HISTORY
1917 to 1922, Served in World War One as the James Buchanan a minesweeper. Fitted with listening Hydrophones.
1934. Sold to the Hudson Fishing Company Ltd of Kingston upon Hull, who renamed her as Cape Tarifa.
1938, She was sold to a Polish company and renamed the Franciszka.
1939. She was acquired by Adam Steam Fishing Company Ltd, Fleetwood and renamed Force.
February 1940. Requisitioned and converted to a Minesweeper. (Hire rate £94.10.0d/month). Fitted with Orepesa Gear. (For sweeping tethered mines)
June 1940. ROYAL NAVY SHIPS, Nore Command, Lowestoft.
Minesweeping trawlers - BEN BHARCHIE (Ty Sk H J May RNR) at Lowestoft, BEN EARN (Sk R T Souter RNR from 1 Jul) fitting out at Sunderland, BEN GLAS (Sk A F Herd RNR) fitting out at Lowestoft, BEN ROY (Ty Sk C H Thomas RNR) at Lowestoft, CASWELL (Ty Sk A Butler RNR) fitting out at Milford Haven, EUCLASE (Ty Sk W Read RNR) fitting out at Penarth, FORCE (Sk J R Clark RNR) at Lowestoft, KING EMPEROR (Ty Sk W J Beamish RNR from 12 Aug) fitting out at Sunderland, LOWTHER (Ty Sk F E Mewse RNR) at Lowestoft, MARCONI (Ty Sk R Cowling RNR) fitting out at Newport, MEWSLADE (Ty Sk W C Hart Actg RNR) fitting out at Sunderland, NORTHWARD HO (Sk W Thain RNR) fitting out at Lowestoft, OSAKO (Ty Sk F Burgess RNR) fitting out at Avonmouth
15th September 1940, Nore Command. Sheerness, Wildfire III, Queenborough.
M/S Yachts: Aronia and (Slyph undergoing repairs at Tilbury. Date uncertain)
Danlayers (Trawlers): (Burnbanks, defective to be used as Special Service), Dolores and Bracon Heath
M/S Trawlers Group 2: Force and (Larch, undergoing repairs. Date uncertain).
January 1941, ROYAL NAVY SHIPS, Nore Command. Sheerness, Wildfire III, Queenborough.
Minesweeping Group 2 - minesweeping trawlers FORCE (Ty Sk S Young RNR) repairing, LARCH (Act Sk A H V Winfield RNR), both at Sheerness.
22 June 1941. Battle of the East Coast. Naval Vessels in the Nore Command. Queenborough, (Wildfire III)
Minesweeping Trawler Group 2. Force, Radilais, Sovernus.
27 June 1941. Bombed and sunk by the Luftwaffe whilst off Great Yarmouth six miles (10 km) from Winterton Ness. The Force took 20 minutes to sink with the loss of eleven of her crew.
Force, fire, ship loss. (MPK = Missing Presumed Killed)
BACKHOUSE, William A H, Ordinary Telegraphist, D/JX 165427, MPK
GIBBS, Thomas H, Stoker, RNPS, LT/KX 116205, MPK
HOWELL, George H, Stoker, RNPS, LT/KX 117060, MPK
KENDALL, Walter S, Engineman, RNPS, LT/KX 106131, MPK
MAYNARD, John, Stoker, RNPS, LT/KX 106811, MPK
MCEUNE, John F, Engineman, RNPS, LT/KX 107954, MPK
MORRISON, Alexander, Seaman, RNPS, LT/JX 217792, MPK
SAYERS, Oliver T B, 2nd Hand, RNR (PS), LT/X 302 SA, MPK
TEAGUE, Norman, Seaman, RNPS, LT/JX 180337, MPK
WILLIAMS, John, Ordinary Seaman Cook, RNPS, LT/JX 214264, MPK
WILSON, Arthur N, Stoker, RNPS, LT/KX 105619, MPK
To find out more of the Force’s movements go to DRIFTERS AND TRAWLERS.
OFFICER ON NAVY LIST Dec, 39
Not on list.
OFFICER ON NAVY LIST July 40
Skipper R.N.R., J. R. Clark, 1 May 40.
OFFICER ON NAVY LIST June 41
Temp. Skipper R.N.R., C. E. Smalley (Act.) 20 Aug 40.
OFFICER ON NAVY LIST June 42
Temp. Skipper R.N.R., C. E. Smalley (Act.) 20 Aug 40. (Surprisingly the Force and her skipper are still on the Navy List after she sunk.)
OFFICER ON NAVY LIST June 43
Temp. Skipper R.N.R., C. E. Smalley (Act.) 20 Aug 40. (Ship and Captain still on list?)
OFFICER ON NAVY LIST June, 44
Temp. Skipper R.N.R., C. E. Smalley (Act.) 20 Aug 40. (Ship and Captain still on list?)
OFFICER ON NAVY LIST June 45
No longer on list.
If you, your father or your grandfather have any additional information about this ship, crew lists, stories, photographs, please send copies of them to be added to our records and this website.
Thank you.
Contact: johntenthousand@yahoo.co.uk
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No photograph of HMT Force is available at this time, but she would have looked exactly like other Mersey Class Minesweepers . This is the John Edmond (HMS Foyle) also a Mersey Class Minesweeper.
HMT Force
Mersey Class Minesweeper.
Wildfire III, Queenborough.
Minesweeper Trawler Group 2
The Force is a Mersey Class Minesweeper. Mersey class Minesweepers were built to Admiralty specifications on the design of the 1916 Trawler Lord Mersey.
During the short life of the Force as a Minesweeper during World War Two, she was in extreme danger of being blown up by the very mines she was sweeping. Every day she sailed into waters where mines were known, or thought, to have been laid by the enemy.
Ironically it was not a mine which caused the loss of the Force, it was a bomb.
During the same week (21 to 28 June 1941) ten vessels were bombed by the Luftwaffe off the East Coast. Of these eight sank including three minesweepers, the Nogi, the Tranio and the Force.
The Force was attack and bombed near 8A buoy, 10 kilometres from Winterton Ness. Badly damaged and on fire she took twenty minutes to sink with eleven of her crew reported as MPK, Missing Presumed Killed.
Watch these short minesweeping videos.
Minesweepers: https://youtu.be/aTsYiZFzv5M
A Bad Day in December 1940: https://youtu.be/Lw2pW31qH4s
Type of Vessel: Admiralty, Mersey Class minesweeper.
Admiralty No: 3565
Pennant: FD 100 (P.No.FY.NI)
Other Names: James Buchanan 1917. Stoneferry, 1922. Cape Tarifa 1934. Franciszka 1938.
Year Constructed: 1917. Launched 18 Sep 1917.
Built by: Cochrane & Sons Shipbuilders Ltd.
Built at: Selby.
Owner: The Admiralty 1917. Acquired by Adam Steam Fishing Co. and renamed Force.
Engine: 69 HP. 3-cylinder triple-expansion steam engine, 1 screw.
Speed: 11 knots.
Gross Tons: 324 gross tons.
Length: 138 feet.
Beam: 23 feet.
Depth: 13 feet.
Compliment: 15 Officers and crew (18 with wireless)
Armament: 1 x 12 pounder. Another source claims she was fitted with two 12-pounder anti-aircraft guns, but this would be atypical.
Fate: Survived WW1. Bombed and sunk in WW2.