Category Archives: Steam Trawlers

S.T. Princess Victoria (1) H766

Technical

Official Number: 118769
Yard Number: 350
Completed: 1903
Gross Tonnage: 272
Net Tonnage: 84
Length: 128.3 ft
Breadth: 22.4 ft
Depth: 12 ft
Engine: T.3-cyl and boiler by C. D. Holmes & Co, Hull
Built: Cook, Welton & Gemmell, Hull

History

27.8.1903: Launched by Cook, Welton & Gemmell, Hull (Yd.No.350) for Armitage’s Steam Trawling Co Ltd, Hull as PRINCESS VICTORIA.
23.9.1903: Registered at Hull (H766).
9.1903: Completed (George T. Armitage, manager).
1915: Transferred to Fleetwood (George T. Armitage, manager).
9.1915: Requisitioned for war service as an armed trawler (Ad.No.1971).
7.11.1915: Foundered off Ushant following collision.
25.3.1916: Hull registry closed “Total loss”.

Click to enlarge image

S.T. Princess Victoria H766

S.T. Princess Victoria H766

Changelog
21/12/2008: Page published.
30/10/2014: Picture added.

S.T. Thrush (1) H703

Additional material supplied by Mike Thompson

Technical

Official Number: 116106
Yard Number: 49
Completed: 1902
Gross Tonnage: 166.18
Net Tonnage: 43.51
Length: 110.0 ft
Breadth: 21.0 ft
Depth: 11.1 ft
Built: Goole Shipbuilding & Repairing Co Ltd, Goole
Engine: T.3-cyl by N.E. Marine Engineering Co Ltd, Sunderland

History

4.10.1902: Launched by Goole Shipbuilding & Repairing Co Ltd, Goole (Yd.No.49) for Kelsall Brothers & Beeching Ltd (64/64), Hull as THRUSH.
11.1902: Completed.
27.11.1902: Registered at Hull (H703). George Beeching designated manager.
28.3.1904: In North Sea, observed ADRIATIC (H448) (Sk W. Wood) laid dead in water boarding boat for cutter. At 8.50am. struck on port side by steam trawler PARRAMATTA (H448), crew took to boat, pulled over to us and picked up. At about 11.00am. ADRIATIC foundered. PARRAMATTA returned to Hull with bows stove in.
1.1.1914: Tonnage altered to 62.76net under provision of Merchant Shipping Act 1907.
11.1914: Requisitioned for war service as a minesweeper (1-6pdr) (Ad.No.547).
2.1915: Renamed THRUSH II. Based Cromarty.
Post 12.3.1919: Returned to owner at Hull and reverted to THRUSH (H703).
7.6.1919: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to The London County Westminster & Parr’s Bank Ltd, London (A). John Slater designated manager.
6.3.1923: Mortgagee re-styled as Westminster Bank Ltd, London.
22.10.1925: Robert Burton designated manager.
14.10.1927: Mortgage (A) transferred to William Augustus Hayward, Eastbourne.
14.10.1927: Mortgage (A) transferred to Mercantile Marine Finance Corporation Ltd, London.
16.9.1932: Charles Hugh Emerson appointed manager.
10.1932: Mercantile Marine Finance Corporation Ltd in liquidation.
1.11.1932: Mortgage (A) transferred to Harold Frank Hayward, London; Maud Florence Katherine Rogers, Chelsea and Ernest Norton, London (Joint mortgagees).
23.1.1936: Mortgage (A) discharged.
11.2.1936: Sold to Brixham Trawlers Ltd (64/64), Brixham. Ralph S. Dugdall designated manager.
14.2.1936: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to Harold Frank Hayward, London; Maud Florence Katherine Rogers, Corfe Castle and Ernest Norton, London (joint mortgagees) for the sum of £750 with interest at 5%(B).
19.11.1937: At Plymouth (Sk. T. Taylor) landed a sturgeon 7ft long and weighing 66lbs caught some six miles east of the Eddystone. Accepted by the King.
12.1937: Transferred to Fleetwood when Brixham Trawlers Ltd moved to the port.
4.12.1937: Sailed Brixham for Fleetwood in company with KITE (H773), fishing round.
15.12.1937: First landing at Fleetwood, 58 boxes grossed £114.
9.2.1939: Mortgage (B) discharged.
13.2.1939: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to Midland Bank Ltd, London (C).
5.5.1943: Typical wartime landing. 169 kits – hake-52, cod/codling-24, haddock-10, whiting-29, flats-10, ling/coley-18, roker-16, gurnard-3, dogs-7.
11.4.1944: Requisitioned for war service as a smoke making (Esso) trawler. Renamed AMBITION. Assigned to Operation Neptune – Normandy landings.
11.6.1944: Sailed Thames for Mulberry A with Group A2. Employed smoke making.
3.7.1944: Operation Neptune ended.
1944: Employed on auxiliary patrol duties (P.No.4.434).
28.11.1944: Returned and reverted to THRUSH (H703).
20.4.1953: Mortgage (C) discharged.
9.1956: Sold to BISCO and allocated to Thos. W. Ward Ltd, Sheffield for breaking up at Preston.
5.9.1956: Arrived Preston from Fleetwood under own power.
23.7.1957: Hull registry closed “Ship broken up. Advice received from owners and shipbreakers.”

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S.T. Thrush H703

S.T. Thrush H703
Picture courtesy of The Fred Baker Collection

S.T. Thrush H703

S.T. Thrush H703
Picture from the Internet

Changelog
21/12/2008: Page published. 6 revisions since then.
12/09/2014: Picture added.
25/07/2017: Updated information and removed FMHT watermark.
08/08/2021: Updated information.

S.T. Thrush (2) GY114

Technical

Official Number: 122717
Yard Number: 372
Completed: 1906
Gross Tonnage: 264
Net Tonnage: 105
Length: 130.0 ft
Breadth: 22.0ft
Depth: 11.8 ft
Engine: T.3-cyl and boiler by Earle’s Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd, Hull
Built: Earle’s Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd, Hull

History

23.12.1905: Launched by Earle’s Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd, Hull (Yd.No.372) for Pioneer Steam Fishing Co Ltd, Grimsby as THRUSH .
2.1906: Completed (George E. J. Moody, manager).
12.2.1906: Registered at Grimsby (GY114). Fishing from Fleetwood.
26.8.1908: Off West Coast of Ireland ran down French schooner ARIANE. All twenty-six crew picked up.
28.8.1908: Survivors landed at Fleetwood.
9.8.1915: Stopped by U-boat (U38) 50 miles W of Eagle Island, Co Mayo, crew put in boat. Sunk by explosive charges.
12.8.1915: After sixty-two hours in open boat, picked up and brought into Buncrana by HMTrawler SCOTT (A179) (Ad.No.1580).
18.8.1915: Grimsby registry closed “Sunk by a submarine”.

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S.T. Thrush GY114

S.T. Thrush GY114
Picture courtesy of The David Slinger Collection

Changelog
21/12/2008: Page published. 4 updates since then.
24/04/2015: Picture added.
05/12/2017: Removed FMHT watermark from image.

S.T. Portia GY828

Additional information courtesy of Bill Blow

Technical

Official Number: 105038
Yard Number: 138
Completed: 1895
Gross Tonnage: 178
Net Tonnage: 46
Length: 108.8 ft
Breadth: 20.6 ft
Depth: 11.3 ft
Engine: 330ihp T.3-cyl and boiler by C. D. Holmes & Co Ltd, Hull
Built: Cook, Welton & Gemmell, Hull

History

1895: Launched by Cook, Welton & Gemmell, Hull (Yd.No.138) for Charles Hodder (64/64), Hull as PORTIA.
9.5.1895: Registered at Hull (H280). Charles Hodder designated as managing owner
5.1895: Completed.
7.5.1897: Sold to Hellyer’s Steam Fishing Co Ltd (64/64), Hull. Charles Hellyer appointed manager.
1905: New boiler fitted (made 1897).
1.1.1914: Tonnage altered to 67.78 net under provision of Merchant Shipping Act 1907.
29.12.1915: Sold to The South Western Fishing Co Ltd (64/64), Grimsby.
1.1.1916: Hull registry closed.
3.1.1916: Registered at Grimsby (GY828).
3.1.1916: (Alick Black appointed manager.
3.1917: At Fleetwood. Fitted with Hotchkiss 6pdr gun (No.3069); compliment increased by two gunners.
29.5.1917: Requisitioned for Fishery Reserve. Renamed PORTIA III (GY828).
30.8.1917: Sold to Alick Black (64/64), Grimsby.
31.8.1917: Alick Black designated managing owner.
15.1.1918: By Deed Poll. Name of Alick Black changed to Alec Black.
2.9.1918: Sir Alec Black, Bart designated managing owner.
1919: Released and reverted to PORTIA (GY828).
1920: Transferred to fish out of Fleetwood.
31.1.1928: Sk. Joseph Edwards was fined £20 at Bangor for trawling within the three mile limit and not displaying signals that he was fishing. Also stated that the trawlers
name had been tampered with and read ‘ORITI’.
30.12.1929: Trawling off Great Ormes Head, hauled and found paddle wheel in trawl; sustained heavy damage to mainmast, rigging, etc when mast collapsed.
8.8.1930: At Douglas Magistrates Court, Sk. William Randles was fined £40 for trawling within the Isle of Man three mile limit.
1931: Sold to Thos. W. Ward Ltd, Sheffield for breaking up at Preston.
26.1.1932: Grimsby registry closed “Ship broken up”.

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S.T. Portia GY828

S.T. Portia GY828
Picture from the Internet

Changelog
21/12/2008: Page published. 7 updates since then.
14/01/2018: Removed FMHT watermark from image.

S.T. Gwenllian FD102

Additional information courtesy of Paul Clark

Technical

Official Number: 128752
Yard Number: 467
Completed: 1911
Gross Tonnage: 220
Net Tonnage: 85
Length: 116 ft
Breadth: 21.6 ft
Depth: 11.8 ft
Built: Smith’s Dock Co Ltd, South Bank-on-Tees, Middlesbrough
Engine: T.3-cyl by Smith’s Dock Co Ltd, South Bank-on-Tees, Middlesbrough
Boiler: Richardsons, Westgarth & Co Ltd, Middlesbrough

History

30.3.1911: Launched by Smith’s Dock Co Ltd, South Bank-on-Tees, Middlesbrough (Yd.No.467) for Morgan Watkin Howell, Milford Haven as GWENLLIAN.
5.1911: Completed.
17.5.1911: Registered at Milford (M70). Morgan Watkin Howell designated managing owner.
31.5.1911: Registered length amended to 117.4 feet.
8.1914: Requisitioned for war service as a minesweeper (magnetic) (1-3pdr) (Ad.No.354). Ordered to proceed to Lowestoft calling Dover for charts. 13.11.1914: At Lowestoft, parent ship HALCYON.
23.1.1915: Arrived Devonport to fit out for Mediterranean.
29.1.1915: Sailed. Dardanelles Campaign (Sk. Robert M. Limbrick).
20.12.1915: Dardanelles (Gallipoli) evacuation completed. Redeployed to Alexandria *.
11.4.1918: Sold to Henry Carl Smethurst, John Wintringham Smethurst & William Wintringham, Grimsby. John Wintringham Smethurst designated managing owner. Based Egypt.
Post 12.3.1919: Returned to owner at Grimsby.
3.1919: Sold to New Docks Steam Trawling Co (Fleetwood) Ltd, Fleetwood. Joseph A. Taylor designated manager.
24.3.1919: Milford registry closed.
27.3.1919: Registered at Fleetwood (FD102).
1919: Arrived Lune Deeps with Norwegian barque VIKAR of Drammen in tow, picked up off Irish Coast disabled by gales on passage from Canada and 22 days overdue.
1924: William W. Brierley designated manager.
2.2.1929: In dense fog stranded on rocks near Mull of Galloway. Set out a kedge anchor.
3.2.1929: Refloated about 4.00 am, shell plating in way of bunkers set up and making water. Proceeded to Stranraer under own power.
8.6.1930: In Wyre Channel, one of 23 trawlers inbound, a few hundred yards from lock pit found channel blocked by trawlers NELLIE BRADDOCK (FD175) and ERNA (FD158) aground on Tiger’s Tail. Swept by tide and also took the ground. Refloated on next tide and entered Wyre Dock.
11.11.1933: Fishing off Barra in company with steam trawler LUCIDA (FD20) arrested by HMS DOON for trawling in a prohibited area. Made off with boarding party onboard.
12.11.1933: Arrived Stornoway escorted by fishery cruiser MINNA.
13.11.1933: Released.
13.2.1934: At Lochmaddy, North Uist, Sheriff Court, Sk. Bert Jinks was fined £65 for illegal trawling and nets and gear ordered to be confiscated.
1939: Sold to The Clifton Steam Trawlers Ltd, Fleetwood. Hulbert M. Bird designated manager.
11.1939: Requisitioned for war service as a minesweeper (P.No.FY.544) (Hire rate £55.0.0d/month).
1.1944: Minesweeping operations Humber area (A/Sk. Lieut George W. Alden DSC).
6.6.1944: Sk. Aldan awarded Bar to DSC for leadership, skill and devotion to duty in an important M/S operation 28.1.1944.
1. 1946: Returned to owner.
7.1946: Sold for breaking up. Fleetwood registry closed.

Note: * – Alexander Flemming, Deckhand, was one of three awarded the DSM for minesweeping operations off Palestine.

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S.T. Gwenellian FD102

HMT Gwenellian
Picture courtesy of The Imperial War Museum

S.T. Gwenllian FD102

S.T. Gwenllian FD102
Picture from the Internet

S.T. Gwenllian FD102

S.T. Gwenllian FD102
Picture courtesy of The James Cullen Collection

Changelog
21/12/2008: Page published. 5 revisions since then.
10/08/2014: Information updated.
23/03/2015: Picture added.
30/05/2016: Information updated.
12/05/2018: Removed FMHT watermark and updated information.
21/12/2020: Updated history.