ling/coley-150.
21.8.1945: Arrived back in Ostend.
17.10.1945: Sailed for a trip to Dogger Bank grounds (Sk.Frans Baert); with twelve crew.
22.10.1945: Departed fishing grounds for Ostend.
23.10.1945: Foundered in heavy weather off Buoy CH4 near Noord Hinder Light Vessel in approx. position 51.37N 03.18E. Ostend registry closed.

Click to enlarge images

S.T. St. Joan H456

S.T. St. Joan H456
Picture courtesy of The JJ Collection

S.T. Transport O159

S.T. Transport O159
Picture courtesy of The Emiel Rycx Collection

S.T. Transport O159

S.T. Transport O159
Picture from the Internet

The crew of Transport

The crew of Transport
Picture courtesy of Emiel Rycx

Changelog
08/01/2009: Page published. 4 updates since then.
30/09/2015: 2 pictures added.
19/05/2018: Removed FMHT watermark from images.
09/08/2021: Updated history.

S.T. Good Luck FD425

Additional information courtesy of Christine Simm

Technical

Official Number: 133406
Yard Number: 249
Completed: 1912
Gross Tonnage: 294
Net Tonnage: 131
Length: 130 ft
Breadth: 23.5 ft
Built: Cook Welton & Gemmell, Beverley
Engine: 87nhp T.3-cyl by Amos & Smith Ltd, Hull
Speed: 10.5 knots
Armament: 1 x 12 pdr

History

18.7.1912: Launched by Cook, Welton & Gemmell Ltd, Beverley (Yd.No.249) for The Humber Steam Trawling Co Ltd, Hull as GOOD LUCK.
3.10.1912: Registered at Hull (H497). Richard H. Hobbs designated manager.
10.1912: Completed
4.1915: Requisitioned for war service as a minesweeper (1-12pdr) (Ad.No.1342).
1917: Employed as an escort. Based Milford Haven.
By 12.3.1919: Returned to owner at Hull.
1919: Sold to Fresh Fish Supplies Ltd, Hull. Thomas Nightingale designated manager.
5.1923: Sold to George Ashton, Wigan & James Welsh Ltd, Fleetwood.
11.5.1923: Hull registry closed.
17.5.1923: Registered at Fleetwood (FD425).
8.8.1923: Sold to Ashton & Welsh Ltd, Blackpool. James Welsh, Fleetwood designated manager.
1924: Registered at Fleetwood as TRANQUIL (FD425).
Pre 1927: Registered office transferred to Fleetwood.
24/11/1928: Arrived on the morning tide and reported lost gear due to severe weather off the Butt of Lewis, with the mate almost being washed over the side by a huge breaker that swept the deck, smashing the pound boards. He was only saved by clinging on to the winch but the strain was too much for the warps which snapped, losing the trawl. The vessel was buffeted for 48 hours before reaching home.
11.5.1931: Responded to rockets from steam trawler DAILY MAIL (FD100) stranded on rocks off Crammag Head, The Rinns of Galloway. With Portpatrick lifeboat stood by when she came afloat but grounded again on the north side of Portencorkie Bay, took off crew.
24.4.1935: Sold to John W. Welsh. Fleetwood.
23.7.1935: Sold to Endeavour Trawlers Ltd, Fleetwood. John W. Welsh & James Welsh designated managers.
25.11.1937: Sold to The Cevic Steam Fishing Co Ltd, Fleetwood. Charles H. Friswell, designated manager.
28.4.1940: Requisitioned for war service as a minesweeper (P.No.FY.920) (Hire rate £73.10.0d/month).
1942: Richard Neave designated manager.
16.6.1942: Towing a barrage balloon ex Thames (Ty/Lieut William Postlethwaite RNR). Involved in collision with s.s. DEAL (829grt/1928). Sank off The Downs, 5 miles SE of Goodwin Fork Buoy in position 51.13.08 N 01.27.51 E.
17.12.1945: Fleetwood registry closed.

* Note: Became known as “The Balloon Wreck” because she sank with the balloon deployed and this still floated above the wreck site.

S.T. Good Luck H497

S.T. Good Luck H497
Picture courtesy of The JJ Collection

S.T. Good Luck FD425

S.T. Tranquil FD425
Picture (as Good Luck) courtesy of The Fred Baker Collection

S.T. Tranquil FD425

S.T. Tranquil FD425
Picture courtesy of The Fred Baker Collection

Changelog
08/01/2009: Page published. 4 updates since then.
16/06/2020: Updated information.
08/12/2020: Updated history.
31/01/2024: Updated history.

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.