CAMEO M201
Official No: 121616 Port Number and Year: 4th in Milford, 1907
- in Grimsby, 1915 (GY754)
Description: Steel side / beam trawler; steam screw, coal burning. Ketch rigged: foresail, mainsail, mizzen.
Crew: 9 men (1907); 10 men (1915).
Registered in Milford: 18 Mar 1907.
Built: 1907 by Smiths Dock Co., North Shields. (Yard no. 815)
Tonnage: 231.21 grt 81.18 net (1 Jan 1914: amended by Board of Trade to 94.63 net.)
Length / breadth / depth (feet): 120.5 / 21.6 / 11.65
Engine: T 3-cyl. 68 hp. W.V.V. Lidgerwood, Glasgow. Boiler: Richardson, Westgarth, Middlesborough.
Owners:
As M201
18 Mar 1907: Joseph White Johnstone, Point House, Neyland (32/64)
Robert Samuel Longthorpe, 'Blakeley House', Priory Rd., Milford (32/64)
Managing owners.
29 May 1907: Joseph White Johnstone, Point House, Neyland (64/64)
Managing owner.
6 Sep 1907: David Pettit, 47 Priory Rd., Milford. (Managing owner.)
Morgan Watkin Howell, 19 St. Ann's Rd., Milford.
John White Johnstone, Point House, Neyland
27 Jun 1908: David Pettit (32/64) (Managing owner.)
John White Johnstone (32/64)
22 Jan 1912: John White Johnstone, 'Point House', Neyland. (64/64)
Manager: Oliver Johnstone, 'Headland House', Priory Rd., Milford.
As GY754
9 Nov 1915: William George Allnutt, Grimsby.
Managing owner.
Landed at Milford: 3 Mar 1907 - 23 Dec 1912; 22 Jan - 12 Oct 1915
Skippers:
Robert Samuel Longthorpe Cert. 2536; age 40, born Hull, residing - ;. signed on 4 Mar 1907.
T. C. Jobson 6950, 29, Nottingham, - ; 17 May 1907
Robert Major Limbrick 7616, 47, London, St. Ann's Rd., Hakin; 7 Jun, 5 Jul, 31 Dec 1907
T. Limbrick - , 22, Brixham, - ; 19 Dec 1907
T. J. Hawkins 2014, 43, Brixham, Albion St., Milford; 5 Jan, 14 Jul 1909; 13 Jan 1910
George C. Nichols 05538, 40, Stamford, - ; 15 Mar 1910
George John Bird 4628, 41, Ingham (?), 'Starbuck House' Starbuck Rd., Milford; 20 Apr, 7 Jul 1910
Robert Woodgate 4187, 42, Beer, - ; 24 Aug 1910
G. T. Cobley 2071, 42, Hull, 'Devon House', St. Davids Rd., Milford; 8 Sep 1910; 10 Jan, 18 Jul 1911; 5 Jan, 15 Aug 1912
Walter Jewsbury 7990, 28, - , 1 Charles St., Milford; 10 Jul 1912
Henry Ernest Moran 7743, 30, Hull, - ; 21 Apr 1913
William H. Davies 5716, 36, Caerphilly, - ; 19 Jul 1913
Notes:
29 Sep 1915: broke all port records with a trip that made £1,023. Landed 100 kit of hake, which made between £5/17/6 and £6/2/7 a kit on the market.
23 Dec 1915: Driven ashore at Rattray Head, and wrecked. Crew of 10 were all lost. "Six men were seen clinging to the rigging at noon, but one by one they were washed into the sea, and when darkness fell only two remained lashed to the foremast." [ The Times of Monday 27th December 1915, p.5.]
Cert. Cancelled & Milford Registry Closed: 9 Nov 1915. Transferred to the port of Grimsby.
Accidents and Incidents
From the Haverfordwest & Milford Haven Telegraph of Wednesday 6th March 1907:
One of the finest trawlers amongst the many recent additions to the fleet at Milford is the steam trawler "Cameo", which arrived for Monday morning's market. The ship was built to the order of Mr. Johnston and Captain S. Longthorpe at the well-known shipyard of the Smith Dock Company, North Shields. The trawler attracted much attention whilst in dock, and her maiden voyage realised £207.
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Log book entries:
19.01.1910
50 or 60 miles W by S of Fastnet.
Boat loss and other damage - shipped heavy sea.
T.J. Hawkins (Skipper)
George Johnson (Chief Engineer)
26.02.1910
T. Haran, trimmer, age 29; Welsh, born Milford, residing Milford.
Rate of exchange P2700 to one pound Sterling.
G.W. Gethin for His Majesty's Consul.
I hereby certify that I have sanctioned the discharge of T. Haran on the grounds of sickness. No wages have been paid.
G.W. Gethin.
24.10.1910
On Saturday morning, 24th October 1910, whilst steaming from the westward to Kinsale, weather being thick and dirty, we struck a rock somewhere close to Mizzen Head. We were steaming about 4 miles an hour at the the time. I immediately put the engines full speed astern and got her clear, and I then stopped the engine and sounded vessel but found nothing amiss. I at once proceeded to Milford, arrived Sunday 25th October.
G.T. Cobley (Skipper)
05.03.1912
On 5th March, while steaming for the fishing grounds we came to a steamship 'Osmanie' [sic], disabled. After lying by him all night, we towed him to Swansea with the help of the steam trawlers 'Kirkland' and 'Halcyon', arriving there on Thursday morning, 7th March, after putting two men on board the 'Osmanie' to assist in docking.
G.T. Cobley (Skipper)
[ See local newspaper report below. ]
07.01.1913
Bay of Biscay
Broke the ship's frame on which the stay of the boiler fastened to and started several rivets leaking.
G.T. Cobley (Skipper)
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From a local newspaper, possibly the West Wales Guardian of Friday 8th March 1912:
News reached us yesterday that the Glasgow steamer Osmanli, of 2,240 tons, loaded with coal and bricks, had been towed into Swansea by three Milford trawlers: the Halcyon (belonging to Messrs. Brand and Co.); the Kirkland (Mr. Birt and D. J. Davies, part owner and skipper); and the Cameo (Mr. Johnson's). They had found the steamer on her beam ends and abandoned, and the crew, it is believed, had put into Padstow. No details are as yet known.
From the Haverfordwest & Milford Haven Telegraph of Wednesday 13th March 1912:
The Glasgow steamer "Osmanli", 4,000 tons registered*, was towed into Swansea on Thursday by the steam trawlers "Cameo", "Kirkland" and "Halcyon", having picked up the derelict off Lundy Island on Tuesday. Before the trawlers took her in tow the Lowestoft fishing smack "V & A" had sighted her in a heavy gale flying signals of distress, and put two men aboard of her, and another Lowestoft trawler, the "Bentar", took off her crew of 25, subsequently landing them at Padstow.
The "Osmanli" was loaded with steam coal, and the ship and cargo are assumed to be worth about £35,000. The vessel had a big list when brought into the King's Dock, Swansea.
The trawlermen expect a big reward by way of salvage. "The Osmanli was caught by a gale 20 miles off Trevose Head," said the mate of the Milford steam trawler "Cameo", which was at the bow of the steamer that was being towed in. "I do not blame them, the crew, for leaving her, for she was in a very bad way, terrible seas making her quite helpless. We, together with the Kirkland and the Halcyon, all three trawlers belonging to Milford, then got hold of her, and with the smack V & A in attendance, made for Swansea. We had a fearful time. We had not a bite or sup for 48 hours, and every hour we found that the boat would break away. The weather was something awful, and heaven only knows how we got her in eventually. The Master of the "Osmanli", Captain McDonald, was loath to leave his ship, but the boat was rapidly heeling over, and it was touch and go getting her to port, I tell you."
The "Halcyon" appears to have been the first of the steam trawlers to get hold of the prize, then the "Kirkland" (Captain D. J. Davies), but so hazardous was the task that it was extremely fortunate that the "Cameo" (Captain George Cobley) came along at just the right moment.
The Mate, whose story is told above, is Walter Dewsbury, Milford Haven. The trawlers have now left Swansea and put to sea, and the crew of these vessels will anxiously await the prize award.
[ * Actually 2283 g.r.t ]
In May 1912, Mr. Justice Bargreave Deane found that the value of the OSMANLI and her cargo was £7,845, and he awarded a total sum of £3,190, divided as follows:
PANTIRE (for saving 14 lives) £140; E.M.W. (which saved 10 lives) £100; "G AND E" (whose mate and 2 hands took charge of the OSMANLI) £300; HALCYON, KIRKLAND and CAMEO (principal salvors) £800 each, apportioning £500 to each of the owners, £50 to each of the masters, and £250 to each of the crews; a pilot and 3 others received £100, the BEAUFORT £100 and the CONQUEROR £50.
£800 is worth £52,748 today (measured by RPI) or £277,685 (by average earnings). By the latter measurement, each of the trawler skippers would have received the equivalent of £17,355 today.
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From the Haverfordwest & Milford Haven Telegraph of Wednesday 27th January 1915:
A TRAWLER'S MISHAP.
On Friday the steam trawler, "W.H. Podd" (Brand & Co.) arrived back from sea in tow of another trawler, and as her flag was flying it was feared something serious had happened. It appears that whilst about 30 miles off St. Anne's Head, the rudder broke down and the vessel became helpless. The skipper, W. Blockwell, hoisted a flag for assistance, and the steam trawler "Cameo" came along and towed her safely to port. The fact that the flag was still kept on the foremast gave rise to a rumour that one of the crew had been washed overboard, and this spread throughout the town rapidly. Some people seemed even eager to inform the parents of the young man. Fortunately it was not true and the mystery is how it started.
From the Haverfordwest & Milford Haven Telegraph of Wednesday 29th September 1915:
A NEW RECORD.
All records have been broken at Milford Haven Fish Market by the remarkable sum realised from the sale of fish landed by the steam trawler Cameo on Monday morning, the gross result amounting to £1,023. The vessel had over 100 kits of hake and as the prices ruled from £5 17s. 6d. to £6 2s. 7d. this had much to do with the huge earnings. The present price of fish of course is accountable for the big money which is being made by some of the trawlers, not so much the quantity of fish landed. The Belgian boats are doing remarkably well and one of these recently made two trips in a week which turned over £800 for the two. The Cameo was out a fortnight. The previous highest was made by the Maristo a few weeks ago and was just under the £1000.
From the Haverfordwest & Milford Haven Telegraph of Wednesday 29th December 1915:
FORMER MILFORD TRAWLER LOST WITH ALL HANDS.
In the severe gales prevailing off the Scottish coast last week end a former Milford trawler the Cameo was wrecked on the rocks near Peterhead and the crew of ten men perished. The Cameo formerly belonged to Mr Johnston of Hazelbeach and was sold quite recently to Grimsby owners.
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