Could anybody tell me what the SS Yewdale was doing in 1941 please. It was at Dunkirk for the evacuation in 1940, and from the few scant mentions of it, it was quite a large ship. In 1940, she was armed with a single Lewis Gun. On the 3rd Feb 1940 during an attack by German planes her Master was killed, and is now buried in Liverpool. So am I to think right that the ship would have been acquisitioned by the military prior to being used at Dunkirk. If that is so, then is it likely to have remained as an armed vessel between Dunkirk and Normandy? It was later sunk on the Normandy beaches. I have just found out, as Im typing this that she sunk on 3rd October 1944 with the cause as 'marine damage'. More importantly she is listed on Royal Naval Vessels Lost at Sea as a Collier belonging to the Fleet Supply Vessels. Now all this is interesting but its very specifically the post-Dunkirk until the end of 1941 that I need to know what the ship was doing. Any help may be very important, T
Probably being refitted after being battered off Dunkirk YEWDALE (2) (1929 - 1944) O.N. 160241. 823g. 410n. 195.0 x 31.2 x 11.9 feet T.3-cyl. (15”, 25” & 40” x 27”) engine made by J. Abernethy & Company, Aberdeen. 90 rhp 11.2.1929: Launched by J. Scott & Sons, Bowling (Yard No. 313) for J. Stewart & Company, Glasgow. 3.1929: Completed. 1933: Owners restyled as John Stewart & Company Shipping Ltd. 3.2.1940: Damaged by aircraft bombing and gunfire 4 miles N.N.E. of Scarborough. 26.5.1940: Damaged by German shore batteries on French coast when in the French Channel coast. 28.5.1940: Damaged by German shore batteries on French coast when in the French Channel coast and was also attacked by aircraft. 3.10.1944: Lost in a collision off Arromanches https://www.blunham.com/big/eng/YKS/NRY/Photographs/pdfs/TheScarboroughWarYears.pdf 24 DECEMBER, 1940 SHIPS’ CASUALTIES LANDED AT SCARBOROUGH 1 dead and 3 wounded from S.S. “Yewdale” https://rnliarchive.blob.core.windows.net/media/1676/1942wys.pdf 1942 MARCH 5 T H . - HARTLEPOOL, DUR HAM. Two laden steamers, the Norwegian S.S. Royal and the British S.S. Yewdale, were lying off Hartlepool in a very rough sea, with a strong easterly wind blowing, and heavy snow storms, and the naval authorities wanted the steamers in harbour. The life-boat went out to pilot them in, but could not find them. Later they were able to enter the Tees.- Rewards, £18 14s. TD
Temptage, I know you are more interested in 1941, you can get that info by going onto Convoyweb, but I thought you might be interested in a little more about her work at Dunkirk: YEWDALE, another small steam coaster, and the motor vessel SEQUACITY, set off from the Downs on 27 May with orders for Dunkirk. During the night YEWDALE picked up five survivors from a raft, who told Captain Jones that Dunkirk had been occupied that morning; because of this and because SEQUACITY needed to make repairs, they returned to England. They were attacked by German aircraft which, though it was seen off by a British aircraft, so damaged the SEQUACITY that she sank at 1030 on the morning of 28 May. . YEWDALE rescued the crew, and took them to Deal. By the evening more than 130 vessels had been assembled to sail for Dunkirk. The Cruiser CALCUTTA, twenty destroyers and an assortment of coasters and many 'little ships' were given the task of loading troops directly from the beach. The coaster ABUKIR, managed by the General Steam Navigation Company (GSNC) for the MOWT, had shipped Army stores to Ostend. For the return voyage she embarked a capacity load of over 200 passengers, including women and children, and six priests. After she sailed late on 27 May, she was bombed 'incessantly for one and a half hours,' but was not hit; fire was returned by the ship's sole Lewis gun. At 0115 on 28 May a U-boat fired two torpedoes at the ABUKIR - both missed. The Master attempted to ram the submarine, but his ship lacked sufficient speed. The U-boat fired two more torpedoes. One hit the little ship amidships; she burst into flames, broke in two and sank within a minute, taking many with her. The Germans machine-gunned survivors in the water and 'many were killed including the Chief Officer.'[ii] Captain Rowland Woolfenden was made an MBE; Second Officer Vere Rust was Commended.[iii] At Deal the YEWDALE stored and topped up with fresh water. She returned to Dunkirk with the smaller motor ships BEAL and BULLFINCH (GSNC). They anchored off the beach at about 0400 on 29 May and used their lifeboats to ferry troops from the shore. One of the YEWDALE's seamen, George McKenzie, aged 16, did great work teaching the soldiers how to row. Later the Royal Navy helped with the flat-bottomed motor launches that had been transported by CLAN MACALISTER (see below), but George McKenzie 'retained his command.' About 1500 the bombing became serious and at 1600 YEWDALE was ordered to leave; by this time she had taken aboard some 900 troops. I think the picture you have may be an earlier Yewdale. Roy ABUKIR had been built for GSNC in 1920 and sold onto an Egyptian company, General Steam again managed her. [ii]Supplement to the London Gazette 23rd August 1940 [iii]Ibid
Sorry the formatting has gone to rats! YEWDALE (Br) 823 tons, built 1929 Departure Convoy Arrival Tyne, Feb 20, 1940 FS.101 (Tyne - Southend) Southend, Feb 22, 1940 Tyne, Apr 18, 1940 FS.149 (Tyne - Southend) Southend, Apr 20, 1940 Tyne, Jun 27, 1940 FS.206 (Tyne - Southend) Southend, Jun 29, 1940 Southend, Jul 2, 1940 FN.211 (Southend - Methil) Methil, Jul 4, 1940 Sunderland, Jul 5, 1940 FS.214 (Tyne - Southend) Southend, Jul 6, 1940 Southend, Jul 11, 1940 FN.219 (Southend - Methil) Blyth, Jul 13, 1940 Methil, Jul 27, 1940 FS.234 (Tyne - Southend) Southend, Jul 29, 1940 Southend, Aug 3, 1940 FN.241 (Southend - Methil) Methil, Aug 5, 1940 Middlesbrough, Aug 13, 1940 FS.251 (Tyne - Southend) Southend, Aug 15, 1940 Sunderland, Aug 31, 1940 FS.268 (Tyne - Southend) Southend, Sep 2, 1940 Southend, Sep 13, 1940 FN.279 (Southend - Methil) Blyth, Sep 15, 1940 Blyth, Sep 20, 1940 FS.286 (Tyne - Southend) Southend, Sep 21, 1940 Southend, Sep 26, 1940 FN.291 (Southend - Methil) Tyne, Sep 28, 1940 Southend, Oct 5, 1940 FN.300 (Southend - Methil) Methil, Oct 7, 1940 Southend, Oct 23, 1940 FN.316 (Southend - Methil) Sunderland, Oct 25, 1940 Sunderland, Oct 31, 1940 FS.324 (Methil - Southend) Southend, Nov 2, 1940 Southend, Nov 9, 1940 FN.330 (Southend - Methil) Tyne, Nov 11, 1940 Tyne, Nov 19, 1940 FS.339 (Methil - Southend) Southend, Nov 21, 1940 Southend, Nov 24, 1940 FN.341 (Southend - Methil) Immingham, Nov 26, 1940 FS.347 (Methil - Southend) Southend, Nov 29, 1940 Sunderland, Dec 27, 1940 FS.373 (Methil - Southend) Southend, Dec 29, 1940 Tyne, Jan 13, 1941 FS.387 (Methil - Southend) Southend, Jan 16, 1941 Southend, Jan 25, 1941 FN.391 (Southend - Methil) Tyne, Jan 27, 1941 Methil, Apr 28, 1941 EC.13SP ( - ) Inverness, Apr 29, 1941 EC.51 (Southend - Clyde) Sunderland, Jul 28, 1941 Southend, Aug 2, 1941 EC.54 (Southend - Clyde) Methil, Aug 4, 1941 Southend, Oct 19, 1941 EC.88 (Southend - Clyde) Methil, Oct 21, 1941 Methil, Feb 5, 1942 EN.42 (Methil - Oban) Oban, Feb 7, 1942 Kirkwall, Feb 17, 1942 WN.246 (Loch Ewe - Methil) Methil, Feb 19, 1942 Portsmouth, Jul 10, 1944 FTC.32 (Seine Bay - Southend) Southend, Jul 11, 1944 Southend, Jul 21, 1944 ETC.44 (Southend - Seine Bay) Southampton, Jul 22, 1944 Portsmouth, Jul 26, 1944 FTC.48 (Seine Bay - Southend) Southend, Jul 27, 1944 Southend, Aug 3, 1944 ETC.57 (Southend - Seine Bay) Portsmouth, Aug 4, 1944 Solent, Aug 5, 1944 FBC.45 (Seine Bay - B Channel) Dartmouth, Aug 6, 1944 Barry, Aug 16, 1944 EBC.74 (Barry - Seine Bay) Devonport, Aug 17, 1944 Barry, Aug 25, 1944 EBC.83 (Barry - Seine Bay) Portsmouth, Aug 27, 1944 Solent, Sep 8, 1944 FTC.2A (Seine Bay - Southend) Southend, Sep 9, 1944 Yewdale was lost in the Channel UK on Oct 6, 1944 whilst sailing as a part of convoy IN.PORT. Cause of loss: COLLISION.
I know its not 1941 but does add to its final state Screw Steamer YEWDALE built by Scott & Sons in 1929 for John Stewart & Co., Glasgow, Coaster Sank 30/09/1944 Struck submerged object and beached on Omaha Beach, Normandy when inward from Grimsby a French port, later damaged in collision with s.s. AARO on 06/10/1944, total loss. TD A Reuben Chappell watercolour of the S. S. Yewdale at sea. - The Yorkshire waterways Museum - Yorkshires Best Kept Secret!
As the ships official number was 167581, I guess the file below might help - others more Naval minded may be able to advise better Reference: BT 381/2155 Description: 167581; 167582; 167583; 167585; 167586 Date: 1942 Jan 01 - 1942 Dec 31 Held by: The National Archives, Kew Legal status: Public Record(s) Closure status: Open Document, Open Description or specifically for 1941 Reference: BT 381/1700 Description: 167577; 167579; 167580; 167581; 167582; 167585; 167586; 167587; 167590; 167591 Date: 1941 Jan 01 - 1941 Dec 31 Held by: The National Archives, Kew Legal status: Public Record(s) Closure status: Open Document, Open Description TD
The Ship's Movement Card is held at Kew in piece BT 389/32/197 The files quoted by TD are for the Ship's Official Logbooks including Crew Agreements. Regards Hugh
Thanks for putting me back on the straight & narrow Hugh, I knew one of you guys would be along, I guess yours is also a much cheaper and quicker option TD
I attach a picture of a more recent Yewdale. It is possible that this one is postwar, but the Plimsoll Lloyd's Register site is unreachable, and has been for a while, so I can't check