The Michael Griffith was a Castle class steam trawler built for the Admiralty and launched on 5th September 1918 by Cook Welton & Gemmell of Beverley (Yard No.402). Her steel hull measured 125.5′ x 23.5′ x 12.7′ and her tonnage was 282 gross tons, 109 net tons. The vessel was powered by a triple expansion steam engine provided by Amos & Smith of Hull delivering 86 registered horse power. Her naval number was FY3781 and her official number was 145118.
Plan of standard Castle class steam trawler
Extract Lloyd’s Register for Michael Griffith
Completed in early April 1919 she had been built for war service but she was too late for action in World War 1. She was sold by auction at Milford Haven in 1923 to her first owners H Leetham & Sons of Hull. With three ownership changes over the next sixteen years the Michael Griffith was requisitioned for war service in August 1939 by the Royal Navy as a minesweeper, pennant No FY567. In July 1943 her role changed to become a boom defence vessel. At the conclusion of World War 2 she was returned to her owner who put her up for sale in 1945. The new owners were Clifton Steam Trawlers of Fleetwood and her fishing registry became FD 249. She remained in their ownership until her loss.
Steam trawler Michael Griffith
The Michael Griffith departed Fleetwood around 12.30 on 29th January 1953 under the command of skipper Charles Singleton with a compliment of thirteen crew. As they left port a mechanical problem was discovered forcing a return for repairs. Following work to her after feed pump, she left Fleetwood the following day just after midnight, heading for the northern fishing grounds. As she north along the west coast the weather began to deteriorate with strong south westerly winds and a building sea. Later that day, around 20.00, she was sighted by the Fleetwood trawler Aigret heading north off the west side of Skerryvore, By this time a full F9 gale was blowing from the north west. Later that same evening the Aigret reported seeing her stern lights until around 23.10. This was to be the last visual contact with the Michael Griffith.
By the early hours of the 31st January the weather had further deteriorated and was now a full storm from the north with heavy snow showers and very rough sea conditions. At 09.23 two Fleetwood trawlers the Wyre General and the Velia picked up an SOS message from the Michael Griffith which read; “All ships – Michael Griffith, 7 to 8 miles south of Barra Head – full of water – no steam – am helpless – will some ship please come and help us”. Unfortunately the receiving vessels were over 85 miles away, and immediately relayed the message to shore stations. Three other trawlers, the Braconbank, the Sata and the Wardour, who were much closer to the casualty immediately headed for the general area to search. Barra lifeboat was launched and, sometime later, the Islay lifeboat diverted from a previous search near Islay but she had to divert to Colonsay as two members of her crew had been overcome by fumes. Unfortunately they both later died having inhaled carbon monoxide. The submarine hunter HMS Tenacious was ordered to sail from Londonderry and joined the search as well as two RAF aeroplanes. Unfortunately the search was in vain but everyone involved must be commended for their bravery. Weather conditions that morning put the crews of the trawlers and lifeboats at extreme risk. The wind was a north-westerly gale F10 with squalls of hurricane force causing a very high confused sea.
Extract from Lloyd’s annual casualty report for 1953.
The search was later called off . No sightings had been made of the Michael Griffith, her crew or any debris. Initially she was posted as missing at Lloyd’s, later changed to loss of the vessel and her 13 crew. Fleetwood was again to bear the cost of men going to sea and working in high risk conditions. Four years earlier the Fleetwood trawler Goth sank off Iceland in similar conditions taking with her the entire crew of 21. Around a week later two lifebelts were found ashore on the north west Irish coast, both with the name of Michael Griffith clearly marked.
This tragedy left 11 widows and twenty children between the ages of 16 and 1 month without a father. Various funds came to the assistance of the families but nothing could replace those who were lost in the Michael Griffith.
The crew: Charles Singleton (53) Skipper, Leonard Grundy (40) Mate, J T Wilson Bosun, Harry Anderson (38) Chief Engineer, Thomas Burns (35) Second Engineer, W Hargreaves Fireman, R Bodden Fireman, Deckhands – J Tucker (43), S J Johns (23), J Cryson, C Murdoch (30), George Palin (16), A Bidle (42) Cook. Rest in peace.
A Board of Trade inquiry was held at Fleetwood between 27-29 April 1954, and the report is reproduced below.
We would like to thank Lloyd’s Register Foundation – Heritage & Education Centre for allowing us to reproduce documents from their archive in this article.
