MILFORD COUNTESS M 128
Courtesy of the North East Lincolnshire Council Library Service
Official No: 183935 Port Number and Year: 2nd in Milford, 1950
- in Lowestoft, 1955 (LT182)
Description: Steel side trawler; single screw motor vessel. Cruiser stern
Crew: 11 - 10 men
Registered at Milford: 16 Nov 1950
Built: by Cochrane & Sons, Selby, in 1950. (Yard no. 1358)
Tonnage: 168.48 gross 62.9 net
Length / breadth / depth (feet): 107 - 115.7 oa / 21 / 10.3
Engine: Diesel, vertical internal combustion, geared transmission. 4 stroke cycle, single acting. 6-Cyl. . 75 nhp. 10¼ kts. Ruston & Hornsby, Lincoln
Owners:
16 Nov 1950: Milford Steam Trawlers, Docks, Milford
Manager: James Carpenter Ward.
1 May 1953: Daniel Charles Bruton
22 Mar 1955: Clan Steam Fishing Co. (Grimsby), 8 Waveney Rd., Lowestoft
Renamed TOBAGO LT182
Landed at Milford: 21 Nov 1950 - 7 Mar 1955
Skippers: J. R. ('Nobby') Clark; Teddy Funge
Notes: Bought to replace MILFORD BARON M204
Cert. Cancelled & Milford Registry Closed: 22 Mar 1955
Accidents and Incidents
From the West Wales Guardian of 12th May 1950:
Mrs. Bruhl, daughter of Sir Felix Pole, Chairman of the Milford Docks Co., and a Director of the Milford Steam Trawling Co., last Thursday launched the new trawler Milford Countess at Messrs. Cochrane's Yard at Selby, Yorks. Skipper J. R. Clark, who is to command the new trawler, and Mrs. Clark, was also present.
The new trawler follows a sister ship, the Milford Count, launched a month ago. One will be ready for her first voyage from Milford in August, and the other in September. The two new trawlers are improved versions of the Milford Baron and Milford Knight, and at 150 feet are 5 feet longer. Their engines will be more powerful and of a modern type, while they will have 500 fathom winches instead of the 300-350 fathom of the earlier boats.
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From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 14th August 1950:
The new 100 foot diesel engined Milford Countess, now nearing completion for the Milford Steam Trawling Co., will undergo acceptance trials at Hull during the second week in September. Her new sister ship the Milford Count will have her trials a fortnight later.
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The Times, Wednesday, Jan 17, 1951; pg. 2; Issue 51901; col F
News in BriefPILOT'S BODY FOUND IN FISHING NET
The body of Squadron Leader T. A. Cox, pilot of an R.A.F. Halifax aircraft which crashed into the sea off the island of Barra, in the Outer Hebrides, on December 29, and pieces of an aircraft were pulled up in the nest of the Fleetwood trawler Milford Countess while she was fishing 20 miles west of Castlebay, Barra, on Monday. The trawler immediately made for Tobermoray, on the island of Mull, where the body was identified.
From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 19th January 1951:
A dead officer and part of an aeroplane wing were found in the net of the motor trawler Milford Countess off the Outer Hebrides. The body was identified as that of Squadron Leader Terence A. Cox, the pilot of an RAF plane which crashed into the sea on the 29th December 1950, with a crew of eight. The plane, a Halifax, was engaged on a meteorological flight.
The skipper of the Milford Countess is Mr. W. Clark, Shakespeare Avenue.
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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.
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BIG CRABBERS
This class has provided a real family struggle, with Skipper Tom Salter pipping his brother-in-law on the post and his brother finishing in third place!
The first three boats are owned by the Westward Company (Mr. E. E. Carter).
1. Cleopatra II. (Tom Salter), Westward.
2. Caldy (Hubert Morgans), Westward.
3. Slebech (Harry Salter), Westward.
4. Avonstar (Jack Ryan); 5, Ocean Brine (Frank Gambold); 6, Milford Knight (Harry Thompson); 7, Hero (Lenny Brown); 8, Montano (George Kersey); 9, Milford Countess (Teddy Funge).
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From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 30th January 1953:
In a thrilling close finish, Skipper Tom Salter, Stratford Road, headed the list of big crabber skippers at Milford in 1952, beating Skipper Hubert Morgan by a short head in the fishing league. Only £94 divided their respective grossings for the 12 months. Byan oversight, the big crabbers section was inadvertently omitted from our fishing league reported last week.
1. Cleopatra II (Tom Salter), Westward Trawling Co.
2. Caldy (Hubert Morgan), Westward Trawling Co.
3. Iser (R. Hannaford), Don Trawling Co.
4. Milford Knight (H. Thompson); 5. Milford Countess (Ted Funge); 6. P&Y (Jack Garnham).
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From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 6th November 1953:
When the trawler Milford Countess dropped in Milford Harbour on Friday, police went on board and arrested a member of the crew, Frederick Ernest Stark, 20 years of age, who lodges at 22 Nubian Crescent, Hakin, but whose home city is Hull.
The same evening, Stark was brought before Mr. J. H. Thomas, at the Sessions House, charged with stealing a pair of binoculars, a sheepskin coat and boots from the cabins of yachts anchored in Kinsale Harbour, Ireland. Sgt. J. H. Gough, who stated that the missing property had been recovered, asked for a remand in custody for three days to await an escort of the Garda Siochana from Southern Ireland.
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From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 11th March 1955:
Local anxiety over the future of Milford Haven's fishing industry has increased this week as the result of yet another blow to the port. On Wednesday evening the Milford Steam Trawling Company's modern diesel crabber class trawler Milford Countess sailed from the port in charge of a Lowestoft skipper and crew on her way to her new owners, the Colne Fishing Company Ltd. of Lowestoft.
Her sudden and swift sale was the result of an offer made for her by the Lowestoft company, which the Chairman of the Milford Steam Trawling Co., Major J. M. Whittingdon, states, "We would not be justified in refusing."
The Countess, launched in 1950, is the third post-war motor trawler which the Company has disposed of since last June. The bigger vessel, Milford Duchess, was sold to M. Mallett of Dieppe in that month, and three weeks ago her sister ship, the Milford Duke, was purchased by the same French firm. ..................
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