SWANSEA BAY SA37

HOMELEIGH M23

RUDILAIS M23

As COLLENA FD115 (1915-47)

Official No:   136904   Port Number and Year: 6th in Fleetwood, 1915 (FD115)                                                                               3rd in Swansea, 1947 (SA37)                                                                               2nd in Milford, 1949

Description: Steel side trawler; steam screw, coal burning. Ketch rigged: mainsail and mizzen

Crew: 13 men

Registered at Milford: 3 Mar 1949

Built: by Cochrane & Son, Selby, in 1915.  (Yard no. 652)

Tonnage: 292.94 gross  116.23 net

Length / breadth / depth (feet):  133.6 / 23.6 / 10.7

Engine: T 3-Cyl. 84 nhp. 10¾  kts. Engine and boiler: Charles D. Holmes & Co., Hull

Owners:   As COLLENA FD115 24 Apr1915: J. Marr & Son, 228 Dock St., Fleetwood Manager: J. A. Robertson   1942: Aldred Fishing Co Ltd, Grimsby Manager: H. Markham Cook   1942: Sold to the Admiralty, and Fleetwood registry closed.   July 1946: Swansea Trawlers Ltd, Mumbles, Swansea Manager: K. H. Reynolds DFC 1947: Renamed SWANSEA BAY SA37   3 Mar 1949: Goodleigh Fisheries, Docks, Milford Manager: Henry John Richards, 'Goodleigh House', Bulford Rd., Johnston 1950: Renamed HOLMLEIGH M23   1952: Ribble Trawlers, Fleetwood Managers: Merchants (Fleetwood)   Jun 1953: Herman Westenborg, Milford.   5 Oct 1953: Westward Trawlers, Docks, Milford Manager: Edgar Erel Carter, 'Glan-y-Mor', The Rath, Milford Renamed RUDILAIS M23

Landed at Milford: As SWANSEA BAY: 15 Mar 1949 As HOMELEIGH: 18 Jun 1951 - 23 Mar 1952; 10 Jun 1953 As RUDILAIS: 8 Jan 1954 - 5 Jun 1960

Skippers:

Notes:  May 1915: Requisitioned from the builders and converted for minesweeping duties (Ad.No.1585). Jan 1940: Requisitioned by the Admiralty and converted for boom defence duties (P.No.Z.151). Jul 1945: Sold to mercantile. 1952: Goodleigh Fisheries went into liquidation. 1953: Laid up at Fleetwood 22 Jun 1960: Delivered to shipbreakers at Passage West, Cork

Cert. Cancelled & Milford Registry Closed: 10 Aug 1960

 

Roger Worsley Archive

 

Accidents and Incidents

From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 24th December 1948:

 

    "It shows that we don't think that Milford is finished," was the comment of a director of the Goodleigh Trawling Company yesterday, when telling the Guardian about a new purchase.  The vessel is the 133 foot Swansea Bay, now in Hull, and she will be brought to Milford soon after Christmas, to fish in north-western Scottish waters.  The managing Director of the Company is Mr. H. J. Richards.

 

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 8th April 1949:

 

    A 26 year old deckhand-trimmer, Francis Loughlin, of 24 Newsons Meadow, Lowestoft, died from suffocation, and another fisherman, Raymond Cleveland, is in hospital suffering from burns as a result of a fire which broke out on board the steam trawler Swansea Bay in Milford Docks in the early hours of today (Friday).

    When the outbreak was discovered, Cleveland, suffering from burns, came off the ship to go for help, Loughlin stayed behind to fight the flames, but apparently was overcome and, instead of going through the door of the sleeping quarters to the accommodation ladder, opened an inspection door and fell through into the bulkhead.

    The Swansea Bay is owned by Goodleigh Fisheries, and has just completed her first Icelandic trip out of Milford, having landed her catch on Tuesday morning.  The prompt work of police and firemen prevented any extensive damage to the vessel.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 18th January 1952:

 

FISHING "LEAGUE"

"DUKE" AT THE TOP AGAIN

 

    After two years as "runners-up", Skipper Albert Saunders and the "Milford Duke" are once again in top place in the Milford fishing "league".  In 1951 Skipper Saunders caught a greater value of fish than any other individual trawler captain in the port.

    Second in the league on last year's results is Skipper W. Burgoyne, who has moved up a place, closely followed by Skipper Steve Pembroke, who was sixth in the list of 1949 catches.  "Crack" Skipper for 1948 and 1949, Skipper Tom Donovan, D.S.C., is a close fifth in results while consistent Skipper James Jobson again occupies fourth position.

    Here are the leading positions, the ships being classed according to size.

.............

 

SUPER CASTLE

    In this class Skipper Sid Hearne is well out in front with Skippers Harvey and Seeling neck and neck behind him.

1.  Nighthawk (Sid Hearn), Milford Fisheries.

2.  Almandine (Arthur Harvey), Milford Fisheries.

3.  Hatano (Albert Seeling), Messrs. Jenkerson.

4.  Homeleigh (Clarence Riby), Goodleigh Fisheries.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 12th June 1953:

 

     The trawler Deeside (Mr. W. Kerr), which left Milford in 1946 to fish out of Lowestoft, is returning to the port and is now fishing a trip round.   At one time the Deeside, a crabber class boat, was paired with the Bellerophon.

    Another trawler returning to Milford next week is the Hosanna (Mr. W. Wilcox), which has been fishing out of Fleetwood for some months.  A third trawler, the Homeleigh, (Mr. H. Westenborg) is being brought back from Fleetwood by a scratch crew, but it is understood she will be going to the breakers' yard. 

    Two more small Milford trawlers left this week for the breakers' yard at Pill Point.  They are the Rig and Loyal Star, which formerly belonged to Messrs. H. H. Rees and Co.

 

[The HOMELEIGH landed this trip on 10th June 1953, and then from October to the end of December 1953, after which she was renamed RUDILAIS, and continued fishing out of Milford until her final landing on 5th June 1960.]

 

L to R, back row: Deckhand Morris High, 3rd Hand Fred Mitchell, Bosun Jim Goldsmith, Deckhand Michael Dzuiba

Front row: Deckhand Pat Graham, Mate Eddie Thomas, Fireman Frank Barton, Fireman Cecil Anthony, Skipper Jock Mair, Ch.Eng. Berry Beamish, 2nd Eng. Wm. J. Bowen, Cook Josef Moszoro

Taken for the West Wales Guardian of 4th February 1955

John Stevenson Collection

 

 

 

 

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