BEATRICE M212
As BERGEN IJM-16
Courtesy of Jan Harteveld via Gil Mayes
Official No: 127408 Port Number and Year: 16th in Milford, 1907 (M212) - in Grimsby, 1918 (GY1114)
- in Hartlepool, 1919 (HL16)
- in IJmuiden, 1927 (IJM-16)
Description: Steel side / beam trawler; steam screw, coal burning. Ketch rigged: foresail, mainsail and mizzen.
Crew: 9 men (1907)
Registered at Milford: 30 Nov 1907.
Built: by Smiths Dock Co., North Shields in 1907. (Yard no. 362)
Tonnage: 239.14 gross 72.63 net > 92.16 (amended 1 Jan 1914)
Length / breadth / depth (feet): 120.3 / 21.6 / 11.65
Engine: T 3-Cyl. 57 hp. 10 kts. Engine & Boiler: 1907, MacColl & Pollock, Sunderland
Owners:
30 Nov 1907: James Thomas, Tredegar House, Great North Road, Milford. (64/64)
Managing owner.
16 Oct 1917: The Wyre Steam Trawling Co., 114 Docks St., Fleetwood.
Manager: Magnus B. J. Wedum.
As GY1114
8 Apr 1918: Bowerings Steam Fishing Co., Fish Docks, Grimsby.
Manager: Walter Harold Beeley.
As HL16
Apr 1919: The Middleton Steam Trawling Co., 36 Church St., West Hartlepool.
Manager Harry Middleton.
As BERGEN IJM16
1927: N.V. Vissch Maats Petten, IJmuiden.
Managers: L & J Schager
Landed at Milford: 15 Dec 1907 - 11 Aug 1914
Skippers:
William Aldridge cert. 5849, age 29, born Newcastle, residing 57 Great North Road, Milford; signed on 11 Jan, 12 May, 8 Jul 1908; 8 Jan, 11 Jul 1910; 3 Jan, 13 Jan 1911.
Edward Firth 7423, 33, Bradford, - ; 13 Apr 1908.
G. Cooper 7765, 28, Reedham, - ; 19 Dec 1910
Henry James Hewer 6526, 36, Gorleston, 75 Waterloo Rd., Hakin; 9 Jul 1912; 6 Feb 1913
A. King 7776, 32, Gorleston, - ; 26 Nov 1911.
Notes:
Aug 1914: Requisitioned for war service and converted for minesweeping duties, (Admy. no. 362). (Based on the Tyne.)
Dec 1914: Renamed BEATRICE II in Dec 1914.
1919: Returned to owners.
Jun 1940: Requisitioned for war service by Royal Netherlands Navy (P.No.6C).
Aug 1940: Fitted out as minesweeper at Milford. Sep: 66th M/S Flotilla, Holyhead. (P.No.FY.932)
Nov 1941: 66th M/S Flotilla, Milford
1 Jun 1942: 66th M/S Flotilla, Portsmouth. May 1943: Fitted out as Single Line Gate Vessel, Southampton.
1945: Laid up in Southampton.1947: Broken up.
[Thanks to Gil Mayes and Peter Bell for information after 1918.]
Cert. Cancelled & Milford Registry Closed: 8 Apr 1918. Vessel transferred to the port of Grimsby.
Accidents and Incidents
From The Pembrokeshire Herald and General Advertiser of Friday 20th December 1907:
MILFORD HAVEN
FISH NOTES
On Monday fourteen steamers and three smacks landed 230 kits of hake, and 700 kits of mixed fish. Hake made 70s., cod 50s.,ling 24s., conger 35s., rays 30s., magrims 28s., haddock 34s., whiting 22s., per kit. Soles 49 15s. and £11 per trunk.
On Tuesday five steamers, three smacks and one liner landed 180 kits of hake, 60 boxes of conger, and 280 kits of other kinds. Prices about the same as Monday.
Fourteen steamers landed on Wednesday 170 kits of hake and 900 kits of mixed fish. Prices: Hake 55s. to 65s., cod 45s., ling 17s., haddock 30s., magrims 20s., whiting 20s., dories 36s., soles £9 15s.
On Thursday thirteen steamers landed 190 kits of hake and 900 kits of mixed. Hake made £3 a kit; all other kinds much below previous figures owing to better weather conditions prevailing.
On Monday the steam trawler Beatrice landed her maiden voyage, being an addition to the increasing fleet of Mr. James Thomas. The Gloria, another new trawler, to the order of Messrs. James and Longthorpe, landed a good voyage on Thursday.
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From The Pembrokeshire Herald and General Advertiser of Friday 2nd April 1909:
MILFORD
THE FISH MARKET
This week has been an exceedingly busy one at the Fish Market, some very large cargoes having been landed, and considering the quantity, good prices have been realised. The trawler Beatrice, belonging to Mr. James Thomas, landed a fine cargo on Monday after having been away only a week, which fetched £404. On Tuesday seven steamers, one liner and six smacks arrived with 710 kits of mixed dispatched 270 kits of hake, the number of tons dispatched by rail being 230. Hake that day realised £2 12s. 6d. per kit and soles £13 5s. per trunk. The steam trawler Edward VII, also belonging to Mr. Thomas, also made a good trip, viz., £ 317. The mackerel trade is now in full swing, and good supplies are landed daily by the drifters. On Wednesday an enormous quantity of hake was landed, the Salome, belonging to the Gwyneth Steam Trawling Company, making over £400. The hake landed by this vessel was of superior quality and fetched from £2 to £2 12s 6d. per kit.
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From the Haverfordwest and Milford Haven Telegraph of Wednesday 24th June 1914:
SERIOUS ACCIDENT TO TEDDIE WALTERS.
Whilst following his employment as a rigger on the Docks on Friday morning, Teddie Walters, the well-known Milford football player, met with a serious accident. The steam trawler Beatrice, owned by Mr James Thomas, was lying near the Cardiff Ice Factory and the men were engaged heaving her bow to the wall. Just as it came to Walters stepped aboard on to the whaleback deck, when the wire warp slipped, and he was caught round both legs just above the ankles. Walters was in great pain and his screams could be heard as far away as Hamilton Terrace. Fortunately an experienced man aboard at handling the steam winch just got to the lever in time to release the young fellow before a worse fate befell him. A number of workmen carried him to the workshops of the West Coast Co-operative Society where first aid was rendered. At first it was feared that both limbs were fractured. A doctor was sent for but both Drs. Griffith and Rice were out, and the sufferer was then taken home on a stretcher, and was afterwards attended by Dr. Griffith. Although no bones were broken, the injuries were severe and exceedingly painful and it will be some time before he can be about again.
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From the Haverfordwest and Milford Haven Telegraph of Wednesday 21st April 1915:
Milford Skippers Home from the Dardanelles.
TRAWLERS' DARING WORK UNDER FIRE.
Deed Worthy of V.C. by Skipper Woodgate and His Crew.
THRILLING NARRATIVES.
The work of the mine-sweepers in the naval operations at the Dardanelles has been brought prominently before the public during the past month, and we are now able to bring some of the most thrilling incidents of this memorable campaign to the notice of our readers. Amongst the fleet of trawlers engaged in these perilous operations were five of the best trawlers belonging to the port of Milford Haven, viz: the G.M. (owner Captain H. Dove): Beatrice (Mr James Thomas): Koorah (Brand & Company); Syringa (Sellick, Morley Price) and Gwenllian (Mr M. W. Howell). The latter's experience was recorded last week in a letter from the skipper. On Sunday the skippers of the five ships arrived home in Milford Haven. and all have remarkable stories to tell. Their names given in the order of their ships mentioned above are — Captain H. James, senior; Captain H. James, junior (two cousins); Captain Robert Woodgate; Captain J. Blake, and Captain R. Limbrick.
A representative of the" Telegraph" called upon Captain Harry James, senior, at his home in Robert Street, on Monday and congratulated him upon his safe homing coming. Glad to be home again, Skipper?
Aye, that I am, though it did not look like it on more than one occasion, but, you can take it the sweepers have done fine work out there. Just look at these (here Captain James produced three memoranda from the officer commanding eulogising the work of the trawlers).
Speaking of his experiences since they left Milford in August last Captain James said they spent most of the time in the North Sea, and were attached to the Lowestoft base, and were in the swim at the time of the first German raid on the East coast. It was in the early part of February that they were sent to Devonport to fit out for the Mediterranean and left for Malta. A month later they were in the thick of it, and after a short spell in the Dardanelles his ship the "G.M." and the "Beatrice" were sent with others to the Gulf of Smyrna to work with Admiral Peirse's squadron where he had his baptism of fire. The sweeping is done by pairs. It was here that the trawler "Okino" (of Grimsby) was blown up, probably by a mine, and the "Beatrice" was her sweeping partner. They had completed a sweep, and the "Beatrice" had slipped the sweep wire and was proceeding back to the fleet, leaving the "Okino" to heave in the wire. The latter vessel then followed and had been steaming about five minutes when she was blown up. She went down in about two minutes, and out of the crew of 15 hands ten were killed or drowned. One of the saved was a Milford man—Fred Ingram, second engineer. He had just been oiling the engines when suddenly the dynamo was hurled from its place and flew past him into the bilge. This was the first sign to him that some- thing had happened and he rushed on deck, only to see that the ship was doomed. He jumped overboard and being a strong swimmer was able to take his life-saving collar from his belt, inflate it, and fasten it round his neck. He managed to cling to some wreckage, and after struggling in the water for hours was picked up by the picket boat. The "G.M." also was under heavy fire and with its partner, the "Achilles" (Grimsby) led the fleet in the attack on the Smyrna forts. How we came out of that corner, I do not know, said the skipper, shells and shrapnel were bursting all round, but there were no casualties. The "Beatrice" received a shell in the fore side of the funnel, and part of the missile penetrated into the stoke-hold and a piece of shrapnel struck the chief engineer, William Holland, of Milford Haven, on the head. He was afterwards operated upon and has now recovered.
All the ships were continually under fire, and although they were hit repeatedly, the shells and shrapnel did not strike the vital parts. Some had remarkable escapes, as for instance, one trawler was struck by a shell aft. It went through the bunkers, the fish room, cutting the main stanchion, through 25 tons of ballast and out through the bow. In another case the shell went clean through a trawler from side to side. His experiences in the Dardanelles were not so exciting as at Smyrna, though always dangerous.
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That the authorities appreciate the work of these men is shown by the fact that a special signal of congratulation was sent to the skippers in command by the Vice-Admiral.
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Log book entries:
22.11.1910
50 miles W from St. Ann's Head.
Main shaft of winch, spur wheel and brasses broken - cause unknown.
W. Aldridge (Skipper)
12.12.1910
245 miles W 1 S from St. Ann's Head.
Rudder head broken and gratings washed away - cause, heavy gale.
W. Aldridge (Skipper)
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