WILLIAM CALE M250 / LO79

 

As LO79

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

Official No:  145176   Port Number and Year:   139th in London, 1922 (LO510)

                                                                                     5th in Milford, 1922 (M250)

                                                                                       -  in  London, 1927 (LO79)

Description: Castle Class steel side trawler; steam screw, coal burning. Ketch rigged: foresail and mizzen.

Crew:  10 men (1922)

Registered at Milford: 21 Jun 1922

Built: 1917; by Bow McLachlan & Co., Paisley.  (Yard no. 346)

Tonnage: 276.06 grt  112.68 net.

Length / breadth / depth (feet):  125.7  / 23.45 / 12.85

Engine: T 3-Cyl. 61 nhp. 10 kts.  Engine: by builders.

Owners:

 

As LO510

11 May 1921: The Secretary of the Admiralty, Whitehall, London SW1.

Managing owner.

 

As M250

21 Jun 1922: Morgan Watkin Howell, 19 St Ann's Rd., Hakin, Milford.                      32/64

Managing owner: John McRae Knight, 'Craiglyn', Wellington Rd., Hakin, Milford.    32/64 

 

29 Jan 1927: Iago Steam Trawling Co. Ltd., Docks, Milford.

Manager: Edward Douglas Wyndham Lawford, Bunkers Hill, Milford.

11 May 1927: As LO79.

(Edward D. W. Lawford based his ships at Fleetwood, but the company address remained in Milford.)

 

Landed at Milford: (RN - 4 Apr 1919. Laid up until sold.)

M250: 13 May, 25 Jul, 22 Aug, 5 and 24 Sep, 19 Oct - 29 Nov 1922. 

3 Jan - 23 Nov 1923; 1 Sep 1924 - 9 May 1927.

LO79: 22 May 1927 -  2 Mar 1930.

Skippers: Walter Aldridge, Cert. 5849, 1928.

Notes: 

William Cale, age 21, born in London; O.S., HMS VICTORY, at Trafalgar.

19 Sep 1917: Launched for the Admiralty (Admy.No. 3666). 1 x 12 pdr.

1922: Sold to mercantile.

Aug 1939: Requisitioned by the Admiralty and converted to minesweeper (P.No. FY 535).

Jan 1941: Under Ty.Sk. C. E. Gornall RNR, and together with MILFORD EARL (Ty.Lt. J. S. Neate RNVR), PHINEAS BEARD (Sk. W.W. McRuvie RNR), TEROMA (Ty.Lt. W. M. Morrison RNVR), formed Minesweeping Group 41 at Hartlepool.

 Jan 1942: Together with TEROMA, formed Minesweeping Group 41 at Grimsby

6 Dec 1942: In collision with WINHA (ex Finnish freighter, seized by  MoWT Dec 1941), which was badly damaged. (WINHA was later sunk as breakwater Gooseberry 3, Gold Beach.)

Jul 1945: Returned to Owners.

18 Oct 1955: Arrived at Troon for breaking up.

[ Information from  the Fleetwood Maritime Heritage Trust and "The Bosun's Watch". ]

Cert. Cancelled & Milford Registry Closed: 29 Jan 1927. Transferred to the port of London.

 Accidents and Incidents

From the West Wales Guardian of Friday 3rd July 1925:

 

    On Friday evening, when the steam trawler William Cale arrived in dock, the mate, Mr Fred Slade of Shakespeare Avenue, was brought ashore suffering from severe injuries as a result of a serious accident aboard the previous day.  During fishing operations he was caught by the warp against the bulwark, his head being jammed.  By the promptitude of skipper, W. Aldridge, in reversing his engines, it is probable that this action saved the mate's life. When he was released it was seen how serious his injuries were, his head, jaw and tongue being badly cut.  He remained unconscious for a considerable time.  On arrival at the dock wall he was taken home by a car and surgical [aid] summoned.  He is at the moment as well as can be expected.

 

   

Back to Trawlers 1915-39