WHIMBREL II: ON 113263 23grt 9nrt 57.3 x 10.6 x 6.1ft wood hull; blt 1900 Simpson Strickland & Co, Dartmouth (Yd …); eng Q4cy vert. inv. d-a surf-cond 5”7¼”10¾”16”x7” 15nhp 1scr by shipbuilder; 1900 completed for William Cross, Kingswear, engineer, as WHIMBREL II (reg Dartmouth); 1908 (17 Jun) sold to Smith’s Docks Co, S Shields; 1910 (Jan) sold to Tyne Improvement Commission - registration was closed, but re-opened 1912 at Newcastle as T.I.C. PATROL; 1916 sank after collision, later raised and broken up (registry closed 1918).
David Asprey commented on this: I have no evidence that she worked on the Tyne for Smith's Dock Ltd. (the company's address was of course at S Shields). The TIC material revealed by Neil Mearns points clearly to the Tees. It seems to me that WHIMBREL II was most likely purchased to assist with the construction phase of the new yard at South Bank.
This information was previously shown on my TEESSHIPS website in an item covering "SMITH’S DOCK CO LTD – Tees and Tyne"
Neil Mearns provided these photos:
Photo of the Steam Launch, WHIMBREL II. It appeared in "The Engineer" on 9th August, 1901 and seems to be a publicity picture taken on behalf of her builders, Simpson, Strickland & Co., Ltd., Dartmouth, Engineers, who completed her the previous year.
This photo provided by Neil Mearns shows the PATROL (or T.I.C. PATROL), ex Whimbrel II, while in service for the Tyne Improvement Commissioners. Photo taken at South Shields in 1910. Ron