VICTOR M 97
Official No: 119606 Port Number and Year: 2nd in Peterhead, 1906 (PD75)
12th in Milford, 1930
Description: Steel side trawler; steam screw, coal burning. Ketch rigged: mizzen
Crew: 10 men
Registered at Milford: 11 Aug 1930
Built: 1906 by John Duthie, Torry Ship Building Co., Aberdeen. (Yard no. 282)
Tonnage: 201.19 grt 78.79 net.
Length / breadth / depth (feet):115.5 / 21.9 / 11.9
Engine: T 3-Cyl. 60 nhp.10 kts. Engine by W.V.V. Lidgerwood, Coatbridge, Glasgow; boiler by James Abernethy & Co., Aberdeen
Owners:
As PD75
Feb 1906: Peterhead Trawling Co., Peterhead
Manager: John G. Adams, Stell Rd., Aberdeen
1929: G. G. Adam, Peterhead.
As M97
11 Aug 1930: William Henry East (sen), 84 Priory Rd., Milford
Manager Owner
Landed at Milford: 5 Jan 1931 - 29 Dec 1937. [Records of landings in 1930 and 1938 are lacking.]
Skippers:
Notes: Aug 1914: Requisitioned (Admy. no.110) and converted to minesweeper. 1 x 6 pdr.
Feb1915. Renamed VICTOR II
1919: Returned to owners.
3 Jan 1938: Foundered after going ashore in thick fog between North and South Islands off Galway. Crew rescued by the Milford trawler JOSEPH BUTTON, Skipper Bobby Limbrick. [See story below.]
Cert. Cancelled & Milford Registry Closed: 26 Jan 1938
Accidents and Incidents
From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 14th February 1936:
John Henry Ryan, Master of the Milford steam trawler "Victor", was fined £50, with £10 costs at Glin, Co. Limerick, Ireland, on Thursday, on a charge of illegally fishing within the three mile limit.
Commander Duane, of the Free State Patrol Boat, stated that he discovered the fishing trawler breaking the fisheries regulations. He signalled the trawler "Victor" to heave to, but she went full steam ahead. He then fired a blank shot over the trawler, [but] she did not stop. When he signalled that he was about to discharge a live shot, the "Victor" hove to.
Skipper Ryan stated that he had no signalling equipment and that he thought that Commander Duane was after another trawler. He did not know that the three mile limit operated in Irish waters.
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Statement from the Trawler’s Log Book.
Fishing grounds off Ireland
Having at about 12.45 a.m. on Monday 2.1.1938, when off the coast of Galway, Ireland. The vessel commenced to leak and the water despite pumping operations gaining on the pumps to such an extent that at 5.30 a.m. on the same day the said vessel was abandoned and sank a quarter of an hour later.
John Henry Ryan. (Skipper)
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From an unknown local newspaper of c. 6th January 1938:
News came to hand on Monday morning that the steam trawler “Victor” (owned by W. H. East) had foundered on the fishing grounds off the Irish coast. The skipper, Jack Ryan, and the crew fortunately are safe, having been picked up by another Milford trawler, “Joseph Button”, skipper Robert Limbrick, and taken into Valencia, south-west Ireland.
There is no information yet as to how the disaster happened. The “Victor” had sailed from Milford for some years and was a vessel of the “Crabber” Class (mixed fishing). Only last Wednesday she landed a good catch which realised £300, and left on Thursday for the fishing grounds.
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