BRITISH ADVOCATE

[fitter]

British Advocate, Sir James Laing yard number 683. Launched 09.06.1922 for B.P. Tankers. A few days after the launch, my grandfather was involved in hauling the launchways around the slipway. A wire snapped and lashed him, unconcious, into the river. Hospitalised until the middle of September he had a leg amputated and died as a result. My father was six months old at the time and was not particularly pleased when I started to serve my apprenticeship at J.L.Thompsons.

[magoonigal]

An unfortunate but all to common accident in the Shipyards. Your Grandmother must have had a hard time bringing up your father on her own. We all moan about Health & Safety but I don't think any of us would like to go back to the old days.

Now the BRITISH ADVOCATE had a much more exciting life than some of her contemporary's.
ON146629.
Launched August 1922 by Sir James Laing & Sons Ltd. Sunderland for The British Tanker Co.
6,993 Gross. 6,549 Under Deck.
Engines Aft and fitted with Electric Light and Wireless.
Two Steam Turbines DR Geared to a Single Shaft by George Clark Ltd. Sunderland.
642 NHP.

About 19th February 1941.
BRITISH ADVOCATE (Tanker) British. 6,994 Gross.
Voyage Abadan February 6th 1941 for Table Bay and UK.
9,000 Tons of Benzine and Fuel Oil.
Position. Indian Ocean.
Crew 44 All P.O.W.

Captured by raider SCHEER. On October 23rd 1941 Hamburg Prize Court ordered the confiscation of vessel and cargo. Sunk by aircraft at Donges July 23-24 1944.
Raised on August 17th 1947 and placed in 3-4 meters of water at edge Moutons Bank.
Renamed NORDSTERN by Germans.

Assume the SCHEER was the Pocket Battleship ADMIRAL SCHEER. Position given in another publication is West of the Seychelles and that she was taken to Bordeaux with a prize crew under the name ADOLF.
Also she was sunk at Nantes on the 25th September 1943 but later raised and repaired.

[fitter]

Thanks for all the additional info. My grandmother remarried ...... a caulker from Greenwells!
I have the original handwritten Laings ship register and the Lauch date is 09.06.1922 . Harvey and Solly have completeion as 09.1922
440ft LBP 60ft BM 33ft DM 6993 GRT 10275 DWT sisters from the same yard:
British Judge yn 679 18.10.21
British Chancellor yn 681 04.08.21
British Councillor yn 682 13.02.22
British Statesman yn 685 05.10.22
British Ambassador yn686 22.01.24
British Consul yn 691 30.09.24

A little later:
British Renown yn 700 09.11.27
British Glory yn 701 09.12.27
Later again:
British Prudence yn 723 06.02.39

All appear to be similar size