In Parkholme (Fleetwood) ownership. Did not fish from Fleetwood.

Technical

Official Number: 160057
Yard Number: 488
Completed: 1927
Gross Tonnage: 352
Net Tonnage: 146
Length: 140.3 ft
Breadth: 24.0 ft
Depth: 12.9 ft
Engine: T.3-cyl and boiler by C. D. Holmes & Co Ltd, Hull
Built: Cook, Welton & Gemmell Ltd, Beverley

History

(In 1935 the Hull trawler Leonidas (162186) (H267) was lengthened by Smiths Dock Co. Ltd. The work involved creating an improved hull form with new bow and stern sections. The design was successful, not only providing increased fish room capacity, but also, as was expected, reducing coal consumption and giving a slightly higher free running speed. Other owners stemmed vessels at Middlesbrough for similar work to be undertaken)

26.10.1926: The board of Kingston Steam Trawling Co Ltd decided to build four more distant water trawlers to the same design as the four built by Cook, Welton & Gemmell Ltd (SARDIUS, TOURMALINE, KINGSTON DIAMOND and KINGSTON PEARL). Contracts were signed with the shipyard to build the ships at a cost of £9,125 each and with Charles D. Holmes & Co Ltd to make the engines and boilers at £6,300 each unit. Total cost £15,425 per vessel. The names chosen for the new vessels were KINGSTON GARNET, KINGSTON EMERALD, KINGSTON TOPAZ and KINGSTON ONYX.

18.6.1927: Launched by Cook, Welton & Gemmell Ltd, Beverley (Yd.No.488) for Kingston Steam Trawling Co Ltd, Hull as KINGSTON ONYX.
5.8.1927: Registered at Hull (H365).
11.8.1927: Completed trials and accepted (John W. Lown, manager).
15.8.1927: Sailed on first Icelandic trip.
19.8.1927: Held up by Danish Fishery Cruiser FYALL when steaming from Westerman Islands to Cape Reykanes.
5.9.1927: Landed 818 kits grossed £921.
20.4.1937: Sailed Hull for Middlesbrough to be lengthened.
6.1937: Completed lengthening by Smith’s Dock Co Ltd, Middlesbrough to 151.5 feet (including fitting new bow and stern sections). Re measured 357g 151n. Total cost £4,290.
23.6.1937: Returned to Hull.
12.7.1937: Re-registered at Hull on lengthening and tonnage change.
11.1938: Boiler fitted with superheaters by Charles D. Holmes & Co Ltd, Hull.
25.7.1939: Insured value £15,700.
21.8.1939: Admiralty telegram to withdraw all vessels from White Sea, Bear Island and Norway Coast.
26.8.1939: Ordered to return from sea for requisitioning.
31.8.1939: Requisitioned for war service as a patrol vessel (P.No.4.54) (Hire rate £174.10.8d/month). War Risks Insurance value £21,315.
1.6.1940: At Sheerness fitting out as an Armed Boarding Vessel (Lt. J.B. Wright RNR).
25.12.1940: Arrived Kirkwall (Lt. J.B. Wright RNR).
6.1940: Northern Patrol (Lt. R. Walgate RNR).
7.1941: Based Granton with A/S Group 13 (Sk. E. J. Day RNR).
27.7.1944: Arrived St. Andrew’s dock, Hull for decommissioning and return to owner.
2.9.1944: Returned to owner. Taken in hand for Special Survey.
2.11.1944: Completed successful trials.
4.12.1944: Sailed Hull for fishing grounds (Sk. Albert Cornish) after refitting for 100 days.
1945: Insured value £30,000.
9.10.1945: Sold to Parkholme Trawlers Ltd, Fleetwood (Harvey Wilfred Wilson, Grimsby, manager) in an en bloc sale with CHALCEDONY (H392) for £52,500.
15.10.1945: Hull registry closed.
10.1945: Registered at Grimsby (GY119).
18.2.1946: On a Norway Coast trip, responded to call from KINGSTON PEARL (H542) (Sk. J.W. Hornby) badly damaged by heavy seas. Stood by until salvage tug PARAT (191grt/1913) arrived.
4.1946: Registered at Grimsby as MOORSOM (GY119) (Grimsby Industries (Trawler Managers) Ltd, managers).
5.11.1947: Sold to J. C. Llewellin (Trawlers) Ltd, Milford Haven (John Charles Llewellin, manager). Fishing from Hull (Saint Andrew’s Steam Fishing Co Ltd, Hull, managing agents).
10.1948: Grimsby registry closed.
1.11.1948: Registered at Hull (H590).
23.9.1948: Registered at Hull as WESTHOPE (H590).
30.7.1954: Sold to Saint Andrew’s Steam Fishing Co Ltd, Hull (B. A. Parkes, manager).
1956: Sold to BISCO and allocated to Clayton & Davie Ltd, Dunston upon Tyne for breaking up.
24.4.1956: Arrived River Tyne.
15.11.1956: Hull registry closed “Broken up”.

Click to enlarge images

HMT Kingston Onyx
Picture reproduced under IWM Non-Commercial Licence

S.T. Westhope H590
Picture courtesy of The Alan Hirst Collection

S.T. Westhope A590
Picture from the Internet

Changelog
10/07/2010: Page published. 8 updates since then.
03/04/2018: Removed FMHT watermarks from images.
21/03/2021: Updated history.