STANFREL M69

Official No:  144507    Port Number and Year:   211th in London, 1920 (LO ?)

                                                                                   4th in Milford, 1930

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

Crew:  10 men

Registered at Milford: 10 Feb 1930

Built: 1919 by Cook, Welton & Gemmell, Beverley.  (Yard no. 378)

Tonnage: 290.41 grt  113.6 net.

Length / breadth / depth (feet):125.5 / 23.5 / 12.7

Engine: T 3-Cyl. 86.4 nhp.10 kts.  Engine by Amos & Smith, Albert Docks, Hull; boiler by PEarles Ship Building & Engineering Co., Hull

Owners:

 

Launched as PETER BLUMBERRY

 

Renamed INGOUVILLE
1921: Charpin Delpeirre et Cie., Boulogne, France

 

Renamed ST.PIERRE-ST.PAUL

1926: Pecheries du Havre, Le Havre, France.

 

Renamed STANFREL M69

10 Feb 1930:  John Henry Dove, 47 Charles St., Milford

Manager Owner

 

Landed at Milford: 23 Feb 1930 - 10 May 1933

Skippers: Albert Seeling.

Notes: 1917: Built for Admiralty and completed as minesweeper PETER BLUMBERRY (no. 3583)and employed as an escort.

1921: Registered at London and sold to French mercantile.

15 May 1933:  Foundered off the Skelligs, Dingle,  with no loss of life. [See story below.]

Cert. Cancelled & Milford Registry Closed: 1933

Accidents and Incidents

From the West Wales Guardian, Friday, 19th May 1933:

MILFORD TRAWLER SINKS

Off the Irish Coast

CREW’S GRUELLING TIME

 

The thrilling experience of the crew of the Milford Haven trawler “Stanfrel”, owned by Capt. Dove, which went down off the Irish coast on Monday was told to a “Guardian” representative by Mr. Millar, of Rocky Park, The Green, Pembroke, on Wednesday.

Mr. Millar was fireman on the ill-fated boat, and when interviewed still bore traces of his gruelling experience.

“Everything was going well with us,” he said, “but early on Monday morning there was a sudden escape from one of the main pipes.  In a moment the whole ship was a cloud of steam and many of us were lucky not to be scalded, though there was no explosion – only a heavy rush of steam.  In a very short time we were making water.

“We attempted to work the steam pumps, but could not do so owing to the escape of steam.  The water rose rapidly, and soon the fires were put out.  There was a very heavy fog about, and it was impossible for other trawlers to see us.  We sent up some rockets, but knew that it would be a very slender chance.  We had to try to try to bail out with buckets.  Fast as we bailed, the water made headway, though only very slowly.  Soon a number of men were exhausted, and after hours of bailing were ready to drop.  By noon the water had almost reached our decks and still no help had come.  We decided to abandon ship, and no sooner had we done so than she sank.

“The fog was still like a heavy blanket, and the eleven of us got into the lifeboat and for three hours rowed about without knowing our position.”

When asked if he escaped with any of his belongings Mr. Millar remarked: “We were lucky to escape with our lives.”

 

 

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