E Coast R.N. Named Ships

[E28]

How about 2 for the price of none?

As the open bridge with its merits or otherwise prevails let's do some more open bridge antics with this subject about 12 miles up the Yorkshire Esk.

We have already visited one Ton class sweeper, Rennington, where these coastal craft were designed in the early 1950's and constructed using predominantly aluminium and non ferrous metals for their superstructure and hull frame which was then planked with mahogany.

But that is only half the story. At the same time a mine hunter was also designed and developed with Thornycroft, who took the design and build lead for all these vessels, and in 1952 had contracts to build the first 3. These hunters would differ from the Tons in being of composite construction, in the same manner the composite inshore Ley class differed from the Hams.

The 3 new coastal hunters were named for villages ending in Thorpe with Ainthorpe 12 miles up the Yorkshire Esk being amongst this trio.

This patently is not Ainthorpe as the entire Thorpe plan was cancelled for myriad reasons in march 1953, mainly trouble with new mine hunting sonar, but a Ton sweeper sans pendant number which will have looked similar.

Why 2 for the price of none? Just west of Ainthorpe is Castleton which was another Ton which saw no white ensign service either and not named for that specific village anyway.

Oh yeah. The Thorpe trio were Ainthorpe, Bilsthorpe and Cutthorpe. Or would have been, later 18 Tons were converted to hunters. With enclosed bridges.

[Hornbeam]

Difficult to say which Town called Castleton the Minesweeper was named after as there are numerous Castleton(s) in England along with numerous Castleton(s) in the USA which RN had connections with due to a Lend/ Lease 4 Stacker which was scrapped in the late 1940’s
Castleton in Indiana was apparently presented with the Ships Bell by the Admiralty as a reverse gift bearing in mind as far am aware the Minesweepers came under the Marshall Aid Plan as GB was broke due to paying off the huge debt we owed the US which was.completed not that long ago.

[E28]

Let's stick with Castleton for this despite a rather tenuous connection and the lend lease US destroyer transferred and commissioned in Halifax 9 sept 1940 as one of the 50 we acquired in the destroyers for bases deal with Castleton amongst the original 8 all initially keeping their US names, in this case Aaron Ward and not until the 17 sept were they renamed. There are at least 7 Castletons in the UK, the ships badge being an illusion to a castle and incorporating a white 5 pointed mullet, or star, this feature incorporated in all these destroyers badges. Castleton was adopted by the borough of Clitheroe, lancs following warship week 21-28 march 1942.

At sea on 19 november 1941 Castleton suffered a most unusual event when 1 of her scuttling charges detonated killing 1 man, this the same day as the Australian cruiser Sydney was sunk with her entire complement off west Australia by the German auxiliary Kormoran mutually destroyed in this action.

Here she is alongside early 1942 after a refit putting on a pretty impressive display of flags from her foremast where the ships bunting tosser must be using every flag from their lockers, maybe they are all airing or is there some attempt at Nelsons famous England expects from Trafalgar signal.

[Hornbeam]

Dug out a photo from my time at Vernon, the Sweeper on the left is HMS Gavinton (Red “V” Fleet) this was the vessel that was towed by a Helicopter, the right hand Sweeper had just been built and was on her way around to GiB with a scratch Crew off Vanguard to be brought up to Tranche 2.
The middle Sweeper was also one of the Red “V” Fleet, somewhere I have a photo of HMS Deepwater which was also alongside Vernon, from an Engineering point of view a very interesting vessel propulsion wise.



.

[Hornbeam]

Photograph taken at HMS Vernon.
Not exactly named after any NE Rivers but certainly was crewed from the N.E. as I am sure this was “HMS” Northumbria “, I met some of her Crew in the Fes Bar at Southsea haunt of the Royal Yachties in the days when you wore the Uniform with pride outside of “work” before concerns about possible shootings by the IRA of Military Personnel stopped it.
The changing of Ships names off the “Tons” to Northumbria or the wonderfully named Killiecrankie seemed a bit of administrative nightmare.
Had a great evening with them even though I was a “Smoggie”

[E28]

Grimsby - GY.168 - steel steam trawler.

1896 would see one of the largest ever orders for new steel steam trawlers. The Grimsby company Hagerup, Doughty & Co had 51 new boats built by three builders plus 6 larger fish and ice carriers.

The largest order went to the old yard Govan of Mackie & Thomas who initially did 25 with a further 17 follow up plus all 6 carriers. All these boats were launched between september 1896 and june 1898, 57 in 21 months, quite an achievement.

This is the yard beam plan for what will be the lead boat Aberdeen and for whom the entire class is named, M & T yard 121, Grimsby being 127, and all these trawlers were identical. They were constructed 2 or 3 up on the same slip, each on that slip launched the same day, Grimsby launched 18 nov 1896 with Fleetwood 126 and Harwich 128, there after completion was a matter of weeks.

The plan is clear to read, all the caught fish, coal and ice in the forward sections abaft the crew space up the sharp end, the larger empty void is the location for the kettle at fore end, the donkey in the aft portion making these trawlers quite distinctive with the raked funnel ahead of the bridge structure. They carried 2 masts with a yawl rig and a crew of 8 plus lads.

I will be devoting this entire month to this single town only, lots more to follow.

Please note the plans for this are from the LR foundation archive whom i give full credit, a most valuable resource which will be of huge benefit to many.

[E28]

1877 saw Britains first steam trawler designed and built as such in service, it would lead the transformation of the fishing trade which really got steaming, adapting to new ways to use the boats, which got progressively larger, more capable with superior sea worthiness and much extended range which opened up new grounds. Bottom line, much more profitable.

GY.168 and these new Hagerup Doughty steel trawlers were a huge investment, the company needed to finance over £200,000 for them, buildings, offices, contribute to infrastructure and most crucially, the men, experienced men. But then, George Doughty had his fingers in so many pies he had long ago run out of fingers. All his new boats were based on those built for his old and life long friend James Schofield who actually named his own first iron steam trawler Jamesia GY.562

Everyone in Grimsby and beyond knew George Doughty, many today will know of him a century later...

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/sharing/1561800?h=dfa324

H D had their ups and downs, a big down being the destruction by fire of their offices and stores 15 september 1902, the loss at sea of some of their trawlers and men affected everyone, competition became fiercer and the ice business was erratic, most Grimsby trawlers would trawl, return with the catch to then sell at market, not the way things were done in Hull.

The 19 january 1906 saw Hagerup, Doughty & Co Ltd go into voluntary liquidation, here is a reminder that Grimsby GY.168 was still an active member of the fleet, a new future lay ahead for all and sundry.

The new company which H D together with over 50 other businesses became an integral part of was Consolidated steam fishing & ice company ltd, a name first registered 19 december 1905 so something very fishy there. Consolidated and its constituents flourished for the following decade.

August 1914 would change everything. Forever. No one predicted that. Harwich GY.170 launched that same november 1896 day as Grimsby was not amongst those still trawling, sunk in collision 12 february 1913, all crew survived.