by magoonigal » Fri Jul 27, 2018 9:11 pm
Well it all started with this..and a visit to Bamburgh Castle where there is a 4" gun from SATELLITE donated by J G Potts.
Satellite became a drill ship for the Naval Reserve (not the RNVR) in November 1903. She was used as a base ship during WW1. In 1919 she became a sub division of Tyne Division RNVR and the convenient name Satellite was retained. Used for DEMS training during WW2 she was sold to Mr Potts and moved to Phoenix Wharf, Gateshead on 13 July 1947 with breaking being finished on 6 August 1948. She was replaced at South Shields by the Algerine class minesweeper Melita which took on the name Satellite. Melita was succeeded in 1951 by another Algerine - Brave. Brave remained as Satellite until 1958 when the sub division was closed and she was broken up by Clayton and Davie at Dunston.
And we were trying to work out where PHOENIX WHARF was......
Spillers moved to Tyneside in 1896 when they took over Daudson's Phoenix Mill which was on the Close just west of the High Level Bridge, on the Newcastle Side of the River, so the presumption was that the Wharf would be adjacent to it and not on the Gateshead side. Not sure if Mr Potts broke up any more vessels or if this was a one off...
Paul Hood. + WSS Tyneside Branch Hon Sec.