CYELSE M138

 

As FD67 (1934-49)

Courtesy of Fleetwood Maritime Heritage Trust and The Bosun's Watch

(See below as HMS CYELSE.)

Official No:    127407   Port Number and Year: 5th in Milford, 1912

                                                                                 -     in Fleetwood, 1934 (FD67)

Description:  Steel side / beam trawler; steam screw; coal burner. Ketch rigged: mainsail and mizzen. 

Crew: 9 men (1912).

Registered at Milford: 20 May 1912

Built: Cochrane & Sons, Selby 1912.  (Yard no. 523)

Tonnage: 236.58 gross 92.8 net 

Length / breadth / depth (feet):  120 / 21.5 / 11.8

Engine: T.3-cyl. 58 rhp. 10 kts.  Charles D. Holmes, Hull

Owners:

 

20 May 1912: David Pettit, 'Westcliff', Wellington Rd., Hakin (64/64)

Managing owner.

 

25 Feb 1934:  Boston Deep Sea Fishing & Ice Co., 232 Dock St., Fleetwood

30 Oct 1934: Mason Trawlers, 200 Dock St., Fleetwood. 

Manager:  Thomas Cardwell. 1945: R. H. Bagshaw.

11 Dec 1934: As FD67.

 

Landed at Milford: 23 Jun 1912 - 2 Feb 1915; 12 Jan 1920 - 19 Aug 1934

Skippers:

Thomas Wm. Leggett cert 7028, age 33, born Gorleston, residing 59 Waterloo Rd., Hakin; signed on 6 Jun, 8 Jul 1912

E. Gibbs 7164, 32, Yarmouth, 182 Robert St., Milford; 11 Oct 1912; 10 Jan 1913

George C. Nichols 05538, 47, Stamford, - ; 4 Mar 1913

Notes: 

9 Feb 1915: Requisitioned for war service and converted minesweeping duties (Admy.No.975). 1x12 pdr.  1x7.5" bomb thrower.

1919: Returned to owner.

21 Aug 1931: On the rocks in Ireland for six hours.  [ See "The Times" report below. ]

Aug 1940: Requisitioned for war service and converted for water tank duties (boiler feed) (P.No. Y.7.8)

23 Dec 1943: In Convoy XK13, Gibraltar to Liverpool.

1944: Converted to a fuelling trawler (P.No.Y7.16).

23 May 1944: Assigned as a fuelling trawler to Force G, Operation Neptune.

Mar 1946: Returned to owners.

4 Mar 1949: Wrecked at Castle Bay, Barra

Cert. Cancelled & Milford Registry Closed:  30 Oct 1934.

[Lofthouse T., Mayes G., Newton D., & Thompson M. (2012): Cochrane Shipbuilders

Vol.1: 1884 - 1914.]

 Accidents and Incidents:

From the Haverfordwest and Milford Haven Telegraph of Wednesday 26th June 1912:

 

    The steam trawler "Cyelse", recently built at Beverley, Hull, to the order of Mr. David Pettit, arrived at her home port of Milford Haven with her maiden voyage on Monday, which when sold at the Fish Market grossed about £200.  She is a fine vessel constructed on the most modern lines, and is a welcome addition to the local fishing fleet.  The Skipper in charge is Mr. Legget.

 

__________________________

Log book entry:

 

11.12.1912

Collided with steam liner 'Eagle'.  Sank her, five men drowned off her.  Leaving Milford Haven about 5.30 p.m. to proceed to sea.  'Eagle' coming up Haven to go to Dock.

    E. Gibbs (Skipper)

    W. Blockwell (Mate 4565)

[ See below. ]

___________________________

From the Haverfordwest and Milford Haven Telegraph of Wednesday 21st February 1913:

 

[ The concluding paragraph of a lengthy report on the inquiry into the loss of the EAGLE: ]

 

THE JUDGEMENT

    The judgement was announced at noon on Monday.

    The Court found:

    The loss of the steamship Eagle and the consequent loss of life were caused by the collision with the steamship Cyelse, which collision was brought about by the defective look out kept on on the Cyelse, and by that vessel failing to keep clear of the Eagle as she should have done.  The efforts to save life made by the men of the Cyelse after the collision were of an unsatisfactory character, largely due to the fault of the second hand.

    For the above-mentioned defaults the Court suspends the certificate of Edward Gibbs, the skipper of the Cyelse, for nine months, and that of the second hand, William Blockwell, for three months.

    The court finds George Ernest Sturley, skipper of the Eagle, not in default for the collision, but censures him for not exhibiting his masthead lights in accordance with the regulation.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From The Scotsman of Friday 22nd March 1929, p.4:

 

SHIPPING NOTES

.........

VALENTIA WIRELESS STATION, Mar 21.― Steam trawler CYELSE, of Milford, ashore on rocks off Lonehort Point, slightly holed forward.  Following from H.M.S. Scythe at 1.24 p.m.― Trawler CYELSE refloated 10.0 a.m. and proceeded under own power.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 31st May 1929:

 

MILFORD SKIPPERS SUMMONED

Alleged Racing into Dock

Magistrates and Conflicting Evidence

    Two Milford skippers, Albert Riby, of the s.t. "R. Croft" [sic, passim], and Reg High, of the s.t. "Tealby", were summoned by Capt. W. R. Marrs, at Milford Sessions on Wednesday, before Ald. Robert Cole and other magistrates, for refusing to obey his orders when entering Milford Docks on May 8th.

    Mr. G. T. Kelway (Messrs. Price and Kelway, solicitors), appeared on behalf of the Docks Company.

    Mr. G. T. Kelway, for the Docks Company, said that at the early morning tide of May 8th, about 4.23, when it was still dark - when the dock gates were opened, there were four vessels outside ready to come in.  The signal for vessels to approach the dock during the hours of darkness was the hoisting of two green lights on the Pier Head.  This was done, and the nearest vessel, the s.t. "Surmount" proceeded towards the lock, followed by another vessel.  The other two trawlers, the R. Croft and the "Tealby", instead of coming on in single line, came in abreast and raced for the dock entrance.  The Dock Master at once saw there was the imminent likelihood of a collision, and switched off the lights as a signal for the ships to stop, but instead of stopping the two trawlers continued to proceed towards the Dock entrance..  The dock master hailed them and told them to stop racing.  However, they continued to come ahead, and only stopped when actually in the dock.  The vessels did not actually charge into the dock gates.  The defendants violated two bye-laws of the Dock Company.

    Mr. Kelway explained that these prosecutions were not brought in a spirit of vindictiveness.  It was in the very best interests of the trawlers themselves.  There were two great dangers; firstly, damage might be done to the dock gates, and secondly there might be a collision at the dock entrance which would probably cause one or more trawlers to sink.

    Capt. Marrs, the dock master, and Capt. Hurry, assistant dock master, bore out the solicitor's statement.

    High pleaded not guilty, and added that on this particular night there was a strong westerly wind blowing and visibility was bad.  The dock master allowed them to get in too close before putting on the lights, which was an error on his part.  "It is the easiest thing in the world," concluded the skipper, "to stand on the pier head and shout 'Go astern', but a ship is not like a horse and cart.  I carried out his orders as best as I possibly could."

    Riby, the other defendant, also pleaded not guilty, and stated that the lights went out when he was abreast of the buoys, and his engines had stopped.  If they were in the wrong the "Sialese" [ sic - almost certainly the CYELSE, which also landed on 8th May ] was also in the wrong.

    Mr. Kelway: There was a further incident with the "Sialese" when she got into the dock and she was punished for it.

    Asked why the "Sialese" was punished, Capt. Hurry stated that whilst they were dealing with these two vessels, they told the skipper not to move from his position.  After attending to the two vessels they found the "Sialese" had gone ahead, and as a result they ordered it to go at the foot of the market.  The reason why this ship was not summoned was because it was not to blame in the first place.

    Mr. L. J. Meyler:  By doing that haven't you given this boat preference?

    Capt. Hurry:  I have given no preference at all.

    After retiring, the chairman of the Bench (Ald. Robert Cole) announced that they had considered the case very carefully and had come to the conclusion that the evidence was very conflicting, and they, therefore, dismissed the case.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Times, Saturday, Aug 22, 1931; pg. 5; Issue 45908.


     CASUALTY REPORTS

From Lloyd's

..................

CYELSE — Milford Haven. Aug 20 — Trawler Cyelse of Milford Haven, been on rocks of Irish coast six hours, got her off, damage unknown, small boat gone.

 

_______________________

 

As HMS CYELSE, April 1945

LemaireSoft website

 

 

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