GRENADA H947

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

From an unknown local newspaper from the week beginning 6th September 1936:

 

    The two latest additions to the fleet are expected to land their first catches at their new port shortly.  The s.t. Solan, which has been purchased from Hull by the brothers C. and O. Purdy, will be leaving Hull after her overhaul today, and she will fish a trip on the way round.

    The other trawler is the s.t. Grenada, which has been purchased at Grimsby by the young Milford firm of Messrs. Yolland and Lewellyn.  She is of the crabbing class of trawler that has been doing very well at the port.  She is undergoing a refit at Grimsby under the supervision of Skipper John Yolland, senior, who will bring her round to the West Coast for her first voyage shortly.

 

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From an unknown local newspaper from the week beginning 20th September 1936:

 

    The s.t. Grenada has left the port of Grimsby and she is fishing a trip before coming to Milford.  She is under command of Skipper J. Horst.  Mr. John Yolland (senior), who has been Superintendent while she was being reconditioned, will come around in her.

     

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The Times, Friday, Oct 05, 1945; pg. 2; Issue 50265; col E

     News in Brief

trawler blown up by mine

        Nine men are believed to have lost their lives when the trawler Grenada was blown up by a mine off the south coast of Ireland on Wednesday night.

        The owners, the Milford Shipping Company, were informed yesterday that a survivor, James Patrick Barrett, of Haverfordwest, had been picked up by the London steamer Fort Souris.  It is believed that the Grenada landed a mine in her trawl.

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From the South Wales Guardian 5th October 1945:

    MILFORD TRAWLER BLOWN UP

     NINE MEMBERS OF CREW MISSING

        Fishing in thick fog about thirty miles south of the Old Head of Kinsale on Wednesday night the Milford Haven steam trawler "Grenada" caught a mine in its trawl and was sunk.

        Only one member of the crew of ten has been found.  He is James Patrick Barrett, aged 42, of 55 Coronation Avenue, Haverfordwest, who was picked up by the British steamer, Fort Souris, outward bound from the Clyde for Port Said and Madras early on Thursday morning.

        The nine missing members of the crew are:-

Skipper. Frederick Wright.  30, Shakespeare Avenue, Milford Haven.

Mate. F. Bryan. 19, Prioryville, Milford Haven.

Bosun.  Walter Parking Harrison. 1, Castle Terrace, Milford Haven.

Third Hand. Rene Lusyne.  5, Frederick Street, Neyland.

Deckhand.  Maurice Verhalgh.  153, Robert Street, Milford Haven.

Deckhand.  Thomas Young. c/o Mrs. James, 50, St.Peter's Road, Milford Haven.

Cook.  Thomas Hill.  10, Pickering Homes, Hull.

Chief Engineer.  Charles Henry Smith.  2, Hakinville, Milford Haven.

Second Engineer.  Sidney Morgans, Marloes.

 

        A radio message was received on Thursday evening stating that Third Engineer Barrett had been landed at Lands End.

 

SEARCH FOR SURVIVORS

        First news of the "Grenada's" fate came on Thursday morning with a wireless message to Lloyds from the "Fort Souris" that Barrett had been picked up and had reported that a mine had caught in the "Grenada's" trawl.  It was stated that the bosun, Harrison, might be on a floating grating in the vicinity.  A search of the area was carried out without success but later a message was received from the "Fort Souris" that it had found a broken raft.  When the news became known an Admiralty vessel was sent out and scoured the sea for hours on Thursday.

 

SERVED THROUGHOUT WAR

        Third Engineer Barrett, who must have been in the water for several hours before being rescued, was making his first trip on the "Grenada".  He is no stranger to the sea however, having sailed on Milford Haven trawlers on many occasions prior to the war.  In January 1940, he volunteered for the Royal Navy and served for five years in the Patrol Service, being released in February last to return to the fishing fleet.  He was at Dunkirk and took part in the D-Day landings on the Continent.  He is a strong swimmer, to which fact he probably owes his life.

        The other members of the crew are comparatively young men and most of them are married.  They are all well-known in Milford Haven, especially in fishing circles, and the news of the tragedy came as a great shock to everyone.  Several of them had only just joined the "Grenada".  Morgans, the second engineer, however, had served on her throughout the war.

 

ATTACKED SEVERAL TIMES 

        The "Grenada", which is of 183 tons, sailed from Milford Haven on 27th September and was due back within a few days.  It fished regularly from Milford Haven throughout the war and was attacked by enemy aircraft on several occasions.  It was owned by the Milford Fisheries Ltd., the managing director of which, Mr. O. W. Limbrick, informed next-of-kin immediately the bad news was received.

 

CHAPTER OF MISFORTUNE

        The Milford Fisheries Ltd. has lost no fewer than ten trawlers since the outbreak of war, only one of the firm's original fleet of vessels now remaining.

 

    This chapter of misfortune is unequalled in any port in the country; the number of losses suffered by the firm is, in fact, the highest in

    proportion suffered by any firm in the British Isles.

 

Four of the trawlers were lost while fishing, two of them, "John Baptist" [sic] and "Loch Awe" disappearing without trace in 1940 during the period of constant attacks by the Luftwaffe.  The third, the "Gozo", was lost in similar circumstances to the "Grenada" and in the same locality a few months ago, but all the crew were saved.

 

It will be recalled that three weeks ago the "Thomas Booth", also owned by the Milford Fisheries, picked up a torpedo in its net and succeeded in carrying it back to Milford Haven without mishap.  The Company's latest acquisition, the s.t. "Peter Carey", purchased from Capt. Lawford, sailed yesterday, Thursday.

 

   

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