Crew of the Peter Carey, date not known.
Watch these short minesweeping videos.
Minesweepers: https://youtu.be/aTsYiZFzv5M
A Bad Day in December 1940: https://youtu.be/Lw2pW31qH4s
PETER CAREY LO126.
HMT Peter Carey, Castle Class Naval Trawler.
Type of Vessel: Steel side trawler; coal fired, steam screw. Castle Class. Ketch rigged.
Pennant: FY537
Fishing Number: FD350
Other Names: CICELY BLANCHE (1919)
Year Constructed: 1919
Built by: George Brown & Co., Greenock.
Owner: 10 Oct 1919: Victory Steam Fishing Co. (Fleetwood) Ltd., 1 Preston St., Fleetwood.
Engine: T.3-Cyl; 83 rhp; by Gauldie, Gilles & Co., Glasgow.
Gross Tons: 280 tons.
Length: 125.6 feet.
Beam: 23.5 feet.
Depth: 12.7 feet.
Compliment: 11 men.
Armament: 1 x 12 pounder.
Fate: Survived WW2 and returned to owner.
PETER CAREY.
Castle Class Minesweeper.
Wildfire III, Queenborough
Minesweeper Trawler Group 30.
Like all the minesweeper at Wildfire III, Queenborough, the Peter Carey was not only a Minesweeper it was also a fighting ship of war.
During 1940 shipping in the Thames Estuary, along the East Coast and in the English Channel came under heavy attack by German aircraft. Minesweepers, sweeping in straight lines in small groups were easy targets for German planes to bomb and strafe. But the enemy didn’t get it all their own way, the minesweepers fought back.
In August 1940, two Minesweepers, the Peter Carey and the Edwardian are credited with shooting down four German Aircraft. Both the Peter Carey and the Edwardian were bombed. The Edwardian was run aground to prevent her sinking and the Peter Carey was severely damaged. The Edwardian had 3 crew lost and 3 wounded.
German fighter planes Bf 109’s and Bf110’s protected the bombers. Most British fighters became engaged by the escorts giving the bombers time to attack shipping in the Thames Estuary and along East Coast. In all, eight ships were seriously damaged.
A crew member (Vic) tells how he served on the Peter Carey and they had four days a sea and four days on shore. He also tells how they were relentlessly pursued by E-boats (Fast German Torpedo Boats)
On the 1 December 1943 the Peter Carey was escorting Thames Barges, with five other armed trawlers along the English Channel to the Thames Estuary. HM Trawler Avanturine (Skipper Edward Gillard) having been damaged when grounding off Cuckmere was being towed by the Peter Carey. Off Beachy Head the convoy was attacked by nine German motor torpedo boats.
Unable to manoeuvre the Avanturine was hit by a torpedo from the S142 and sunk with the loss of all her crew.
HISTORY.
25 Jun 1919: Launched for the Admiralty as PETER CAREY. (Built too late to enter WW1)
10 Oct 1919: Completed and sold to Victory Steam Trawlers of Fleetwood (FD350).
24 Sep.1922: Renamed CICELY BLANCHE.
1928: Sold to Lago Steam Trawler Co, Milford Haven and renamed PETER CAREY (LO126).
29 Aug 1939: Requisitioned by the Admiralty and converted for minesweeping duties (Pennant Number FY.537, Hire rate £87.10.0d per month).
11 August 1940: The Peter Cary (Skipper. E. G. Catchpole RNR,) and the Minesweeping Trawler Edwardian (Tempory Skipper F. A. Cunningham RNR), shot down four German aircraft.
12 Oct 40. The Minesweeping Trawler HMT Resolvo struck a mine and sunk North East of Sheerness. The crew were rescued by the Peter Carey.
January 1941. ROYAL NAVY SHIPS, Nore Command, Sheerness. Wildfire III, Queenborough.
Minesweeping Group 30 - minesweeping trawlers FIREFLY (Ty Sk E A Runnquist RNR), PETER CAREY (Sk E G Catchpole RNR), ST OLIVE (Ty Sk G W Sherwood RNR), WINDWARD HO (Ty Sk S Johnson RNR), all at Sheerness.
January 1942, ROYAL NAVY SHIPS, Nore Command, Sheerness. Wildfire III, Queenborough.
Minesweeping Group 30 - minesweeping trawlers HEROINE, PETER CAREY, ST OLIVE repairing to comp 6 Jan, WINDWARD HO, all at Sheerness.
1 Dec 1943: HMT PETER CAREY was attacked off Beachy Head when towing HMT AVANTURINE. The Avanturine was torpedoed and sunk by the German motor torpedo boat S-142; all her crew were lost.
Sep 1945: Returned to owners.
May1959: Broken up at Hemixen, Belgium.
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL. A DSM was awarded to Thomas Henry Durrant.
SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 4 OCTOBER, 1940.
The Distinguished Service Medal.
Engineman Thomas Henry Durrant, LT/KX.101617, H.M.T. Peter Carey.
To find out more of the Peter Carey’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. E. G. Catchpole, 3 July 40.
OFFICER ON NAVY LIST June 41.
Skipper R.N.R. E. G. Catchpole, 3 July 40.
Temp Skipper R.N.R., G. H. Burrell, 13 Dec 40.
OFFICER ON NAVY LIST June 42
Temp. Skipper, R.N.R. F. W. Boulton, 18 Dec 41.
Temp. Skipper, R.N.R. J. C. Scott (act) 3 June 41.
OFFICER ON NAVY LIST June 43
Skipper R.N.R. C. H. Cumming, 28 Feb 43
Temp. Skipper, R.N.R., J. W. Greene, 26 Nov 42.
OFFICER ON NAVY LIST June, 44
Skipper, R.N.R., E. G. Gibbs, DSM (In Command.) 13 May 43.
Temp. Skipper R.N.R., C. F. Hurren, 23 Oct 43.
OFFICER ON NAVY LIST June 45
Chief Skipper, R.N.R., E. G. Gibbs, DSM (Act) (In Command.) 13 May 43.
Temp. Skipper R.N.R., C. F. Hurren, 23 Oct 43.
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
RETURN TO SHIP DATABASE.
Click here
RETURN TO FRONT PAGE.
Click here