CAMBRIA M92
Official No: 121603 Port Number and Year: 8th in Milford, 1905
Description: Steel side / beam trawler; steam screw, coal burning. Ketch rigged: foresail, mainsail and mizzen
Crew: 9 men
Registered: 22 Oct 1905
Built: 1905 by Smiths Docks, North Shields. (Yard no. 774)
Tonnage: 206 grt 52.61 net (1 Jan 1914: amended by Board of Trade to 78.28 net.)
Length / breadth / depth (feet):117.5 / 21.55 / 11.5
Engine: T 3-cyl. 54 hp.; by W.V.V. Lidgerwood, Glasgow.
Owners:
22 Oct 1905: John Jones, 'Headland House', Priory Rd., Milford.
Jenkin Jones, 'Dowlais House', Great North Rd., Milford
9 Jul 1914: Edgar Garnham, 22 Canterbury Rd., Brynmill, Swansea.
Manager: H. E. Rees, Milford
Landed at Milford: 30 Sep 1905 - 24 Aug 1914; 12 Jan 1920 - 24 Feb 1923
Skippers: Robert Woodgate Cert. 4187; age 39, born Beer, residing Priory St. (then Brooke Ave.), Milford. Signed on 20 Sep 1905, 3 Jan, 1 Jun, 1 Nov 1906; 3 Jan, 27 Jul 1907; 4 Jan 1908; 18 Jan 1909.
George C. Nichols 05538, 40, Stamford, - ; 10 Oct 1906
George Hanlon 6195, 34, Hull, Warwick Rd., Milford; 26 Mar 1907
James Golding 7358, 26, Liverpool, Greville Rd., Milford; 15 Jul 1907.
William Harrison 4405, 36, Hull, 77 Waterloo Rd., Hakin; 21 Jan, 3 Apr 1909
C. Isaac Wildridge 1847, 44, Hull, 16 Dartmouth Gardens, Milford ; 3 Jul, 12 Jul 1909
Henry Dodd 5287, 37, Oystermouth, ? Hakin; 15 Sep 1909; 4 Jan 1910
Arthur W. Barrett 5307, 34, Hull, Marble Hall, Milford; 5 Jul 1910
B. R. Joyce 8024, 26, Milford, Pill Rd., (later Jubilee Terr.) Milford; 12 Nov 1910; 2 Jan, 5 Jul 1911; 3 Jan 1912; 13 Jan 1913
C. Thomas 8623, 25, Neyland, Warwick Rd., Milford; 28 Nov 1911
George Leggett 7028, 38, Gorleston, - ; 22 Mar 1913
Edgar Garnham 1571; 1914
John Coaker 4190; 1923
Notes: Insured in 1906 by the owner John Jones for £6,500.
1 Jan 1907: Off Milford Docks, ran into port side of EDWARD VII, causing damage to bulwarks (See log book entries for EDWARD VII).
Sep 1914: Requisitioned and converted to minesweeper (Admy. no. 154)
1919: Returned to owners.
Feb 1923: Foundered off the Irish coast.
Cert. Cancelled & Registry Closed: 17 Sep 1923. [See newspaper reports below.]
Accidents and Incidents
Log book entries:
09.11.1905
10 miles ESE of Murso
Bent starboard strake, main rail, stanchion, bulwark plates. Ran into by unknown steamer.
Robert Woodgate (Skipper)
21.05.1909
Fined G. Meldon, Second Engineer, 5/- for drunkenness and refusing duty.
W. Harrison (Skipper)
17.11.1909
130 miles WSW of St. Ann's Head.
William James, age 24, British, born Milford, residing Steynton. Bruised leg, thrown against rail of ship by the trawl foot rope.
Henry Dodd (Skipper)
07.10.1910
50 miles N by W of Blaskets
Port bulwarks and covering board plates - collision with steam trawler 'Hirose'.
A. Barrett (Skipper)
J. Nowell (Second Hand)
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The Times, Saturday, Mar 03, 1923; pg. 8; Issue 43280; col C
News in Brief
Rescue by ex-german raider
The steamer Greenbrier, formerly the German raider Moewe, landed at Queenstown on Thursday the crew of the Milford trawler Cambria, which had to be abandoned in the Atlantic on Wednesday. The Cambria got into difficulties during the gale on Monday, and her boats and deck gear were swept away. Her crew had neither sleep nor food for two days, when the Greenbrier, which was bound from London to Jamaica, came to their assistance. An attempt to take the Cambria in tow failed, and the crew were then taken off.
From the Pembrokeshire Telegraph of Wednesday 7th March 1923:
MILFORD TRAWLER ABANDONED, BUT SALVED
On Thursday, Messrs. H. E. Rees and Co., steam trawler managers, received intelligence that one of their fleet, the s.t. “Cambria” had foundered off the Irish coast, and that the skipper, J. Crocker, of Great North Road, and the crew, had been landed at 3 a.m. at Queenstown, by one of the Elder Co.’s liners, the former German raider, “Moewe”. The vessel, when abandoned was apparently in a hopeless condition, full of water, and some surprise was felt next day when news came that the “Cambria” was in tow of one of Messrs. Neale and West’s, Cardiff, trawlers. She arrived at the port on Saturday morning, in an almost hopeless condition, stern under water and gives some idea of the terrible time the crew must have had, for this was apparently her condition when they left her. The Cambria is owned by Skipper J. Garnham, an old Milford and Swansea Skipper, who sails in another vessel. Vessels arriving from the Moroccan grounds also report severe weather and have been lightly fished. Fish is naturally expected to be very short this week.
The CAMBRIA was later found by the s.t. ASAMA, Skipper J Nightingale, owned by Messrs Neale & West, which towed the vessel back to their home port of Cardiff.
From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 9th March 1923:
THE STORY OF THE TRAWLER "CAMBRIA"
Milford Crew's Terrible Ordeal
The crew of the Milford Haven steam trawler "Cambria" which was abandoned at sea during the tempestuous weather of last week, will never forget their awful experiences whilst aboard a vessel that was crippled and in a sinking condition. The men have a thrilling tale to tell of how their little craft, whilst laying to near the fishing grounds, met a hurricane; how she stood for a time, and how eventually she was disabled. The "Cambria", with her crew, left Milford on Saturday week. She is owned by Mr. Garnham, Swansea, and is managed by Messrs. H. E. Rees and Co., trawler managers, Milford Haven.
Interviewed by our representative, J. W. Coaker, third hand on the unfortunate vessel, and a son of the skipper, Mr. Coaker, 87, North Road, Milford Haven, said he had not fully recovered from the effects of the exposure and terrible ordeal which, like his comrades, he had suffered. His nerves were upset, and he wonders that the men ever survived.
Continuing, Mr. Coaker said that after leaving the harbour on Saturday, everything went well until Sunday night, when they had gone a distance of about 230 miles out westward. The ship was laid to that night, and everything was made ready so that the trawl could be dropped at daylight on Monday morning. During the night of the Sabbath, however, the wind rose and increased in violence, until it blew a veritable hurricane. No alarm was really created, though, because every conceivable precaution had been taken. Just before breakfast on Monday morning, a tremendous sea carried away the lifeboat which, much to the misfortune of the poor fellows aboard the trawler, contained a store of vegetables, potatoes, and other articles of food. That was a calamity which caused anxiety, for they required all the food that could be obtained and were thus left without. No sooner, however, had the lifeboat been swept away, than another sea smashed the boom and tore away the mizzen. The crew, realising the danger, had "battened" the ship down by fastening all the hatchways and doorways, but at 11 o'clock a mightier sea than ever smote her, having the effect of causing her to list so badly that her lee rail was under water and the wheelhouse practically in the water. This was a terrible state of affairs. The hatches burst with the perpetual wash, and the engine-room skylights were smashed. She soon began to fill, and powerless to do anything, the crew found that the bunkers of coal had been washed into the engine room, which was half full of water. In this condition the "Cambria" remained from Monday morning until Wednesday afternoon, during which period - about 60 hours - every member of the crew worked unceasingly with one bucket, endeavouring to bale the water out. Sleep was quite out of the question, and as far as food was concerned, there was none aboard that was fit to eat, for the small quantity of bread, etc., was soaked by the sea water. To make matters worse, a sea cock in the stokehole, which is generally used for damping ashes, was burst open, and water was pouring in. A gallant and partly successful attempt to remedy this danger was made by the second engineer, accompanied by the third hand, both of whom went below, where they were up to their necks in water. The third hand held the second engineer while the latter endeavoured to stop the inrush of water by pushing rags and old sails into the hole. For a solid hour, and until they were frantic with cold and exhaustion, these two fellows stuck to their task, and they succeeded to some extent in hampering the water. During this trying period the remainder of the crew cut up parts of the forecastle in order to batten the hatches down. The fresh water tank burst, and the result was that the fellows, to moisten their parched throats, had to use ice water.
It is remarkable to note that that the cook survived this ordeal, with one of his fingers almost cut off. The accident happened whilst water was being baled out, and the cook's finger was smashed by a galley door that suddenly swung.
On one occasion a ship was sighted and flares were used, but without success. On Wednesday, about dinner time, the mate sighted another ship, which proved to be the steamship "Greenbrier" - formerly the German raider "Moewe". She was coming from Liverpool, and when about seven miles away sighted the "Cambria's" distress signal "U.K." For a considerable time there was no chance of getting alongside. The "Cambria's" skipper asked for paraffin, and eventually the "Greenbrier" launched one of her lifeboats to take the distressed crew aboard. It was decided to abandon the trawler..
During the taking of the crew to the lifeboat - a hazardous task - the deckhand fell between the boat and the "Greenbrier", sustaining severe cuts to his face. The crew were landed at Queenstown, and came to Milford via Fishguard.
Mr. Coaker (skipper) says that the crew and himself were absolutely exhausted and almost unable to stand up.
"CAMBRIA" SALVED
As a result of the magnificent courage of the crew of the trawler "Asama", owned by Messrs. Neale and West, of Cardiff, the "Cambria" was towed into the West Dock, Cardiff, on Saturday.
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