CALLIOPE M214
Official No: 127407 Port Number and Year: 15th in Milford, 1907
Description: Steel side / beam trawler; steam screw; coal burner. Ketch rigged: foresail, mainsail, mizzen
Crew: 9 men (1907).
Registered in Milford: 28 Nov 1907
Built: Smith Docks Co. North Shields 1907. (Yard no. 361)
Tonnage: 240.36 gross 69.39 net > 90.68 net (amended 1 Jan 1914)
Length / breadth / depth (feet): 120.25 / 21.55 / 11.7
Engine: T.3-cyl. 68 hp. 10 kts. W.V.V. Lidgerwood, Coatbridge, Glasgow. Boiler: Wallsend Ship Building Co.
Owners:
28 Nov 1907: David Pettit, 'Headland House', 47 Priory Rd., Milford.
Managing owner.
20 Mar 1915: As CALLIOPE II.
Landed at Milford: 4 Dec 1907 - 8 Aug 1914
Skippers:
John Henry Dove, Cert. 6628, age 40, born Hull; residing Charles St., Milford; signed on 14 Jan, 7 Jul 1908.
A.W. Barrett 5307, 23, Hull; 31 Mar 1909.
George Medway 6777, 29, Brixham, 18 Brooke Ave., Milford; 18 Jan, 10 Aug 1910
John Blake 2145, 41, Brixham, Dartmouth St., Milford; 28 Jan, 13 Jul, 10 Sep 1910
Edward Gibbs 7164, 30, Yarmouth, 182 Robert St., Milford; 14 Dec 1910; 4 Jan 1911
William Henry Davies 5716, 31, Caerphilly; 'Laburnam House', Hazelbeach, Llanstadwell; 7 Jul 1911
Thomas Wm. Leggett 7028, 38, Gorleston, 75 Waterloo Rd., Hakin; 9 Jan 1913
Walter Smith 7150; 4 Feb 1913
T. J. Hawkings 2064, 47, Brixham, - ; 26 Dec 1913.
John Foreman 05579; 9 Mar 1914.
Notes:
Calliope, in Greek mythology, was the muse of epic poetry, said to have inspired Homer's "Odyssey" and "Iliad".
Aug 1914: Requisitioned and converted to a minesweeper, Admy. no. 367. 1 x 3 pdr.
5 Mar 1916: Sunk in a collision off the Butt of Lewis. [See below.]
Cert. Cancelled & Milford Registry Closed: 15 Mar 1916. Vessel totally lost on 5th March 1916. Certificate lost with vessel
Accidents and Incidents:
From the Haverfordwest & Milford Haven Telegraph of Wednesday 4th December 1907:
Still they come, with more to follow. A record in the number of new trawlers arriving has to be chronicled this week. Last week three fine boats came round: on Monday, the steam trawler "Urania", built by the Dundee Ship Building Company for the Pembrokeshire Steam Trawling Company, in charge of Captain J. Gardner; on Wednesday the steam trawler "Cleopatra" from the Smith's Dock, for Messrs. D. Pettit and Company (Captain J. Blake); on Thursday, a trawler bearing the name "Hero" (Captain Hawkins) for Mrs. Harries, Neyland, also from Dundee. On Tuesday this week came the steam trawler "Dewsland" (Captain Ben Bryant) from the Selby Ship Building Company, to the order of Mr. W. Jenkins and Company, and today another for Mr. D. Pettit and Company, viz., the steam trawler "Calliope" is expected to be brought in by Captain J. Dove, whilst the steam trawler "Gloria", Messrs. Longthorp and James, is said to have left for the fishing grounds.
During the next few weeks further additions will arrive. It is well, under the circumstances, that the extension of the Market is proceeding so rapidly. Another length has been commenced, and will probably be completed by the end of this year.
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From the Haverfordwest & Milford Haven Telegraph of Wednesday 26th August 1908:
Great excitement was experienced in Milford between five and six o'clock yesterday (Tuesday) morning, when practically all the residents of the town were startled out of their sleep by a large report coming from the direction of the Docks.
After the opening of the Dock Gates, the vessels were all astir in anticipation of leaving for sea. The steam trawler "Calliope" (Mr. David Pettit) was starting to and fro with a view of getting into position to advance through the gates. Another steam trawler, "Falmouth" (Sellick, Morley and Price), was also making for the entrance, but the "Calliope", coming astern, struck the "Falmouth" amidships on the port side.
The latter immediately began to sink. The crew, seeing this, got the trawler onto a bank opposite the Dock Gates. When the water reached the acetylene gas tank in the engine room, a terrible explosion took place. Flames shot high above the funnel, burning part of the woodwork round the wheelhouse, but the water was gaining ground so fast that it extinguished the fire. Two members of the crew were thrown violently onto the deck from their feet, but no injuries were sustained by anyone.
The "Falmouth" partly submerged, and the Dock Company's divers donned their apparatus and were speedily at work effecting such repairs as could be executed. Pumping operations have begun, and it is expected that the submerged craft will be afloat today.
The "Calliope" proceeded to sea, but the crew found that the rudder was very stiff, damaged, and completely twisted, and they were compelled to abandon the voyage.
During yesterday a large number of people visited the docks to watch the divers at work.
[ See log book entry below. As a result of this incident, the "Falmouth" was eventually scrapped. ]
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From The Pembrokeshire Herald and General Advertiser of Friday 12th November 1909:
MILFORD HAVEN
................
Accident at Sea.On Tuesday afternoon the s.t. Caliope [sic], owned by Messrs. W. Pettit and Co., put out to sea, but owing to the second engineer, G. Morse, of Haverfordwest, meeting with an accident the skipper had to return to port. It appears that his hand became entangled in the machinery, and it is very probable that he will lose at least one finger. On arriving in port he was medically treated, and afterwards returned to his home.
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From The Pembrokeshire Herald and General Advertiser of Friday 30th December 1910:
VAIN DISTRESS SIGNALS.
ANOTHER TRAGEDY OF THE SEA,
Two lives Lost at Dale.
SCHOONER SMASHED TO MATCHWOOD.
Another tragic story of the recent violent gale was told on Saturday last at an inquest held by Mr. H. J. E. Price, Coroner, the witnesses describing the terrible tumult of wind and sea in Dale Roads on that occasion and the wreck of the schooner "Glandwr." The vessel was smashed to splinters on the rocks and the crew of father and son drowned. The body of the son, John Williams, was found near Great Castle Head on Friday last and upon it the inquest was held.
The first witness was Thomas Laugharne Williams, step-brother of the deceased, who said that the latter was only 24 years of age and with his father constituted the entire crew of the wrecked schooner. His father was master and owner and lived at Lower Fishguard.
John Russan, Musslewick, said that on Friday week the schooner was driven from Dale Roads. A trawler went to her assistance and towed her for some time, but for some reason probably the parting of the hawser left her. Distress signals were hung out by the schooner but without any help being forthcoming. In the opinion of witness the Angle lifeboat could have come across had she known of the position of the schooner.
Harry Cant, chief officer of coastguards at St. Anne's Head, said that he was at Musslewick Point on Friday week about 3 p.m. One of his men was on the look-out at St. Anne's. They could not see Dale Roads nor Great Castle Head from St. Anne's owing to the blockhouse fort intervening. Witness got no report of this vessel being in distress but, about 8.30 p.m., he heard that a ship called the "Result" had been driven out into the harbour. He had sent a man down to Dale at 6.30 and it was when he returned witness heard of the "Result." They were in communication with Dale and Anglel but the wires were all down at s 4.35 p.m. He had heard in Dale since that the name of the trawler in the roads was the "Calliope" of Milford. It was a terrible gale so violent that he could not stand and witness had to make his way home.
ON HIS HANDS AND KNEES.
Owing to the clouds of flying foam he doubted if the signals could be seen from St. Anne's even if the fort did not intervene. The foam was like snow. If he had known in time he could have fired every rocket he had to draw the attention of Angle, but he never heard anything of the "Glandwr." ............
A verdict of accidental death was returned, with the following rider: "That the jury consider an explanation is due from the officer in charge of Angle coastguard and the crew of the Angle lifeboat as to why an attempt was not made to rescue the crew of the schooner "Glandwr" which, it was proved, had for some hours exhibited signals of distress on the evening of the 16th inst., and they further consider that some steps for the protection of shipping in Dale Road should be taken, to communicate by rocket or otherwise with the lifeboat in the event of the telegraph wires breaking down during a gale such as occurred in this particular instance."
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Log book entries:
25.08.1908
Collided with the steam trawler 'Falmouth', damaged our rudder post, 'Falmouth' sunk - collision whilst leaving Milford Docks for sea.
John Henry Dove (Skipper)
J. Clark (Mate)
13.04.1911
Milford Haven
Collided with steam trawler 'Lynmouth' of Bristol, no damaged sustained by this vessel.
T. Wood (Mate 5533)
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From Larn B.T. & Larn R. (1998): Shipwreck Index of the British Isles - Scotland.
CALLIOPE II 05/03/1916
Outer Hebrides, Butt of Lewis, offshore. 58.31N 05.45.30W
...........
.........., was lost following collision off the Butt of Lewis in circumstances unknown, in which one naval rating was killed.
[According to a contributor on http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=89986 , the collision was with a steamship DANE (possibly ON 108752, b.1898, 69grt, Glasgow; or the Hull trawler DANE H730), and the casualty aboard CALLIOPE II was Deck Hand Alexander McRae RNR, age 26, who is commemorated on the Lewis War Memorial, and the Chatham Naval Memorial.]
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