Tag Archives: Pegasus Trawlers

S.T. Westella (2) FD318

Additional information courtesy of David Slinger and Mike Thompson

Technical

Official Number: 163176
Yard Number: 587
Completed: 1934
Gross Tonnage: 425.54
Net Tonnage: 159.96
Length: 154.6 ft
Breadth: 25.6 ft
Depth: 13.9 ft
Engine: 700ihp T.3-cyl and boiler by C. D. Holmes & Co Ltd, Hull
Built: Cook Welton & Gemmell Ltd, Beverley
Speed: 11.5 knots

History

18.12.1933: Launched by Cook, Welton & Gemmell Ltd, Beverley (Yd.No.587) for Hellyer Bros. Ltd, Hull as DERVISH.
23.1.1934: Registered at Hull (H8).
29.1.1934: Completed (Frank O. Hellyer & Owen S. Hellyer, managers).
31.1.1934: Sailed Hull on first trip to Icelandic grounds (Sk. I. Petersen).
21.2.1934: At Hull landed 1,347 kits grossed £1,684.
27.4.1934: At Hull (Sk. G. Myhre) landed from a Bear Island trip 1,030 kits grossed £1017 but reported Mate, W. Harrison (37), lost overboard on 14.4.1934.
22.8.1934: Reported. Picked up British airman John Grierson attempting to fly from Rochester, England to Ottawa, Canada by the northern route and after leaving Reykjavik, forced to land on deserted coast. Wireless message picked up and rescue effected.
9.1935: As a result of the Abyssinian crisis and failure of British diplomacy, the Government authorised The Admiralty to procure twenty modern trawlers for conversion to minor warships.
9.10.1935: Following successful trials sold to The Admiralty.
8.11.1935: Hull registry closed. Fitted out to a “Gem” class anti-submarine trawler. Renamed HMS PEARL (P.No.T.22).
1940: Adopted by the town of Padiham, Lancashire.
1944: Assigned to Operation Neptune – Normandy landings.
23.5.1944: Convoy escort duties in British waters and across the Channel in support of landings.
3.7.1944: Operation Neptune ended.
1946: Laid up at Milford Haven on Disposal List (SORF, Pembroke Dock).
9.4.1946: Sold to J. Marr & Son Ltd, Fleetwood for £14500.
10.5.1946: Geoffrey Edwards Marr designated manager.
12.1946: New boiler fitted.
12.1946: Reclassed at Fleetwood and registered at Hull as WESTELLA (H349). Transferred to Hull.
19.6.1948: Sold to Pegasus Trawling Co Ltd (64/64), St. Anne’s-on-the-Sea for £67000.
23.6.1948: William Stevenson, St. Anne’s-on-the-Sea designated manager.
30.6.1948: Vessel mortgaged (64/64) to Midland Bank Ltd, London (A).
23.7.1948: Mortgage transferred to Williams Deacon’s Bank Ltd, London (A).
2.1.1951: Leslie Arthur Burnam designated manager.
11.5.1951: Mortgage (A) discharged.
11.5.1951: Sold to Dinas Steam Trawling Co Ltd (64/64), Fleetwood.
11.5.1951: Frank Marr, Cleveleys designated manager.
15.9.1953: Hull registry closed.
9.1953: Registered at Fleetwood (FD318).
1.6.1959: Company taken over by J. Marr & Son Ltd (64/64), Fleetwood.
8.1959: Sold to Van Heyghen Freres S.A., Ghent for breaking up.
14.8.1959: Sailed Fleetwood for Ghent.
18.8.1959: Delivered Ghent. Fleetwood registry closed.

Click to enlarge images

S.T. Westella FD318

S.T. Westella FD318
Picture courtesy of The Alan Hirst Collection

S.T. Westella FD318

S.T. Westella FD318
Picture from the Internet

S.T. Westella H349

S.T. Westella H349
Picture courtesy of The Mark Stopper Collection

HMT Pearl

HMT Pearl
Picture reproduced under IWM Non-Commercial Licence

HMT Pearl

HMT Pearl
Picture reproduced under IWM Non-Commercial Licence

Changelog
22/01/2009: Page published. 7 updates since then.
24/04/2017: Removed disputed image and FMHT watermark. Added another image.
25/07/2018: Updated information.
15/02/2020: Updated information.

S.D/T. Lord Hood LT20

Technical

Official Number: 145821
Yard Number: 956
Completed: 1925
Gross Tonnage: 92
Net Tonnage: 41
Length: 85.2 ft
Breadth: 18.6 ft
Depth: 9 ft
Built: Cochrane & Sons Ltd, Selby
Engine: T.3-cyl by Crabtree & Co Ltd, Gt. Yarmouth

History

14.3.1925: Launched by Cochrane & Sons Ltd, Selby (Yd.No.956 ) for Lowestoft Steam Herring Drifters Ltd, Lowestoft as LORD HOOD.
5.1925: Completed (Harold B. Jackson, manager).
27.5.1925: Registered at Lowestoft (LT215).
15.11.1939: Requisitioned for war service as a minesweeper (P.No.FY.930) (Hire rate £40.9.7d/month).
30.5.1940: Sailed Yarmouth with twelve other drifters for Ramsgate.
31.5.1940: Sailed Ramsgate for Dunkirk (Operation Dynamo). At about 7.00 p.m. attacked by German bombers and severely damaged. Abandoned but later towed back to Ramsgate. Repaired and returned to service.
21.9.1943: Sold to Saint Andrew’s Steam Fishing Co Ltd, Hull (B. A. Parkes, Cleveleys, manager) ) when Basil Parkes bought most of Lowestoft Steam Herring Drifters Ltd better vessels.
8.1945: Returned to owner (Maj. A. W. Suddaby MBE, Gorleston, manager).
1946: Leased to Poland under U.N.R.& R. Scheme. (“Dalmor” Przedsiobiorstwo Polowow Dalekomorskich Sp.z.ogr.odn, Gdynia). Registered at Gdynia as ANTONIUSZ (GDY108). Trawling from Gt. Yarmouth with local skippers.
1.6.1949: Sold to Arthur W. Eastoe, Ronald C. Cook & Richard H. Colby, Lowestoft and John Odde, East Molesey. Mortgaged to National Westminster Bank Ltd, London (A).
2.6.1949: Registered at Lowestoft as LORD HOOD (LT20).
11.8.1949: Gdynia registry closed.
16.1.1952: Mortgage (A) discharged.
8.2.1952: Sold to Arthur Suddaby, Gorleston (8/64); Fred Williams, Thornton (8/64); Charles L. Wilbraham, Carlton (8/64); Arthur John Lewis, Fleetwood (8/64); Basil A Parkes, North Ferriby (16/64) & Fred Parkes, Blackpool (16/64).
1952: Won Prunier Trophy (Sk. Ernest Thompson) with a landing of 3143/4 crans of herring (Hauled for 15 hours and 22 hours at 2 knots to steam home).
15.2.1954: Sold to Pegasus Trawling Co Ltd, Fleetwood (Basil A. Parkes, North Ferriby, manager).
3.4.1956: Sold to Ribble Trawlers Ltd, Fleetwood (Basil A. Parkes, North Ferriby, manager).
5.1959: Sold to Northern Shipbreakers Ltd, Peterhead for use as a salvage vessel.
26.2.1960: Lowestoft registry closed.
1960: Stripped of all useable parts and non-ferrous metals.
1960: Sold to BISCO (£700) and allocated to Shipbreaking Industries Ltd for breaking up at Charlestown, Fife (Contract No.74E).
9.8.1960: Delivered Charlestown from Peterhead in tow of Viking Freedom (A585) (also for breaking up).
7.1.1961: Breaking up commenced.

Click to enlarge images

S.D/T. Lord Hood LT215

S.D/T. Lord Hood LT215
Picture courtesy of Greenday (TPF)

S.D. Lord Hood LT20

S.D. Lord Hood LT20
Picture courtesy of Alan Hirst

S.D/T. Lord Hood LT20

S.D/T. Lord Hood LT20
Picture courtesy of The James Cullen Collection

S.D. Lord Hood LT20

S.D. Lord Hood LT20
Picture courtesy of Ally (shipsnostalgia)

S.D/T. Lord Hood LT20

S.D/T. Lord Hood LT20
Picture courtesy of Trevor Snowling

Changelog
19/01/2009: Page published. 4 updates since then.
01/02/2015: Picture added.
16/07/2016: Picture added.
11/04/2017: Removed FMHT watermark.

S.T. Ben Bheula A422

Additional information courtesy of David Slinger

Technical

Admiralty Number: 3724
Official Number: 146616
Yard Number: 311
Completed: 1917
As built: 360disp 125.6 x 23.5 x 12.8 feet.
Gross Tonnage: 275
Net Tonnage: 108
Length: 125.6 ft
Breadth: 23.4 ft
Depth: 12.6 ft
Built: J. P. Rennoldson & Sons Ltd, North Shields
Engine: 480ihp T.3-cyl by Shields Engineering Co Ltd, North Shields

History

16.11.1917: Launched by J. P. Rennoldson & Sons Ltd, North Shields (Yd.No.311) (“Castle” class) for The Admiralty as THOMAS DOWDING (Ad.No.3724).
22.12.1917: Completed as a minesweeper (1-12pdr & W/T). Based Falmouth.
7.7.1918: At 1035, grounded at Basse de Respects, near Cape St. Matthew. Suffered minor bottom damage.
1.10.1918: At Penzance F.C.T. Escort
16.8.1922: Registered by The Admiralty as a fishing vessel at London (LO550).
11.1923: Sold to Hellyer Bros Ltd, Hull.
23.11.1923: London registry closed.
26.11.1923: Registered at Hull (H861).
12.1923: Registered at Hull as LEONATO (H861)
Pre-1927: Sold to Hull Northern Fishing Co Ltd, Hull (W. R. Nowell, manager).
Pre-1930: Hellyer Bros Ltd became managers.
10.1936: Sold to R. Irvin & Sons Ltd, Aberdeen.
8.10.1936: Hull registry closed.
9.10.1936: Registered at Aberdeen as BEN BHEULA (A422).
8.1939: Requisitioned for war service on examination service and as a minesweeper (P.No. FY.1681) (Hire rate £80.4.2d/month).
13.1.1942: Sold to J. Marr & Son Ltd, Fleetwood for £8200.
6.10.1945: Returned to owner and re-classed at Glasgow.
24.7.1946: Sold to Pegasus Trawling Co Ltd, Fleetwood for £20,000. William Stevenson, St. Anne’s-on-the-Sea appointed manager.
11.3.1949: On West of Scotland grounds (Sk. W. Cowell). Off Barra in heavy weather and hail storms, started to take in water in boiler room; pumps choked with ashes and unable to cope. In response to radio message, trawler CYELSE (FD67) (Sk. J. C. Smith) arrived on scene, connected and towed into Castlebay for shelter.
13.3.1949: With CYELSE still connected in hail and sleet, BEN BHEULA swept by high seas on to reef. Fourteen crew abandoned in boat and taken onboard, later taken by Barra lifeboat to Castlebay. Trawler CONCERTATOR (FD276) arrived from Fleetwood with pumps and salvage operation commenced with Mr H. T. Chapman insurance engineer in charge.
14.3.1949: Refloated and beached, temporary repairs carried out and refloated.
16.3.1949: Homeward in a heavy swell off Port Askaig, Islay, leak opened up again and with boiler room flooding, attended by Islay lifeboat (Cox Duncan McNeill) which connected and commenced tow to Port Askaig. After 5 miles decided to beach at Caolila, Sound of Islay. Attended by salvage tug METINDA III (593grt/1945), temporary repairs carried out and refloated.
22.3.1949: Delivered Fleetwood. Permanent repairs undertaken and returned to service.
1952: Managers became J. Marr & Son Ltd, Fleetwood.
16.5.1953: Last landing at Fleetwood. Laid up.
16.7.1953: Sold for breaking up.
9.1.1954: Aberdeen registry closed “Vessel broken up”.

(Thomas Dowding, Quartergunner (prest), age 38, b. Dorset – VICTORY (SB458))

Click to enlarge image

S.T. Ben Bheula A422

S.T. Ben Bheula A422
Picture from the Internet

S.T. Leonato H861

S.T. Leonato H861
Picture from the Internet

S.T. Thomas Dowding LO550

S.T. Thomas Dowding LO550
Picture from the Internet

HMT Ben Bheula

HMT Ben Bheula
Picture reproduced under IWM Non-Commercial Licence

Changelog
16/01/2009: Page published. 7 updates since then.
16/01/2017: Removed disputed image.
29/12/2017: Removed FMHT watermarks from images.
20/08/2019: Added an image and updated information.