MILFORD CONSORT M39

John Stevenson Collection

Official No:  143896    Port Number and Year:        -  in London, 1920 (LO267)                                                                                        -  in Fleetwood, 1924 (FD25)                                                                                        -  in Boulogne, 1928                                                                                        -  in Fleetwood, 1952 (FD110)                                                                                    2nd in Milford, 1955

Description: Castle Class steel side trawler; steam screw, coal burning.

Crew:  14 men (1955).

Registered in Milford: 25 Apr 1955

Built: 1918, by Ailsa Ship Building Co., Ayr.  (Yard no. 343)

Tonnage:  278 grt 121 net (1919), 109 net (By 1924);  283.96 grt 107.75 net. (1955.)

Length / breadth / depth (feet):  125.6 / 23.55 / 12.85

Engine: T 3-Cyl. 61.5 nhp. 10 kts. Engine by Fawcett Preston, 17 Yorke St., Liverpool; boiler by David Rowan & Co. Glasgow

Owners:   As JOHN GEOGHAN LO267. 28 Jan 1920: The Secretary of the Admiralty, Whitehall, London S.W.1 Managing owner.   1924:  Boston Deep Sea Fishing & Ice Co. Ltd., Grimsby. Manager: Fred Parkes, Wyberton, Boston. 21 Nov 1924: As MININGSBY FD25 1926: Boston Deep Sea Fishing & Ice Co. Ltd., Fleetwood. Manager: Fred Parkes, Blackpool.   Aug 1928: Zunequin & Cie, Boulogne. As CONGRÉ   May 1934: Pêcheries de la Morinie, Boulogne Manager: P. Ficheux   Mar 1952: Boston Deep Sea Fishing & Ice Co. Ltd., 238 Dock St., Fleetwood. Manager: Basil Arthur Parks, Holmleigh Ave., Cleveleys. As BOSTON WAYFARER FD110   25 Apr 1955: Milford Steam Trawling Co. Ltd., The Docks, Milford. Manager: Daniel Charles Bruton, St. Ishmaels 20 May 1955: As MILFORD CONSORT M39

Landed at Milford: 22 May 1955 - 8 Feb 1957

Skippers: Grenville Beckett

Notes:  John Geoghegan [sic]; clerk, HMS VICTORY, at Trafalgar. Miningsby is a village in the parish of Revesby (cf. FD499/M28), Lincolnshire. Congre is the French for "conger (eel)". 25 Nov 1918: Completed for the Admiralty as  JOHN GEOGHAN (Admy.no. 3949). 1x12pdr. 14 Nov 1924: London registry closed. 8 Aug 1928: Fleetwood registry closed. Apr 1940: Converted to minesweeper in the Free French Navy (Pennant AD92). 1 Jul 1940: Escaped from France, requisitioned as CONGRÉ, hired by the Admiralty and converted to a minesweeper (magnetic) (P.No. FY 1919) Jul 1943: Employed on miscellaneous naval duties. 1944: Converted to Esso (Y7.6).  Employed on ferrying fuel to the Normandy beaches (Force G, Build-up Squadrons; "Z" L.B. Squadron). 3 Jul 1944: Operation Neptune ended. 7 Jan 1946: Returned to French owners. 19 Apr 1955: Fleetwood registry closed.

Cert. Cancelled & Milford Registry Closed: 13 Apr 1957:  Vessel broken up at Ward's yard, Castle Pill.

Accidents and Incidents

From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 6th January 1956:

 

TRIBUTE TO FISHING ABILITY

SKIPPER HARVEY 'TOPS' AGAIN

(He Has A New Challenger)

 

    OUTSTANDING FEATURE OF THE 1955 MILFORD FISHING LEAGUE WHICH WE PRESENT THIS WEEK IS THE ALL ROUND INCREASE IN TOTALS FOR THE CRABBER AND DRIFTER TRAWLER CLASSES.

    TRUE, THE FLEET IS SMALLER, BUT CATCHES AND PRICES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR HAVE BEEN GENERALLY GOOD AND THE RESULTS ARE A TRIBUTE TO THE FISHING ABILITY OF THE MEN WHO MAN THE SHIPS.

    Milford Fisheries SKIPPER ARTHUR HARVEY, new chairman of the Skippers' and Mates' Sections of the Transport and General Workers' Union, and Captain of the super-Castle Almandine, has retained his 1954 position as the top-earning individual Skipper in the port in 1955, but he has been closely challenged by the excellent results produced by SKIPPER ALFRED BECKETT in the Milford Steam Trawling Company's vessel, Milford King.  Skipper Harvey's total of 23 trips fell £524 short of his 1954 total and was £1,755 ahead of Skipper Beckett's figure.  But the Milford King did not land her first trip in 1955 until February 21st, and made only 20 trips during the year.  So that Skipper Beckett's total based on that number of trips is in fact easily the highest individual record for the year and is without doubt the most outstanding feature of the "League" for 1955.

    Skipper Beckett, the younger brother of Skipper Grenville Beckett, Captain of the Steam Trawling Company's Milford Consort, reached fourth position in the Castle class in 1954, and will undoubtedly continue to challenge the port's present "Don", Skipper Arthur Harvey, who landed no fewer than £2000 and plus trips during the year.

 

 

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