Yearly Archives: 2009

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.

S.T. Thomas Hankins LO372

Additional information courtesy of Gary Hicks Plymouth Merchant Ships

Technical

Admiralty Number: 3828
Official Number: 144570
Yard Number: 308
Completed: 1918
Gross Tonnage: 274
Net Tonnage: 108
Length: 125.6 ft
Breadth: 23.4 ft
Depth: 12.6 ft
Engine: 480ihp T.3-cyl by J. P. Rennoldson & Sons Ltd, South Shields
Built: J. P. Rennoldson & Sons Ltd, South Shields

History

10.5.1918: Launched by J. P. Rennoldson & Sons Ltd, South Shields (Yd.No.308) (“Castle” class) for The Admiralty as THOMAS HANKINS (Ad.No.3828).
19.6.1918: Completed as a minesweeper (1 – 12pdr).
11.5.1920: Sold by auction at London (Baltic Exchange) to Edward Brand & John Henry Dove, Milford Haven.
19.6.1920: Registered at London (LO372).
5.3.1923: Sold to John Henry Dove, Milford Haven (managing owner).
24.9.1925: While fishing 50 miles W by S1/2 S from St. Ann’s Head and working round a dahn, in collision with JAMES LAY (LO333), sustaining damage to stem and shell plates.
23.4.1933: Off Lands End shipped very heavy sea and badly damaged, returning to Milford.
1934: Sold to Mrs Gertrude E. Dove, Milford Haven (managing owner).
29.10.1936: While fishing off the West coast of Ireland, deckhand Charles L. Phillips, Hakin was washed overboard and drowned.
23.4.1937: Sold to P. Hancock & Sons Ltd, Milford Haven.
19.11.1937: Sold to Pembroke Hake Fishing Co Ltd, Milford Haven (Reginald L. Hancock later E. V. Pennington, manager).
15.9.1939: Sold to Boston Deep Sea Fishing & Ice Co Ltd, Fleetwood (Basil A. Parkes, Cleveleys, manager).
20.11.1939: On fishing grounds 14miles NW of Tory Island, Co. Donegal; twelve crew. At about 2.15 p.m. sighted U.boat (U.33) cut away trawl, warning shot, stopped and given 3 minutes to abandon, sunk by gunfire.
21.11.1939: After ten hours in open sea got to within 2 miles of Tory Island and picked up by steam trawler ESHER (LO193).
21.11.1939: At about 6.00 a.m. landed at Moville, Co. Donegal.
12.1939: London registry closed.

Click to enlarge image

S.T. Thomas Hankins LO372

S.T. Thomas Hankins LO372
Picture from the Internet

S.T. Thomas Hankins LO372

S.T. Thomas Hankins LO372
Picture courtesy of John Stevenson

Changelog
08/01/2005: Page published. 5 updates since then.
04/09/2015: Information updated.
21/01/2018: Removed FMHT watermark from image.
15/12/2018: Added an image.

S.T. Thomas Crofton FD400

Additional information courtesy of Gary Hicks Plymouth Merchant Ships and David Slinger

Technical

Admiralty Number: 3661
Official Number: 143853
Yard Number: 341
Completed: 1917
Gross Tonnage: 276.29
Net Tonnage: 124.66
Length: 125.0 ft
Breadth: 23.3 ft
Depth: 13.5 ft
Built: Bow, McLachlan & Co Ltd, Paisley
Engine: 480ihp T.3-cyl by Fawcett, Preston & Co Ltd, Liverpool
Boiler: Dunsmuir & Jackson Ltd, Govan

History

18.6.1917: Launched by Bow, McLachlan & Co Ltd, Paisley (Yd.No.341) (“Castle” class) for The Admiralty as THOMAS CROFTON (Ad.No.3661).
12.7.1917: Completed (1 – 12pdr, hydrophone).
20.11.1919: Registered by The Admiralty at London (Part I) as THOMAS CROFTON O.N.143853.
4.5.1920: Sold by auction at Milford to Herbert Ford (64/64), Birmingham for £8,500.
7.1920: London registry closed.
15.7.1920: Registered at Plymouth (Part IV) (PH174).
23.7.1920: John Maxwell Jones, Plymouth designated manager.
20.1.1921: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to Barclays Bank Ltd, London (A).
16.10.1921: Mortgage (A) discharged.
24.10.1921: Sold to Crofton Steam Fishing Co Ltd (64/64), Fleetwood.
16.12.1921: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to Barclays Bank Ltd, London (B).
17.12.1921: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to Herbert Ford, Birmingham for the sum of £5,000 with interest at 6% (C).
17.12.1921: Mortgage (C) transferred to Barclays Bank Ltd, London.
24.12.1921: Jules Henri Nierinck, Blackpool designated manager.
20.2.1922: Plymouth registry closed.
21.2.1922: Registered at Fleetwood (FD400).
1924: Sold to Boston Deep Sea Fishing & Ice Co Ltd, Grimsby.
9.3.1925: Registered at Fleetwood as REVESBY (FD400). Fred Parkes, Boston designated manager. Fishing out of Fleetwood.
24.6.1928: Crewed by a Faroese skipper and pilot and a mixed Fleetwood/Faroese crew. Arrived Fleetwood from a thirty-two day Greenland halibut lining trip and landed forty head of mixed halibut and about a ton of salted cod caught on the Iceland grounds. First trip by a Fleetwood vessel to these grounds and suffered a financial loss.
26.6.1928: Despite a loss on the previous Greenland trip, coaled (230 tons) & iced in preparation for a another trip. Sailed on the evening tide on the 2,000 mile voyage. Included in the crew of sixteen are four Fleetwood men, Sk. George Carrol, flag skipper; Leo Malley, Ch Eng; Ernest Rogerson, 2nd Eng; and J. McSweeney, cook, the rest are Faroese.
25.7.1928: Arrived Fleetwood from Greenland and landed 1,800 head of halibut, 700 stone of cod and 3 tons of salt cod caught in only four days fishing.
1929: Sold to John McR Knight, Hakin; James C. Ward; George Knight & Morgan W. Howells, Milford Haven.
17.7.1929: Fleetwood registry closed.
18.7.1929: Registered at Milford (M28). John McR Knight, Hakin designated manager.
1931: Sold to Harry E. Rees, Milford Haven. Harry E. Rees designated managing owner.
20.10.1933: Sold to Morgan W. Howells, Milford Haven.
9.11.1933: Registered at Milford as GWMAHO (M28).
3.2.1936: Morgan W. Howells died.
23.10.1936: Sold to Gwenllian Howells & Charles E. Morris, Milford Haven.
4.11.1936: James Gwyther designated manager.
26.11.1939: Requisitioned for war service as a boom defence vessel (P.No.Z.135)(Hire rate £80.10.0d/month).
23.11.1943: Compulsorily acquired by M.O.W.T.
2.2.1946: Milford registry closed.
1951: Sold to BISCO and allocated to Thos. W. Ward Ltd, Sheffield for breaking up.
4.8.1951: Arrived at Briton Ferry.

(Thomas Crofton, Private, Marine, age 29, b. Dublin – VICTORY (ML19))

Changelog
08/01/2009: Page published. 5 updates since then.
11/01/2014: Information updated.
30/03/2019: Information updated.

S.T. Thomas Altoft H132

Technical

Admiralty Number: 4300
Official Number: 144027
Yard Number: 416
Completed: 1920
As built: 360disp 125.6 x 23.5 x 12.8 ft.
Gross Tonnage: 290
Net Tonnage: 126
Length: 125.5 ft
Breadth: 23.6 ft
Depth: 13.5 ft
Built: Cook, Welton & Gemmell Ltd, Beverley
Engine: 480ihp T.3-cyl and boiler by Amos & Smith Ltd, Hull

History

2.6.1919: Launched by Cook, Welton & Gemmell Ltd, Beverley (Yd.No.416) (“Castle” class) for The Admiralty as THOMAS ALTOFT (Ad.No.4300).
1919: Sold to Iago Steam Trawlers Ltd, Milford Haven (Edward W. D. Lawford, manager).
12.1919: Completed as a fishing vessel.
7.1.1920: Delivered.
9.1.1920: Registered at Hull (Part I & IV) as THOMAS ALTOFT O.N.144027 (H132).
12.3.1920: While off the Irish coast, with tug FLYING FOAM (217grt/1917), rendered assistance to French steamer La SALLE (2697grt/1919) disabled having lost rudder.
28.4.1921: Awarded £950 salvage money by the Admiralty Court (FLYING FOAM awarded £100).
28.11.1922: Sold to Albion Steam Fishing Co, Hull (George H. Brown, manager).
1937: W. Holroyd appointed manager.
7.2.1939: Sold to Mills Steam Ship Co Ltd, London (Brand & Curzon Ltd, Milford Haven, managers).
25.7.1939: Insured value £5,000.
30.8.1939: Requisitioned for war service as a minesweeper (P.No.FY.552)(Hire rate £94.5.0d/month). Based Aberdeen with 41st M/S Group.
15.1.1942: Sold to J. Marr & Son Ltd, Fleetwood for £8,625.
22.4.1946: Returned to owner.
6.11.1947: Sailed Fleetwood for West of Scotland grounds (Sk. Charles Walter); fourteen crew.
8.11.1947: After making two hauls off Barra Head left grounds at approx 11.00 a.m. because of SW gale and poor visibility, with the intention of fishing at Butt of Lewis ground. At approx 10.20 p.m. stranded on rocks off Eilean Glas, Harris.
9.11.1947: Steam trawler FLANDERS (FD165)(Sk. Thomas W. Kirby MBE*) responded to wireless calls and Sk. Kirby, with great seamanship, took his vessel in between the rocks to allow crewmen to jump from the forecastle head; this was repeated five times and by approx. 3.00 a.m. all fifteen men had been taken off.
1948: Declared a CTL.
25.8.1948: The BOT Formal Investigation (No.S.407) found that the stranding and subsequent loss was due to the failure of Sk. Walter to put navigation in charge of a certificated officer and to the ignorance of the deckhands left in charge. Sk. Walters ticket was suspended for nine months.
Note* In 1948, Skipper Kirby was awarded an inscribed silver bowl for his exceptional services in the rescue of the crew members).

Click to enlarge image

S.T. Thomas Altoft H132

S.T. Thomas Altoft H132
Picture from the Internet

Changelog
08/01/2009: Page published. 4 updates since then.
11/04/2021: Updated history and technical details.