KOORAH  M120

 

As KOORAH A18

John Stevenson Collection

Official No:    128760    Port Number and Year: 2nd in Milford 1912

                                                                                    -   in Grimsby, 1918 (GY122)

                                                                                    -   in Granton, 1935 (GN14)

                                                                                    -   in Aberdeen, 1941 (A249)

                                                                                    -   in Hull, 1944 (H77)

                                                                                    -   in Aberdeen, 1946 (A18)

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

Crew: 9 men (1912); 10 men (1919); 9 men (1929).

Registered at Milford: 4 Mar 1912.

Built: Hall, Russell and Co., Aberdeen, 1912.  (Yard no. 505)

Tonnage: 226.81 gross 86.16 net 

Length / breadth / depth (feet):  117.4 / 22.6 / 12.2

Engine: T.3-cyl. 75.5 nhp.  10 kts. 1911, by builders.

Owners:

 

As M120

4 Mar 1912:  Edward Brand, Johnston Hall, Johnston. )

James Tidman, Gorleston, Great Yarmouth.                 )   Joint

William Humphrey Podd,  Suffolk.                               ) owners

Charles Thomas Parnell, Stamford Hill, London.          )

Managing owner: Edward Brand.

 

26 Nov 1917:  The Mills Steamship Co., 5 Fen Court, Fenchurch St., London E6.

Manager: Frederick B. O'Meara. (Same address.)

 

18 Jan 1918: Thomas Robinson & Frank Wheeler Robinson, Fish Docks, Great Grimsby.

Charles Keen Welton, "Elmshurst", Grove Park, Denmark Hill, London S.E.

Managing owner: Frank W. Robinson.

 

As GY122

20 Mar 1919: Edward E. Cox, 44A Cleethorpe Rd., Grimsby.

Managing owner.

 

1927: Edward E. Cox & Ralph Cox, 44A Cleethorpe Rd., Grimsby.

Managing owners.

 

Feb 1933:  Earl Steam Fishing Co., Hutton Rd., Grimsby

Manager: Sir Alec Black, Bt.  (Same address.)

 

As GN14

1935: George M. Liston, 97 Lower Granton Rd., Edinburgh.

Managing owner.

 

1940: Carnie & Gibb,  Granton. 

Manager: William Carnie Jr.

 

As A249

1941:  Walker Steam Trawl Fishing & Regent Fishing Co. Ltd., Aberdeen 

Manager:  T. Walker.

 

As H77

1945:  A & M Smith , Hull

 

As A18

1946:  Brebner Fishing Co., Aberdeen

Manager: W. Brebner

 

Landed at Milford: 2 Mar 1912 - 28 Dec 1914

Skippers:

George Smith cert. 4601, age 43, born Burton, residing 8 Trafalgar Rd., Milford, signed on 25 Feb, 4 Jul 1912

Edward Easter 4031, 52, Neston, residing Avondale Hotel, Hakin; 4 Sep 1912; 29 May, 7 Jul 1913

James MacDonald 7989, 29, Hull; 9 Jan 1913

Robert Major Limbrick 7616, 50, London; 23 Jan 1913

W. Griffiths 7840, 32, Milford; 26 Nov 1913

Notes: 

Koorah is a homestead in Victoria, Australia, east of Melbourne. 

Aug 1914: Requisitioned for war service and converted to a minesweeper (Ad.No.324)

1919: Returned to owners.

11 Feb 1954:  Went ashore on a reef 1 mile W of Dunnet Head. The crew were rescued by the seine-net boat OUR LASSIE and landed at Scrabster. Salvage failed and the vessel sank.

Cert. Cancelled & Milford Registry Closed:

18 Mar 1919. Vessel transferred to the port of Grimsby.

 Accidents and Incidents:

From a local newspaper, possibly the West Wales Guardian of Friday 8th March 1912:  

 

    The Koorah, Messrs Brand and Co's fine new trawler, landed her first trip yesterday.  She had 60 kits of fish, and made about £117.  She left Aberdeen yesterday fortnight.  She was inspected by many while she lay alongside the market yesterday, and was greatly admired.

 

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

From the Haverfordwest and Milford Haven Telegraph of Wednesday 21st April 1915:

 

Milford Skippers Home from the Dardanelles.

TRAWLERS' DARING WORK UNDER FIRE.

Deed Worthy of V.C. by Skipper Woodgate and His Crew.

THRILLING NARRATIVES.

    The work of the mine-sweepers in the naval operations at the Dardanelles has been brought prominently before the public during the past month, and we are now able to bring some of the most thrilling incidents of this memorable campaign to the notice of our readers. Amongst the fleet of trawlers engaged in these perilous operations were five of the best trawlers belonging to the port of Milford Haven, viz: the G.M. (owner Captain H. Dove): Beatrice (Mr James Thomas): Koorah (Brand & Company); Syringa (Sellick, Morley Price) and Gwenllian (Mr M. W. Howell). The latter's experience was recorded last week in a letter from the skipper. On Sunday the skippers of the five ships arrived home in Milford Haven. and all have remarkable stories to tell. Their names given in the order of their ships mentioned above are — Captain H. James, senior; Captain H. James, junior (two cousins); Captain Robert Woodgate; Captain J. Blake, and Captain R. Limbrick.

    A representative of the" Telegraph" called upon Captain Harry James, senior, at his home in Robert Street, on Monday and congratulated him upon his safe homing coming. Glad to be home again, Skipper?

    Aye, that I am, though it did not look like it on more than one occasion, but, you can take it the sweepers have done fine work out there. Just look at these (here Captain James produced three memoranda from the officer commanding eulogising the work of the trawlers).

    Speaking of his experiences since they left Milford in August last Captain James said they spent most of the time in the North Sea, and were attached to the Lowestoft base, and were in the swim at the time of the first German raid on the East coast. It was in the early part of February that they were sent to Devonport to fit out for the Mediterranean and left for Malta. A month later they were in the thick of it, and after a short spell in the Dardanelles his ship the "G.M." and the "Beatrice" were sent with others to the Gulf of Smyrna to work with Admiral Peirse's squadron where he had his baptism of lire. ..................

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

    All the ships were continually under fire, and although they were hit repeatedly, the shells and shrapnel dId not strike the vital parts. Some had remarkable escapes, as for instance, one trawler was struck by a shell aft. It went through the bunkers, the fish room, cutting the main stanchion, through 25 tons of ballast and out through the bow. In another case the shell went clean through a trawler from side to side. His experiences in the Dardanelles were not so exciting as at Smyrna, though always dangerous.

    The "Telegraph" man next sought out Capt. Robert Woodgate at his house in Brooke Avenue. Modestly but very fully, the skipper unfolded his story, which we venture to think cannot escape the notice of the naval authorities for the deed is worthy of the best traditions of British valour and seamanship. He said that the "Gwenllian" (Capt. Limbrick) and the "Manse Hero" were sweeping partners operating on the fatal night in the Straits when the latter vessel was blown up. The "Koorah" (Capt Woodgate) with other trawlers were on their way down, when the explosion was heard, and cries proceeded from the waters. Capt. Woodgate continued I turned my ship round as I could not bear to think of leaving the poor fellows to drown and we got within call. I asked for volunteers from the crew to launch and man the boat, and boatswain Joseph Abbot, with deck hands Thos. Thompson, and Robert Strachan, at once responded.  I myself dared not leave the bridge. The boat got away, and the men from the lost trawler were picked up and brought aboard the Koorah. He got down from the bridge and asked if all were safe and the reply came that the whole crew of eleven had been rescued. He then ordered the boat to be brought on deck, and as it was being heaved up by the tackle a shot from the shore shattered it to pieces. He then told the men all to get under cover and he turned his ship back down the Straits. As his was the last ship, he had the powerful search-lights from both sides concentrated upon him. He was literally peppered from both sides, but noticing that the shots were missing by a certain distance he made towards the north shore. Had he steered down the centre he did not believe they could possibly have survived the fire. It took exactly an hour and a quarter to get clear, and to his dying day die will never forget the experience.

    That the authorities appreciate the work of these men is shown by the fact that a special signal of congratulation was sent to the skippers in command by the Vice-Admiral.

 

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