NAIRANA M238
As VIKING ENDEAVOUR A616
With thanks and acknowledgements to Shetland Museum and Archives
Official No: 128766 Port Number and Year: 4th in Milford 1913
- in Grimsby, 1919 (GY630)
- in Hull, 1942 (H528)
- in Aberdeen, 1943 (A616)
Description: Steel side / beam trawler; steam screw; coal burner. Ketch rigged: foresail, mainsail and mizzen.
Crew: 9 men (1913); 10 men (1920); 9 men (1924).
Registered at Milford: 12 Dec 1913
Built: Hall Russell & Co., Aberdeen, 1913. (Yard no. 537)
Tonnage: 224.85 gross 86.9 net
Length / breadth / depth (feet): 117.8 / 22.5 / 12.15
Engine: T.3-cyl. 75.5 nhp. 10.5 kts. Engine and boiler by builders.
Owners:
As M238
12 Dec 1913: Edward Brand, Great North Rd., Milford. (16/64) Managing owner.
James Tidman, Gorleston on Sea. (16/64)
Walter Humphrey Podd, 387 London Rd., Lowestoft (Smack owner) (16/64)
Charlie Thomas Pannell, 31 Berg Cres., Stamford Hill, London. (Trawler owner) (16/64)
26 Nov 1917: The Mills Steam Co., 5 Fen Court, Fenchurch, London EC.
Manager: Frederick B. O'Meara
20 Feb 1918: Henry Smethurst (16/64) )
Henry Carl Smethurst (16/64) ) Fish Docks,
John Wintringham Smethurst (16/64) Managing owner. ) Grimsby.
William Wintringham Smethurst (16/64) )
30 Mar 1918: Henry Smethurst, Fish Dock Road, Grimsby.
Manager: John W. Smethurst.
9 Dec 1919: Registered as GY630
May 1924: Trawlers (White Sea & Grimsby), Auckland Rd., Fish Docks, Grimsby.
Manager: Harold Bacon, Corby House, Wellowgate, Grimsby. (1924)
James N. Bacon, Westland Corner, 36 Bargate, Grimsby. (1930)
C. G. Mastin. (1941)
Jan 1942: Trawlers Grimsby.
Manager: C. G. Mastin.
As H528
Aug 1942: Hull Merchants Amalgamated Trawlers
1944: George Robb & Sons, Aberdeen.
By 1948: As VIKING ENDEAVOUR A616
Landed at Milford: 14 Dec 1913 - 25 Jan 1916
Skippers: Edward Major (6264); James Daniel Bryant (8257), 1915
Notes:
Nairana is 560 miles northwest of Brisbane, in the Nairana National Park; the Royal Navy requisitioned a merchant vessel on her stocks as HMS NAIRANA on 27th February 1917 for completion as a combined landplane and seaplane carrier.
Nov 1915: Requisitioned for war service and converted to a minesweeper (Admy.No.2513), as NAIRANA.
Mar 1917: Renamed NAIRANA II.
1919: Returned to owners.
23 Feb 1920: Rescued the crew of the auxiliary schooner MARIE I, abandoned in the North Sea after a fire aboard.
Nov 1939: Requisitioned for war service and converted to an armed patrol vessel.
Feb 1940: Returned to owners.
1960: Broken up.
Cert. Cancelled & Milford Registry Closed: 24 Nov 1919. Vessel transferred to the port of Grimsby.
Accidents and Incidents:
From the Haverfordwest and Milford Haven Telegraph of Wednesday 17th December 1913:
The new steam trawler which had been built at Aberdeen to the order of Messrs. Brand and Co., and named the Nairana, arrived at Milford Docks for Monday's market. She is a fine craft, built on the latest principles, and her maiden catch realised £160. The same firm, we understand, expect delivery of another similar vessel about February next, and both will be a welcome addition to the port's fleet, which is sadly in need of augmentation. Another dozen or something like twenty trawlers is necessary to keep a regular supply to the market at the present time. Mr. Brand and Co. have disposed of their smaller vessels, viz. Halcyon, Teal, Osprey and Cygnet, to Mr Curzon, the owner of the steam trawler Quebec, and they will remain in the port. These vessels, known as the little London boats, have done remarkably well ever since they came to the port.
_______________________________
Transcription of a letter in the Les Jones Archive:
Brand & Company,
Fish Salesman & Steam Trawler Owner.
Milford Haven
September 20th, 1915
Commander Beresford White, R.N.,
Minesweeper Supply for the Admiralty.
Dear Sir,
Your son sent for me this morning and asked me to write to you, giving my reasons why the Admiralty should not take our latest vessel, the "Nairana". They say we have four other vessels, but these belong to Mr. Curzon and his friends, and when Mr. C. E. Curzon took a minesweeping commission, he asked me to look after his interests while he was away, and it would be very unfair for us to lose our only chance of carrying on our business through this. We are also paying three of our shore staff who have joined the army half their wages, and we cannot do this, neither keep on our old servants, if we lose the "Nairana".
I hope you will be able to make the Admiralty look at this in a fair light, as they have already had our "Koorah", "Noogana", "W.H. Podd", "Salome", "Joseph and Sarah Miles" and "Alpha". The last three were under our management.
Yours faithfully,
E. Brand.
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