MARGUERITE O-154 

Official No:                 Port and Year:   Ostend, 1915

Description: Steel side trawler; steam screw, coal burning.

Crew:

Built: 1915, by Hall Russell & Co., Aberdeen.  (Yard no. 560)

Tonnage: 193 grt  82 net

Length / breadth / depth (feet): 115.4   / 22.1  / 11.9

Engine: T-3 Cyl., 76 rhp; by builders

Owners:

 

Mar 1915: Soc. Anon. Pêcheries du Nord, Ostend.

 

Renamed ZELOS GN75

1920: William Carnie, Granton.

 

Renamed ARONA A362

1928: A. Robertson,  Aberdeen

 

Renamed MISTEN BRAES

1935: R. Allen, Aberdeen.

 

Landed at Milford: 20 May 1915 - 25 Nov 1919

Skippers:

Notes: 25 Jan 1944: Ran ashore at Funnding Fjord, Faeroes; total loss.

[Information from www.grantontrawlers.com ]

 

From ADM137 - Senior Naval Officer, Swansea: Patrol Reports (Dec 1917), supplied by Gil Mayes:

 

ARMED BELGIAN FISHING TRAWLERS. - The following is a copy of a report from the Gunner of the "PRINCESS MARIE JOSE" relative to an engagement with an enemy submarine at 11.15 a.m. on the 22nd December.  The C.O. of the "MARGUERITE" and the Skipper of the "PRINCESS MARIE JOSE" believe that the submarine was sunk. -

    " Submarine sighted about thirty to thirtyfive miles S W from the Smalls.  We cut away our trawl and engaged him at 11.15 a.m. on the 22/12/17 at 5,000 yards range, as he was firing on the "MARGUERITE" - a Belgian Armed Trawler.  We fired thirtyfour rounds at the submarine, and was engaged with him for fortyfive minutes.  We think we hit him with the last two shots I fired, as he ceased firing and went down.  We patrolled till dark along with four other armed trawlers but saw nothing more of him.  All my guns crew carried out their work splendidly, and the Skipper tried to close on him, but we could not get close enough to him to see what effective damage we did to him before he went down.  "MARGUERITE"  also engaged him, and he thinks we sunk him between us. 

    There were three armed trawlers in the vicinity - "MARGUERITE" "MARTHE" and the "PRINCESS MARIE JOSE".  We reported the matter to trawlers fishing ten to fifteen miles closer in to the Smalls.

    We have returned to Swansea for trawl wires and trawl; also to report.

    "MARGUERITE" returned to Milford Haven.

                                                                                                                        (sgd.) WM. MASSON

The Skipper and crew of the "PRINCESS MARIE JOSE" appear to have behaved in every way with valour and firmness.

 

                                                                                                                                    (sgd.) W. L. Down

                                                                                                                                    Captain R.N.

                                                                                                                                    Senior Naval Officer

 

The MARGUERITE landed at Milford on 23rd December 1917.  According to the U-boat Net (http://www.uboat.net/wwi/fates/losses.html) no U-boat was lost on 22nd December 1917, and none were reported lost in unknown circumstances around that date.

According to Gil Mayes, all three trawlers were requisitioned into the Fishery Reserve and flew the white ensign. They had been fitted with a single 6-pdr gun in Swansea by shore gangs employed by the Castle Steam Trawlers, as agents for The Admiralty.

 

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