The Northern Princess built 09/11/1949 by Cook, Welton & Gemmel for Northern Trawlers of Grimsby 29/10/1969 Sold for Scrap to Clayton & Davie Ltd
The following is from The Times of Friday, Nov 18, 1960, page 10 under the heading TELEGRAMS IN BRIEF: OSLO – The Grimsby trawler Northern Princess, grounded near Tromso since Monday, was refloated by the Norwegian salvage vessel Uller. Originally posted by Mattrossa at shipsnostalgia
Here are the Details
Official Number 182640
Yard Number 813
Call Sign GFKW
GT 677 NT 251
Dimensions 181.7 x 31 x 16
Quarter Deck 93′ Foc’sle 35′
Engines C D Holmes 1075 ihp 12.9 Knots
Funnel Colours Grey with black top separated by white band
The Northern Prince was built in 1949 by Cook, Welton & Gemmel of Beverly for Northern Trawlers Ltd Grimsby 1975 Sold to B.U.T Grimsby 25/06/1975 Sold for Scrap to C F Booth Rotherham Allocated to Blyth Shipbreakers & repairers
Photo Supplied by Photomarine
Here are the Details
Official Number 182641
Yard Number 814
Call Sign GFRM
GT 677 NT 251
Dimensions 181.7 x 31.1 x 16
Engines C D Holmes 1075 ihp 13 knots
Funnel Colours Grey with black top separated by white band
Northern Pride built in Germany by Deschimag Seebeck Bremerhaven for Mac Line Ltd of Fleetwood LO 104 Being one of 15 ships for the reparation program 1937 she was transferred to Grimsby with the Northern Fleet During her time there was 1 casualty Bernard Howlett 15/06/1937 08/1939 Requisitioned as an A/S Trawler She was based at Milford Haven before joining the Northern Patrol based up at Kirkwall the 11th A/S Strike Force 1941 she took part in the Norwegian campaign
During a patrol in the Atlantic off the West Coast of Ireland she was attacked by the Italian Submarine Bagnolini firing multiple Torpedoes Luckily all missed In the same year she was moved to the Russian Convoys escorting merchant ships to Murmansk 06/1944 She was with the Solent Force J15 an Escort vessel for the D-Day Landings Arriving 06/06 at Juno Beach Later on 23rd she saw action again but this time it was against the German E boats During the final years of the conflict she was used mainly as an Ocean Transport vessel
11/1945 Returned back to the owners and reverted to a Trawler The alterations were carried out at Liverpool 1946 Registry was changed to GY 169
Photo Supplied by Photomarine
Here are the Details
Official Number 164667
Yard Number 545
Call Sign GYYC
Admiralty Number FY 105
Armament 1 x 4″, 2 x 0.303″, LMG 2 x 1, 2 x 0.5″ VMG 1 x 2
GT 620 NT 254 During the war GT 655 NT 243
Dimensions 188.1 x 28.1 x 15.5
Engines 1000 hp 16 Knots
Funnel Colours Grey with black top separated by white band
The vessel being finally scrapped in 1964 at Gateshead
Northern Jewel built 01/06/1954 by Cochranes of Selby for Northern Trawlers Ltd London 01/07/1969 Became part of the B.U.T livery 29/01/1975 Last Landing then Laid up for disposal 03/03/1976 Sold to H Kitson Vickers & Sons Sheffield for Breaking 14/05/1976 Resold to London Demolition Co Ltd and allocated to Medway Secondary Metals Rainham Kent
The painting is by Steve Farrow
The Northern jewel was originally Copanes ordered by Rinovia Steam Fishing Co but was purchased by Northerns Her Skipper on the Maiden Voyage was W Wood staying with her for the following 5 years During one incident she was caught fishing inside the Icelandic 6 mile limit whilst being skippered by M Smith, She was spotted by the Icelandic gunboat ODINN and they decided to make a run for it, but were soon caught. The vessel was taken to Sessdisfjoerdur and fined £6000.00 along with the confiscation of the fishing gear. On their return to port the skipper was sacked. B.U.T who were now running the Northern fleet, laid her up along with nine other ships due to the decline in the industry.
Photo supplied by Photomarine
Her details are
Official Number 184920
Yard Number 1366
Her call sign GRNN
GT 799 NT 313
Dimensions 182.5′ x 32′ x 17′
Foc’sle of 33′
Engines by Amos & Smith 3 cyl 16.5, 28.5, 47 x 30 12 Knots
Funnel Colours Grey with black top separated by white band.
The Northern Isles was built in 12/1936 in Germany at Deschimag Seebeck at Bremerhaven for Mac Line Ltd and carried the Port registry of LO 172 She moved to Grimsby in 1937 Her original dimensions were 184.4 x 28.0 x 16.5 with a Foc’sle of 30′ She was Requisitioned 08/1939 as an ABV, A/S being Lost on 19/01/1945 at Durban South Africa
Here are the Details
LO 172
Official No 165377
Call Sign GYYT
Pennant No FY 4.25
692 GT 243 NT
Yard No 569
Dimensions 188.1 x 28.1 x 15.5
Funnel Colours Grey with black top separated by white band.
Engines Triple cylinder 15″,24″ & 39″ x 26″ Stroke, LP Turbine with DR gearing & Hydraulic coupling The Boilers developing 227Ib and 167MN
Northern Isles built 17/08/1950 by Cochranes of Selby for Northern Trawlers of Grimsby 01/07/1969 Became part of the B.U.T Livery 23/01/1975 Last Landing and Laid up for Disposal 24/06/1975 Sold to Blyth Shipbreakers & repairers
Photo sullied by Photomarine
Her Details are
Official Number 182658
Yard Number 1356
Call Sign MGWT – not confirmed
GT 692 NT 246
Dimensions 181.6 x 31.2 x 14.8
Engines Amos & Smith 1100 ihp 3 Cyl 12.5 knots
Funnel Colours Blue with black top and blue letters B U T between wavy blue lines on white band
The vessel was scrapped 1976 being broken up at Blyth 06/1976
Northern Gift was Built 1962 by Cook, Welton & Gemmel of Beverly for Northern Trawlers Ltd Grimsby 15/05/1974 Whilst outward bound for Iceland in thick Fog she was involved in a collision with a German freighter Brook near Bull Light Vessel. With the trawler badly holed and in danger of sinking the crew were taken off aboard the pilot cutter Captain Holmes The Ross Khartoum GY 120 took the Boat in Tow but it was clear she would not make it back to Grimsby so she was beached at Spurn Bight near the Humber Lifeboat station 20/05/1974 She was refloated and returned to Grimsby for repairs 18/12/1980 Bought by the Dagon Fishing Co Ltd Lowestoft Renamed St. Davids LT 90 converted as an Oil Rig Support Vessel 1987 Vessel sold for Scrap
The vessel was sold to Liguria Maritime Ltd for scrapping in 1987 registered as LT 90
Here are the details
Official Number 304780
Yard Number 982
Call Sign GJTJ
GT 576 NT 194
Dimensions 166.5 x 30.5 x 16.30
Foc’sle 28′
Engines 8 cylinder 1400 hp Mirlees Bickerton & Day 14 knots
Left Lowestoft 28/09/1987 for the breakers being towed by CAICOS
Northern Gift was originally called the Hertfordshire built 09/1936 Smiths Dock Middlesborough 09/1936 she was owned by Rutlandshire Steam Fishing Co 03/10/1939 Requisitioned and converted to anti-submarine duties 03/1940 was loaned to the US Navy 04/1940 sold to Shire Trawlers W A Bennett manager Grimsby 10/1942 Returned
1945 Returned to owners 03/1950 she was converted to burn oil fuel 04/1950 sold to Northern Trawlers 11/1951 Renamed Northern Gift John Bennett manager 07/1954 she was transferred to the Associated Fisheries Group with Leslie Wheildon as manager 08/1954 she went to Wyre Trawlers of Fleetwood and Renamed Wyre Gleaner FD 23 The Grimsby Registry was closed
Her details are
Official Number 164418
Yard Number 1008
Admiralty FY 4.34, FY 176
GT 458 NT 168
Foc’sle 33
Dimensions 164.6 x 27.1 x 15.1
Engines 3 cyl by Smith’s 13.5, 22.5, 39 x 26 133 nhp
She was broken up at Troon on 09/10/1963 by West of Scotland Shipbreaking Co
Northern Gem built 1936 in Bremmerhaven by Deutsche Schiffs und Maschinenbau AG Seebeck Wesermunde Germany She had been ordered by Leverhulme Ltd to absorb frozen credits in Germany After completion she went to Fleetwood for Mac Line Ltd of London and had Edward D W Lawford as manager Her port of Registry was LO 109
10/1937 she was transferred to Grimsby for Northerns, William Bennett as manager 08/1939 she was sold to the Admiralty for £32,963 and at the outbreak of WWII, the Northern Gem sailed to Barrow-in Furness to be converted into an Anti-Submarine vessel. On completion of this work, she sailed in a flotilla comprising of the Northern Dawn, Northern Spray & Northern Pride, for the port of Milford Haven. For the next three months she served as an escort vessel for convoys in the Irish Sea area. After the Irish Sea, she was sent to Scapa Flow and the Northern Patrol. 08/05/1940, under the control of Lieutenant Commander Scarlett, and in the company of the Northern Spray, in the Norwegian Fjord of Ae Fjord, her crew witnessed an enemy aircraft crash land. A shore party from the Gem was sent off to see what could be salvaged. Unfortunately it was a troop carrier and they were quickly taken prisoner by the German soldiers. The machine gunner (Fred Powell) in the bows of their small boat, was killed in this incident. The Germans and their POW’s were soon met and captured by marines put ashore from HMS RESOLUTION and the rescued crew returned to the Northern Gem. 1940 Based at Kirkwall on the Northern patrol 05/1940 she took part in the Norwegian Campaign After many incidents in and around Norway, including being machine-gunned by aircraft and having a bomb hit her and fail to explode….she returned home to Aberdeen and was the last ship out of Narvik More conversion work was carried out and a new skipper in charge, Chief Skipper Mullender. She was transferred to the Iceland Command. The next convoy she was assigned to was the ill-fated PQ17 to Murmansk, Her crew managed to shoot down an enemy aircraft during the nightmare that this convoy had to endure. 12/1941 left Murmansk in convoy JW 51B and rescued 81 survivors from HMS ACHATES by going along side whilst the destroyers depth charges were exploding under her stern. Eighty one officers and ratings were rescued, some with serious injuries and a surgeon was transferred from a destroyer to tend to their needs. She arrived at the Kola Inlet without further incident and the survivors were put ashore.On the 13th September 1942 the return convoy of fifteen ships, QP14, set out for the passage home, but it only a few days later, on the 20th, torpedo’s struck the Fleet Sweeper HMS LEDA, the American ship BELLINGHAM, and the GRAY RANGER. In total, the NORTHERN GEM had over two hundred men crowded on board her, and with little food or water their situation was bleak indeed so they were instructed to go alongside HMS SOMALI for extra food and rations. On the 26th September she dropped anchor in the glassy calm waters of Loch Ewe. This wasn’t the end of her Russian convoys though, for on 18th December she left Belfast with another Grimsby trawler the VIZALMA, to join JW51B in Loch Ewe, under the command of Skipper Aisthorpe (GY) 1944 she took part in Operation Neptune the Normandy landings 23/05/1944 she was back on convoy escort duties in British waters and across the channel in support of the landings until 03/04/1944 when they ended.
Painting By Steve Farrow
In the last few months of the WW2 she was involved on convoy RU 161 on route from Iceland Acting as escort with Northern Reward, Northern Sky, Cape Mariato and Sapper also Norwegian ships Namsos and Svolvar Whilst bringing up the rear was Northern Spray U 979 commanded by J Meermeier was on patrol in the area when she targeted the convoy She was able to fire upon the Empire Unity 6386 Gross Tons The Northern Spray closed in on the Vessel and spotted a periscope and prepared depth charges The vessel hit something just before the charges were fired and had to withdraw and went to the aid of the Empire unity with the Cape Mariato taking over the search for the U Boat The Northern Gem along with the Northern Reward stayed on convoy It was later discovered that the trawler had hit the U Boat ripping off the ASDIC The submarine was later run aground and scuttled by the captain who was later court marshaled for this act 1943 U 952 the sister boat to U 979 was involved in action against convoy ONS 5 in which Northern Gem and Northern Foam had been on escort duties and had rescued more than 200 merchant seamen 11/1945 Returned and under took a survey and restoration at Liverpool 02/1946 she was registered at Grimsby GY 204 03/1946 the London registry was closed 03/1946 She was owned by the Hull Ice Co 11/1946 Transferring to Northern Trawlers 1959 her manager was John Bennett 1963 John A Butt was manager 1966 she was sold for Scrap to Scrappingco Srl Antwerp arriving on 15/06/1966
All of the above Logs were sent to me by Roger Hollywood Photo Supplied by Photomarine
02/1950 Ernest Edward Insole aged 28, fisherman of 40 Daubney-street Cleethorpes lost three fingers on his left hand in an accident on the ‘Northern Gem’ and was claiming damages against Shire Trawlers Ltd. He was later awarded £2,350 13/05/1953 The Times GRIMSBY CATCH LANDED IN HOLLAND The Grimsby trawler Northern Gem, which landed 33,000 stones of fish at Ijmuiden, Holland, on Monday, was making an experiment, the owners said yesterday. “Rather than let our ships lay up I would prefer that they land their catches on the Continent,” said a spokesman of the firm. “It does seem fatuous that German ships should discharge at Grimsby while we send vessels to Holland, but it is preferable to laying up ships.”
06/1966 the Grimsby Registry was Closed
Here are the details
Official No 164666
Yard No 546
Call Sign GYYD
Pennant FY 194
620 GT 254 NT
Dimensions 188.1 x 28.1 x 15.5
Foc’sle 31′
Engines Powered by a Triple Expansion 1000 HP engine built by Deutsche S & M, having a 15″, 24″ & 39 7/16″ x 26″ Stroke, the Boiler was 1 SB 227lb Spt, This giving her a top speed of 16 Knots
Funnel Colours Grey with black top separated by white band.
Armament Fitted with 1 x 4″, 2 x 0.303″ Guns along with LMG 2 x 1 and 2 0.5″ VMG 1 x 2.
Northern Foam Built 09/1936 in Germany by Deutsche Schiffs und Maschinenbau AG Weser in Bremen ordered by Leverhulme Ltd to absorb frozen credits in Germany.
The first owner was Mac Line Ltd, London, Manager E D Lawford of Fleetwood.
Photo Supplied by Photomarine
1937 She was transferred to Grimsby to operate for Northerns, Manager was H Markham Cook.
08/1939 Requisitioned 08/1939 as an Armed Boarding Vessel as well as an Anti Submarine trawler. 1942 she was converted for Anti-submarine duties.
One incident, she had a run in with the Submarine U952, 05/1943 whilst on her first convoy duty ONS-5, She was operating as escort and had rescued more than two hundred Merchant navy during the action. U 952 returned to France for repairs which took 3 months and then set out on the second patrol, She had worked her way into position for attacking two joined convoys ON 202 and ONS 18, a total of 27 ships, The weather was quite foggy when the Northern Foam caught sight of U 952 whilst she was on the surface. The Northern Foam altered course and attempted to ram the sub at full speed, The sub just managed to crash dive as the Northern Foam went over the top. The trawler then dropped a series of ten depth charges, the Commander of the submarine Oscar Curio was able to identify the Northern Foam and knew he had the advantage of some 5 knots over her on the surface, With that he surfaced and after exchanging a few rounds before making off into the Fog leaving the trawler hopelessly outclassed on speed. The following day she was back in her role as rescue ship. 3 ships from the convoy had been struck by torpedoes within a minute of each other. The Attack came from U 238 captained by Horst Hepp.The vessels hit were Fort Jemseg, Skjelbred and the Oregon Express. 1944 she took part in Operation Neptune, the Normandy Landings, 23/05/1944 worked in convoy escort duties in British waters and across the Channel in support of Landings, 03/07/1944 ended operation Neptune 1945 Began Ocean Escort Duties finishing 11/1945 Under took a survey and restoration at Birkenhead and was then laid up, returning to Grimsby 1946. 1946 She changed her registry to GY 490. 07/1947 the London registry was closed. 1948 Her manager was W A Benntt with the same owners. 27/01/1960 she broke down 60 miles from Aberdeen with engine trouble arriving at Aberdeen 29/01/1960 10/1963 Sold to Clayton & Davie Ltd, Dunston on Tyne for Scrapping 17/10/1963 Arrived being towed by ERIMUS CROSS.
Here are the Details
Official Number 165341
Yard Number 550
Call Sign GYYR
Admiralty Number FY 4.76
620 GT 243 NT
Dimensions 188.1 x 28.1 x 15.5
Engine 1000 hp T 3 cyl & LP turbine with DR gearing & hydraulic coupling, which gave her a top speed of 12 knots.
Funnel Colour Grey with black top separated by white band
