Technical
Official Number: 162895
Yard Number: 980
Completed: 1935
Gross Tonnage: 422
Net Tonnage: 160
Length: 157.0 ft
Breadth: 26.7 ft
Depth: 12.3 feet
Built: Smith’s Dock Co Ltd, South Bank-on-Tees, Middlesbrough
Engine: T.3-cyl by Smith’s Dock Co Ltd, Middlesbrough
Boiler: Richardsons, Westgarth & Co Ltd, Hartlepool
History
20.12.1934: Launched by Smith’s Dock Co Ltd, South Bank-on-Tees, Middlesbrough (Yd.No.980) for H. Croft Baker & Sons Ltd, Grimsby as MILDENHALL.
1.1935: Completed.
21.1.1935: Registered at Grimsby (GY124).
21.1.1935: Sydney Croft Baker designated manager.
25.1.1935: Mortgaged to Smith’s Dock Co Ltd, North Shields (A).
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 war vessels.
4.12.1935: Mortgage (A) discharged.
12.1935: Following successful trials sold to The Admiralty (£27,231).
28.12.1935: Grimsby registry closed “On advice from Manager and from the Lords Commissioners of The Admiralty”. Fitted out as a “Gem” class anti-submarine trawler (1-12pdr, ASDIC, DC). Renamed HM Trawler SAPPHIRE (P.No.T.27).
1943: At Harwich. East Coast convoy escort.
1946: Laid up at Rosyth on Disposal List (SORF, Rosyth).
1946: Sold to Boston Deep Sea Fishing & Ice Co Ltd, Fleetwood. Basil Arthur Parkes designated manager.
9.1946: Restored and re-classed at Liverpool. Registered at Hull as DUNSBY (H306).
1948: Sold to Seddon Fishing Co Ltd, London & Fleetwood. B. Kilaczycki, London designated manager.
1951: Sold to Saint Andrew’s Steam Fishing Co Ltd, Hull. Basil Arthur Parkes, North Ferriby designated manager.
23.1.1953: At Hull landed from White Sea (Sk.H. Parker) 1,044 kits grossed £3,003. Transferred to Grimsby.
1953: Sold to Findus Hammerfest, Hammerfest (Hammerfest Havfiske A/L, managers). Registered at Hammerfest as FINDUS 1 (F2M)
2.1954: Sold to Hammerfest Havfiske A/L, Hammerfest (Lorentz A. Roksvaag, manager). Renamed SKAIDI (F2M).
2.1954: Converted for burning oil fuel, F.P. above 150° F.
6.1970: Sold for breaking up at Stavanger.
Click to enlarge images
S.T. Dunsby H306
Picture courtesy of The Mark Stopper Collection
S.T. Skaidi F2M
Picture courtesy of The JJ Collection
HMT Sapphire
Picture reproduced under IWM Non-Commercial Licence
HMT Sapphire
Picture reproduced under IWM Non-Commercial Licence
HMT Sapphire
Picture reproduced under IWM Non-Commercial Licence
S.T. Skaidi F2M
Picture courtesy of The JJ Collection
Changelog
14/01/2009: Page published. 5 updates since then.
28/05/2018: Removed FMHT watermarks from images.
10/02/2020: Updated information.