NEIL SMITH LO328

Courtesy of Fleetwood Maritime Heritage Trust and The Bosun's Watch

Official No:  143878    Port Number and Year:   London, 1920 (LO328)                                                                                Fleetwood, 1945 (FD107)

Description: Castle Class side trawler, steel; steam screw, coal burning. Ketch rigged

Crew:

Built: 1914 by Smith's Dock Co Ltd, South Bank-on-Tees, Middlesbrough  (Yard no.703)

Tonnage: 275 grt  107 net

Length / breadth / depth (feet): 125.5  / 23.4 / 12.8

Engine: T 3-Cyl. 87 rhp..  Engine by builders.

Owners:   1920:  Pater Steam Trawling Co., Pembroke Dock.   1939: Saint Andrew's Steam Fishing Co., Hull Manager: Basil A. Parkes,   As FD107 1945:  Wyre Steam Trawling Co., Fleetwood Managers: Merchants (Fleetwood) Dec 1948: Renamed WYRE CITIZEN   1954: Transferred to Wyre Trawlers Manager: Leslie Wheildon,

Landed at Milford: 13 Jul 1920 - 1 Aug 1939

Skippers: John William Beck (1923); William Jeffrey James Tucker (1932)

Notes: 10 Aug 1917: Completed for the Admiralty (No. 3524) 13 Feb 1920: Registered by the Admiralty as a fishing vessel. (LO328) Aug 1939: Requisitioned by the Admiralty and converted for minesweeping duties (P.No.FY.529). 1944: Converted for dan laying and assigned to Operation Neptune - Normandy landings. 23 May 1944:  Attached to the 4th Minesweeping Flotilla as a dan layer. 3 July 1944:  Operation Neptune ended. Jun 1945: Returned to owners. 1956: Broken up at Dublin. [Information supplied by the Fleetwood Maritime Trust and the Bosun's Watch website.]

Accidents and Incidents

From The Irish Times of 31st October 1927:

LIMERICK SAILOR DROWNED

 

    No very serious damage to shipping at sea has been reported at Queenstown.  The trawler Neil Smith, of Lowestoft, put into Queenstown on Saturday morning and reported having encountered very heavy weather off the Irish coast.  She is being repaired locally.   .................

 

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From The Irish Times of 12th April 1934, p.7

 

TRAWLER FOUNDERS OFF KERRY COAST

 

CREW OF TEN RESCUED

 

    At 5.30 yesterday morning the trawler Herose [sic], of Milford Haven, foundered about fifty miles west of Valentia, County Kerry.  The vessel, it was stated, struck some submerged object, which damaged the propellor and hull, and she began to leak badly.

     A wireless call for assistance was sent out, and the crew of ten men made a fire of bedding and clothes soaked in petrol on the deck in order to attract attention in the darkness.

    The trawler Neill [sic] Smith, also of Milford Haven, seeing the flare, immediately rushed to the assistance of the Herose.  The members of the crew of the damaged vessel were taken off before she foundered, and the Neill Smith stood by until about 8.30.

    Captain Abramson and the crew of the Herose were later brought to Cahirciveen, and are staying at a local hotel.

 

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