The steel Castle Class steam trawler Andrew Lapsley was launched from the Beverley yard of Cook, Welton and Gemmell (Yard No.414) on 2nd June 1919. She measured 125.5’ x 23.5′ x 12.7′ and her tonnage was 290 gross tons, 127 net tons. She was powered by a triple expansion steam engine by Amos and Smith delivering 86 nominal horse power.
Extract Lloyd’s Register 1941
Ordered by the Admiralty for war service she never entered naval service and was sold immediately to Mr H Rees of Swansea who renamed her Callancroft (SA32). A number of other ownership changes followed before she was sold to the McRae Steam Trawling Company of Milford Haven in January 1930 who renamed her Duncan McRae. She was acquired by her final owners, Milford Steam Trawling Co Ltd in 1936 and renamed Milford Earl (M68). The outbreak of World War Two resulted in her requisition by the Admiralty for use as a minesweeper. She was fitted with forward deck gun before she was stationed on the Scottish east coast in the Forty-First Minesweeping Group.
On 8th December 1941 she was on minesweeping operations off Lunan Bay, Montrose accompanied by another Beverley built requisitioned trawler, Phineas Beard, and a number of other vessels from the minesweeping group under the command of Lieutenant John Stuart Neate RNVR with a crew of nine men. The fleet came under attack by several German bombers. Phineas Beard suffered a direct hit and sank immediately with the loss of twelve crewmen, Milford Earl was badly shaken by several near misses and then badly damaged by strafing by the attacking aircraft. She eventually caught fire and sank around one hour later. Five crewmen, including Lieutenant Neate, were lost in the attack.
The wreck of the Milford Earl lies in position 56° 38.737’N, 002° 23.749’W oriented 160/340 degrees. She sits upright and generally in tact in 31 metres rising 5 metres from the seabed with her deck gun still in place and visible.
We would like to thank Lloyd’s Register Foundation – Heritage & Education Centre for allowing us to reproduce documents from their archive in this article.
