WESTHILL  M138

Photograph supplied courtesy of North East Lincolnshire Council Library Service, Grimsby Reference Library

Official No: 160093       Port Number and Year:    2nd in Hull, 1928, (H373)                                                                                      5th in Milford, 1946                                                                                         -  in Hull, 1947 (H470)

Description:  Steel side trawler; steam, single screw; coal burner. Ketch rigged: mizzen.

Crew: 13 men (1929); 12 men (1946).

Registered at Milford: 31 May 1946

Built: 1928, by Cook, Welton & Gemmell, Beverley. (Yard no. 490)

Tonnage: 359.6 gross  156 net (1946: 140.12 net.)

Length / breadth / depth (feet):  140.4  / 24.0 / 13.2

Engine: T-3Cyl; 96 nhp, 11 kts.  C.D. Holmes & Co., Hull

Owners:   As ST. ALEXANDRA H373 9 Jan 1928: Thomas Hamling & Co. Ltd., St. Andrew's Dock, Hull Manager: Thomas Boyd, 531 Anlaby Rd., Hull (1928-36);                 Harold Watson Hall, 'Molescroft House', Beverley, E.Yorks. (1936-39)   As HMS LARCH 11 Mar 1939: Admiralty.   As WESTHILL M138 31 May 1946: The Westholme Fishing Co. Ltd., The Docks, Milford. Manager: Reginald Llewellyn Hancock, 'Beachways', Picton Rd., Hakin   Oct 1947: John Charles Llewellin (Trawlers) Ltd., The Docks, Milford Managing agents: Saint Andrew’s Steam Fishing Co. Ltd., Hull. Nov 1947: As WESTHILL H470.   27 Jun 1949: North Eastern Trawlers Ltd., London. (William Stanley Shepherd MP) Managing agents: Saint Andrew’s Steam Fishing Co. Ltd., Hull.   15 Sep 1950: J. Marr & Sons, Fleetwood. Manager: Geoffrey Edwards Marr, Hull.

Landed at Milford: 4 Jul 1946 - 31 Oct 1947

Skippers: Cecil Coombs

Notes:  25 Aug 1929: Together with five other trawlers, ST. ALEXANDER was damaged in the great fire at the newly completed Hull Fish Dock.  Her fish were protected by the ice in the hold, and landed safely.  [The Times, Tuesday, 27th Aug 1929.] 11 Mar 1939: Purchased into the RN, renamed HMS LARCH (P.No.T.96) Aug 1939: Fitted out as a “Berberis” class minesweeping trawler at Sheerness Dockyard (1 x 12pdr AA, 2 x MGs (2 x 1)). Jun 1940: Based Sheerness with M/S Group 2 (Sk. J. T. White RNR).  Jan 1941: Based Sheerness (Act Sk. A. H. V. Winfield RNR).  Jun 1941: Based Scapa Flow with M/S Group 18 (Act Sk. A. H. V. Winfield RNR).  Jan 1942: Based Scapa Flow (Act Sk. A. H. V. Winfield RNR).   1946: Sold to mercantile. Jun 1946: Special Survey at Milford. Feb 1951: Slipped for Special Survey (drilled) at Fleetwood. 10 Oct 1952: Broken up at Sunderland. 6 Mar 1953: Hull registry closed. [ Information kindly supplied by Gil Mayes. ]

Cert. Cancelled & Milford Registry Closed: 5 Nov 1947.  Vessel transferred to the port of Hull.

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