WW2 Minesweeping Trawlers

[Totleyletters]

I have been lent a box of WW2 correspondence pertaining to DORE AND TOTLEY MINESWEEPING COMFORTS FUND. This was a group of Sheffield housewives who worked tirelessly to raise funds, enabling them to send knitted garments, games, cigarettes and Christmas fayre to the crewmen in order to bring a little cheer.
The Chaplain posted at HMS Calliope advised and administered the crates of goods to the ships based in North Shields, and we have his correspondence along with over 50 thank-you letters from skippers and crew.

I hope to write a small book about this group of ladies and would like to find out as much as possible about the work the minesweepers undertook. Maybe a photograph of some of the boats could be found and even a ship's log which would shed light on the type of work they undertook.

I've been having a problem with this posting self destructing as I type! I won't give the names of the many ships here, but if anyone thinks they could help I can supply a list.

[Whickham]

Hello Totleyletters

It would be very helpful to have a list of the trawlers that you are interested in. I have never known postings self destruct on the board, but if you have problems, type them into a note and copy and paste the list to NEM.

[Totleyletters]

Hello Whickham,
I'll list the trawlers with skippers names if I have them...
HMT Alex Scott J. R. Parry eng.
HMT Arnold Bennett W. Smick CO
HMT Artegal
HMS Angele Marie A. C. Offord Skipper
HMS Ben Deang H. G. Barnard CO
HMS Idris I Parkinson RNR
HMS Boy Alex J. Wilson Skipper
HMT Canlonia A. Christy CO
HMS ?Charmain G. G. Wood Lt. RNR
HMT Clifton B. Durrant-Robinson Lt. RNVR
HMT Delila G. A. Good RNR
HMT Edwina F. B. Hoult Lt. RNVR
HMT Flying Wing
HMT Garole S. Summers Skipper RNR
HMT General Botha Percy D. Baker Lt. CO
HMT Grampian W. H. Gibbs Lt. Cdr. RNVR
HMS Guelder Rose H. Hicks
HMT James Lay J. Jordon Skipper
HMT Jean Edmonds A. F. Challis
ditto F. W. Hodson Skipper RNR
HMD June Rose A. Donkin Skipper
HMT Louise et Marie G. Abernathy Lt. Com RNR
? Lord Beaconsfield W. Thompson Skipper RNR
HMT Marjorie M Hastie Jack Metcalf Sea gunner
HMS Ratapiko D. Baxter Skipper RNR
HMS Rehearo J. Watson Skipper
HMD Regent Bird James Wink Skipper RNR
HMT Riskato C. Shell
ditto D. Baxer Skipper RNR
HMT Rotherslade All crew listed and signed
HMS Sir Tristram W. T. Salerius Skipper CO
HMS Southern Field F. Nixon Lt. CO
HMS Southern Foam J. Wright D/Jx 322614
ditto R. S. Cowling Skipper RNR
HMT Suma F. Tindley Lt. CO
HMMB Valda Arthur Donkin
HMT Vierge de Lourdes William ?Kenny Skipper RNR
HMMMS 263 P. P. Lees Lt. RNVR
HMMMS 280 R. Carney?Connery Lt. RNVR
HMMMS 1045 S. Macmonan RNNR
ditto T. A. Wood
The Chaplain at HMS Calliope was Rev Mandall

[Whickham]

Thank you for the list.

I can't find a record of ALEX SCOTT but ALEXANDER SCOTT is detailed at: http://www.teesbuiltships.co.uk/smiths/ ... tt1917.htm
Photo and more information at: http://www.llangibby.eclipse.co.uk/milf ... _scott.htm

ARNOLD BENETT detailed at: http://www.fleetwood-trawlers.info/inde ... nett-h259/

ARTEGAL built as the ROBERT HARDING by Hawthorns at Leith 1919. Renamed HENRIETTE in 1921 and again to ARTEGAL in 1940.
Renamed to ARTEGAL because there was already an ex French trawler called HENRIETTE in use by the Admiralty. She was sunk by a mine in 1941.

ANGELE MARIE was an ex French trawler built by Boulonnais at Boulogne in 1929

Continued in another post because I can only have 3 URL links in one message.

[Totleyletters]

That sounds likely as you can imagine the name being abbreviated by the men, especially in an informal letter.
.

[Totleyletters]

I've just been looking at the photographs! Thank you so much.

Does Milford refer to the Welsh port? I see the engineer of the Alex Scott was called Parry, which could help to positively ID it as it's a Welsh name. I suppose the crews often came with the ship when it was requisitioned.

Pauline

[Whickham]

Yes, Milford will be the port within Milford Haven.

List continued:

I think your BEN DEANG will be BEN DEARG which is detailed at: http://www.fleetwood-trawlers.info/inde ... arg-fd286/

I cannot find IDRIS but BEN IDRIS is detailed at: http://grantontrawlers.com/Trawlers/Ben ... N%207.html

BOY ALEX detailed at: http://trawlerphotos.co.uk/gallery/show ... oto=144425

[Totleyletters]

This information is gold dust!... eg the Ben Dearg's post war history as well as all the more official details

The Artegal being sunk is interesting. Our letter is from S. H. Hix 23-11-41, and along with his thanks he finds the gifts especially precious as he's a Sheffield lad. I'll try to find out more about his dates on Findmypast to see if he survived the sinking. Alongside his name we have O or 6/Tel P/JX247080.
I've noticed other JX numbers which I assume must be their navy number.

Pauline

[Whickham]

ARTEGAL sorry I should have been clearer in my previous posting. It was the French HENRIETTE that was sunk not the ARTEGAL.

[Whickham]

CANLONIA I cannot find, could you check the spelling.

CHARMAIN I cannot find, could you check the spelling

CLIFTON built on the Tyne as ARCTIC PRINCE in 1915. See detail at: http://www.llangibby.eclipse.co.uk/milf ... prince.htm

DELILA built 1919 as JOHN HUNTER & a small amount of detail at:
http://float-trawlers.lancashire.gov.uk ... 0=&pg=2189

EDWINA built at Dundee in 1915 detailed at: http://www.fleetwood-trawlers.info/inde ... ina-fd205/

More later . .