royal navy trawlers of ww1

[calvin]

hello, i am trying to find out which r.n. trawlers my grandfather frank baxter of grimsby servd on during the war, also my great grandfather also called frank as well. my great uncle frank ernest robbins was in service as well and anything about him would be helpful. the first thing i know is that possibly my grand fathers service no. was D.A.990 or D.A. 1990 . i seem to remember mentions of ships hmt halcyon2, hms braconlynn, RNRT colonia or colonial also another relative served on the bombay. any help about these ships and possibly others they served on would be of great help. i would also like yo find out where they where stationed and how to get service histories. thankyou for your attention

[horatio2]

John

Your GF's original RNR service record card will be held at the Fleet Air Arm Museum, who can provide a photocopy. Alternatively, the National Archives hold copies of the same cards on micro-fiche. Neither source is available on-line. I suggest you use whichever is the more convenient.

[Mike Cross]

One of the trawlers mentioned is maybe HMS Bracklyn which was sunk May 1917, killing many of the crew. Two of the crew are buried at Lowestoft - maybe your ancestor survived ?

MC

[joseph]

John,

Welcome to the forum,

HALCYON II; Auxiliary Patrol Depot Ship Lowestoft.

The DA prefix to the number denotes Deckhand In the Royal Naval Reserve (Trawler Section).

Regards Charles

[Terence Munson]

Hello John - Welcome to the Forum.

The only vessel I can find information on is the Grimsby steam trawler ’Bombay’ 229 grt. She served two spells of duty in the Royal Navy, four years in the first World War and a brief spell as an auxiliary patrol vessel soon after the outbreak of second World War but was back with the fishing fleet when lost with all hands. The Mate was Frederick Robbins of Grimsby age 26. The Skipper and crew are commemorated on Panel 123. of the TOWER HILL MEMORIAL.

This entry from LOST LIST OF GRIMSBY VESSELS 1800 - 1960 by David Boswell:

2 Aug 1942 BOMBAY (S. T. 229) Missing since 2.8.1942

and from

GRIMSBY’S FIGHTING FLEET

Trawlers and U-Boats during the Second World War

by Harry C. Hutson.

Ref: Pages 75 and 77

........ There is rather less uncertainty over the loss of S.T. 'Bombay', GY-427, though she is still listed in British records as “lost by unknown cause”. The Germans are a little more positive, listing her as “possibly sunk by U-605" (Kapitaenleutnant H. V. Schutze) at 1654 on the 3rd August 1942 in the unprecise grid square AE-68. This position corresponds to approximately 62N 18W. It was normal practice for U-Boats to use four-figure grid references in their reports, and the position of most attacks is recorded in this way, giving a position with the accuracy to within around three nautical miles, while the two-figure reference was obviously far less accurate. Only one positive conclusion can be drawn from this attack. If indeed it was 'Bombay', then Skipper A. Donovan and his crew of thirteen did not survive.

'Bombay' was again a Selby built vessel, completed in 1907 for Mr. A Grant. She was fitted for trawling and 42 year old Skipper Arthur Cook of 35 Park Street, Grimsby, and his crew of nine signed articles on 15th march 1907. Two years later the vessel was under the command of Skipper H. A. Green and her owners were the Grant and Baker Steam Fishing Company, and had been since April 1907. She served two spells of duty in the Royal Navy, four years in the first World War and a brief spell as an auxiliary patrol vessel soon after the outbreak of World War II.

Since the 6thAugust 1909 the ownership of 'Bombay' had been the Diamond Steam Fishing Company, locally known as ‘Taylor’s’. Most of their ships held names of Asian cities.

U-605 was a new boat, on her first patrol. She left Kiel on 28th July 1942 for a North Atlantic patrol before reporting to her new base of Brest to join the 9th U-Boat Flotilla, when she would then be allowed to paint the Flotilla emblem, the Swordfish, on her conning tower. Her operational life was very short. The boat, her commander and all her crew of 46 were lost in November 1942 while trying to attack vessels engaged in ‘Operation Torch’, the Allied North African landings. Herbert Schutze’s own emblem was also painted on the conning tower. This was the Runic ‘S’. 'Bombay' was to be her first encounter.

In the afternoon of Bank Holiday Monday, 3rd August 1942, Herbert Schutze sighted a vessel and decided to attack with torpedoes. He identified the target as a fishing trawler of 700 tons and his torpedoes found their target first time, blowing the small vessel apart without any warning. No other vessel was unaccounted for from this area at this time and the possibility of Bombay being Herbert Schutze’s first victim is indeed strong. It was almost a year before 'Bombay’ s' register was closed with the entry ‘23/7/43 Ship missing since 2.8.42’.

Crew List, S.T. Bombay

Alfred Donovan, 37 years. Skipper, Grimsby.

William George Ashman, 60 years, Cook, Grimsby.

Henry Bernard Alfred Dye, 47 years, Deckhand, Grimsby.

James Glynn, 37 years, Deckhand, Grimsby.

William Jackman, 52 years, 2nd Engineer, Gt. Yarmouth.

Norman Lawrence, 33 years, 3rd Hand, Grimsby.

Joseph Penman, 35 years, Deckhand, Grimsby.

Frank Edward Pullan, 35 years, Trimmer, Grimsby.

Clifford George Rawlins, B.E.M., Lloyds Medal, 20 years, Trimmer, Grimsby.

Arthur Alfred Edward Remblance, 39 years, Deckhand, Grimsby.

Thomas Rice, 58 years, Chief Engineer, Cleethorpes.

Frederick Robbins, 26 years, Mate, Grimsby.

Frederick Richard Thornton, 18 years, Deckhand, Grimsby.

Cheers Terry

[joseph]

John,

From the Grimsby absent voters list

ROBBINS, Frank Ernest

206 Hope Street

Fisherman

BAXTER, Frank

118 Orwell Street

H.M.S. Brackenlyne

BAXTER, Frank

36 Guildford Street

D.A. 1990 2nd Hnd., R.N.R.T. Halcyon II

Regards Charles

[spithead]

Hello John - Welcome to the Forum.

The only vessel I can find information on is the Grimsby steam trawler ’Bombay’ 229 grt. She served two spells of duty in the Royal Navy, four years in the first World War and a brief spell as an auxiliary patrol vessel soon after the outbreak of second World War but was back with the fishing fleet when lost with all hands. The Mate was Frederick Robbins of Grimsby age 26. The Skipper and crew are commemorated on Panel 123. of the TOWER HILL MEMORIAL.

This entry from LOST LIST OF GRIMSBY VESSELS 1800 - 1960 by David Boswell:

2 Aug 1942 BOMBAY (S. T. 229) Missing since 2.8.1942

and from

GRIMSBY’S FIGHTING FLEET

Trawlers and U-Boats during the Second World War

by Harry C. Hutson.

Ref: Pages 75 and 77

........ There is rather less uncertainty over the loss of S.T. 'Bombay', GY-427, though she is still listed in British records as “lost by unknown cause”. The Germans are a little more positive, listing her as “possibly sunk by U-605" (Kapitaenleutnant H. V. Schutze) at 1654 on the 3rd August 1942 in the unprecise grid square AE-68. This position corresponds to approximately 62N 18W. It was normal practice for U-Boats to use four-figure grid references in their reports, and the position of most attacks is recorded in this way, giving a position with the accuracy to within around three nautical miles, while the two-figure reference was obviously far less accurate. Only one positive conclusion can be drawn from this attack. If indeed it was 'Bombay', then Skipper A. Donovan and his crew of thirteen did not survive.

'Bombay' was again a Selby built vessel, completed in 1907 for Mr. A Grant. She was fitted for trawling and 42 year old Skipper Arthur Cook of 35 Park Street, Grimsby, and his crew of nine signed articles on 15th march 1907. Two years later the vessel was under the command of Skipper H. A. Green and her owners were the Grant and Baker Steam Fishing Company, and had been since April 1907. She served two spells of duty in the Royal Navy, four years in the first World War and a brief spell as an auxiliary patrol vessel soon after the outbreak of World War II.

Since the 6thAugust 1909 the ownership of 'Bombay' had been the Diamond Steam Fishing Company, locally known as ‘Taylor’s’. Most of their ships held names of Asian cities.

U-605 was a new boat, on her first patrol. She left Kiel on 28th July 1942 for a North Atlantic patrol before reporting to her new base of Brest to join the 9th U-Boat Flotilla, when she would then be allowed to paint the Flotilla emblem, the Swordfish, on her conning tower. Her operational life was very short. The boat, her commander and all her crew of 46 were lost in November 1942 while trying to attack vessels engaged in ‘Operation Torch’, the Allied North African landings. Herbert Schutze’s own emblem was also painted on the conning tower. This was the Runic ‘S’. 'Bombay' was to be her first encounter.

In the afternoon of Bank Holiday Monday, 3rd August 1942, Herbert Schutze sighted a vessel and decided to attack with torpedoes. He identified the target as a fishing trawler of 700 tons and his torpedoes found their target first time, blowing the small vessel apart without any warning. No other vessel was unaccounted for from this area at this time and the possibility of Bombay being Herbert Schutze’s first victim is indeed strong. It was almost a year before 'Bombay’ s' register was closed with the entry ‘23/7/43 Ship missing since 2.8.42’.

Crew List, S.T. Bombay

Alfred Donovan, 37 years. Skipper, Grimsby.

William George Ashman, 60 years, Cook, Grimsby.

Henry Bernard Alfred Dye, 47 years, Deckhand, Grimsby.

James Glynn, 37 years, Deckhand, Grimsby.

William Jackman, 52 years, 2nd Engineer, Gt. Yarmouth.

Norman Lawrence, 33 years, 3rd Hand, Grimsby.

Joseph Penman, 35 years, Deckhand, Grimsby.

Frank Edward Pullan, 35 years, Trimmer, Grimsby.

Clifford George Rawlins, B.E.M., Lloyds Medal, 20 years, Trimmer, Grimsby.

Arthur Alfred Edward Remblance, 39 years, Deckhand, Grimsby.

Thomas Rice, 58 years, Chief Engineer, Cleethorpes.

Frederick Robbins, 26 years, Mate, Grimsby.

Frederick Richard Thornton, 18 years, Deckhand, Grimsby.

Cheers Terry

Hello Terry

The 'BOMBAY' mentioned in your excellent post is in fact the Grimsby trawler GY247, Admty No. 1890.

Regards John

[Terence Munson]

Hello Terry

The 'BOMBAY' mentioned in your excellent post is in fact the Grimsby trawler GY247, Admty No. 1890.

Regards John

John - Yes you are spot on. I blame a late night drop of mature malt! Right numbers but not necessarily in the right order! Here’s an old photo:

Cheers Terry

[joseph]

Press fast reply!!, if you have a problem replying and working out how to say thank you.

Regards Charles

[calvin]

thankyou all for help, regards john baxter