FRIENDSHIP BM244
Official No: 120067 Port Number and Year: 6th in Brixham, 1905
Description: Wooden smack. Ketch rigged.
Crew: 4
Built: J. W. & A. Upham, Brixham, 1905.
Tonnage: 37 grt
Length / breadth / depth (feet):
Engine: n/a.
Owners:
17 May 1905: Ernest Albert Stockman, 37 New Road, Brixham.
7 Sep 1909: Christina Jenkerson, Milford
Landed at Milford: 19 Mar 1907 - 17 Nov 1908; 14 Jun 1909 - 23 Jan 1917
Skippers: R.J. Foster (1910 - see below); Albert Tucker (1917)
Notes: 17 Dec 1910: In distress off Lundy, Skipper R.J. Foster and Second Hand C.R. Stook were lost overboard. [See "Times" extract below.]
13 Feb 1917: UC 65 (Kptlt. Otto Steinbrinck) stopped and sunk the smack with explosive charges. All hands lost subsequently.
[ Recorded in the German official history series "Der Krieg zur See"; thanks to Michael Lowrey. ]
(3 Nov 1917: UC 65 torpedoed by HM Sub C15 at 50°31’N 00°27’E. 22 dead and 5 survivors. uboat.net. )
Accidents and Incidents
From the Brixham Heritage Sailing Trawlers Archive:
April 1907 - Collided with BM71 'Bonnie Lass' in Bristol Channel. Stem and Bowsprit carried away.
Dec 1910 - In the Bristol Channel Gale she lost two men overboard; Skipper: R. J. Foster and Second Hand C. R. Stook were lost. The two apprentices, Hugh Keating and Frank Cheadle, were rescued by BM25 'Gratitude' and later she and BM43 'Varuna' towed the badly damaged vessel first to Milford and the next day to Brixham. Foster and Stook each left and wife and four children
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From "The Pembrokeshire Herald and General Advertiser" of Friday 23rd December 1910:
HAVOC AT MILFORD
VESSELS DRIVEN ASHORE
In a more detailed account, our Milford correspondent writes:—
The terrific gale which prevailed last Thursday and Friday wrought tremendous havoc on land and sea. Not since the year 1886 has such a terrible storm occurred on the coasts of Pembrokeshire. The sea was in an awful fury, and presented a sight terrible to behold.
The destruction on land was great, but nothing to compare with that which has wrought on sea. An enormous amount of damage occurred amongst the shipping, but saddest of all is the loss of life.
The storm began to rise early on Thursday morning, and by noon had increased greatly.
..............
MATE AND SKIPPER DROWNED.
Quite a gloom was cast over fishing circles when the news became known that the skipper and mate, R. Foster and C. Stokes, of the Milford smack "Friendship" had been washed overboard and drowned at sea. The smacks "Gratitude" and "Verusa" later fell in with the "Friendship" and towed her to Brixham. Everything portable had been washed off the decks but the two apprentice boys on the vessel were rescued. The fishing smack "Beeorchis" [sic] collided with the smack "Curlew," of Brixham, causing extensive damage to the rail and covering board of the latter. The "Beeorchis" was also considerably damaged. Numerous other vessels received minor damages and there are others which were out during the storm but have not yet reported themselves.
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From "The Times", Wednesday 3rd May 1911; p.11:
The fishing smack Friendship, of Brixham, was struck by a tremendous sea and thrown on her beam ends in the Bristol Channel on the 17th December, 1910, the skipper and second hand being washed overboard and drowned. The Gratitude bore down, and with considerable difficulty her small boat, and, manned by Gemton and Tidmarsh, rescued the two surviving members of the Friendship's crew, who had given up all hope of being saved. A very heavy sea was running at the time of the rescue was incurred by the rescuers.
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From the Haverfordwest & Milford Haven Telegraph of Wednesday 31st January 1912:
The fishing smack "Friendship" (Mr. Tom Jenkerson) arrived for Monday's market, and the skipper reported a remarkable experience while at sea the previous day. When off Trevose Head, north Devon, a fire broke out below, but how it originated the crew were unable to say. They put to work and extinguished the outbreak with the means at their disposal, and eventually succeeded, but not before the cabin had been practically gutted.
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From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 2nd March 1917:
MILFORD SMACK SUNK
Once more Milford Haven is the scene of many distressing results of the new piracy campaign and during the past week a number of crews have been landed at the port after harrowing experiences at the hands of the Huns. News came to hand on Friday, that the smack "Friendship", registered at Brixham, but owned by Mr. Thomas Jenkerson, had been sunk, and there were no tidings for [ sic ] the crew on Monday. They consisted of Skipper Albert Tucker, mate H. Rackley (senior), and two apprentices. This is the second smack Mr. Jenkerson has lost within a few weeks. Much anxiety is felt for the crew.
From Merchant Shipping Losses, 1914-1918:
February 1917 Name - Friendship (smack). Tons - 37. Date - 13th. Position - Off Smalls. Cause of Loss - submarine. How attacked - Captured.
How sunk - Not known. Lives lost - 4 including Skipper
From R. &. B. Larn (2000): Shipwreck Index of the British Isles - West Coast and Wales:
FRIENDSHIP 13/02/1917
Pembrokeshire, The Smalls, offshore 51.44N 05.33.30W
.........
This fishing smack was captured by a German submarine, but by what means she was sunk is uncertain, since all four crew including her skipper were lost.
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