Hondo

Our appeal for information on the trawler Hondo, lost with all hands during the last war, brought a swift response from a reader who wishes to remain anonymous.

Our informant tells us that the cause of the loss in 1943 remains unknown. He reveals that the S.T. Hondo (H565) was built by Cochranes Ltd at Selby in 1912 for H.L. Taylor LTD of Grimsby with her number being GY701. Ownership was later transferred to the Diamond Steam Fishing Company for their Hull fleet.

“In 1943 the ship’s registry was transferred to Hull and the Hondo given the number H565. - the registered owners being shown as Charleston – Smith Trawlers of Hull. Under wartime conditions she was sent to fish out of Fleetwood under the management of Boston Deep Sea Fisheries Ltd.

The last record of the Hondo was November 24th 1943 but it is not clear whether this is the date of the last reported sighting.

“Being overdue the ship was listed “missing” and on December 31st 1943 recorded as “Lost, off Barra Head”.

“The cause is not known. The ship may have foundered in heavy seas – common at that time of year off Scotland’s west coast or she may have been driven ashore on the rocks of the Hebridean Islands.

“This area was also one of the sectors where Fleetwood trawlers were lost during the war years through enemy action – sunk by U-boats operating in the area.”
Our reader suggests that the date and the place of Hondo’s loss may have been established by the finding of bodies and their identification as Hondo crewmen.

He goes on “Barra Head is the south point of the tiny island of Berneray, the most southerly of the Outer Hebrides and uninhabited. The next island is Mingulay – also uninhabited but which supported a small population up to the 1930s, and would almost certainly have a small church and burial ground.

“The nearest centre of population to these two islands would be Barra which can be reached by air, or ferry from Oban. “War time burials on all the islands would be registered there, probably at Castlebay, Barra.”

Our appeal was prompted by the family of Hondo’s skipper John (Jock) Nicholson, whose body was eventually found and buried in Scotland.

One of his sons – Kenneth – was only eight at the time and says information during the war was scant. He knew his father was buried on a Scottish island but is seeking the exact location and any news of the trawler’s last voyage.

Censorship during the war meant no details were given of missing vessels and the local paper - “The Fleetwood Chronicle” only printed reports of individual crew members – listed as “missing at sea” without identifying their ship.

But from reports at the time it would appear the Hondo was lost around the end of November. One crewman had been washed up and was buried on December 2nd.
The 229-ton Hondo carried a crew of 14.

REPORTED MISSING AT SEA

Skipper Nicholson was 43 and lived in Park-Avenue, Fleetwood. Born in Aberdeen he had sailed out of Fleetwood for 22 years.
It was his first trip in the Hondo and had planned to skipper her for only two trips.

He had served in the First World War in the Royal Scots Fusiliers and at 16 was taken a prisoner in France.

He was sent to Germany and remained a cative until the Armistice.
Skp. Nicholson was also at Dunkirk in the Fleetwood trawler Evelyn Rose and served in the Royal Naval Reserve.

Married he had 4 sons – John and Daniel were serving in the R.N.R., 15 year old Edward was working on the docks and 8-year-old Kenneth was at school.

It is believed his body was washed up off the Scottish coast and later buried on one of the islands.

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A 19 year old deckhand, Mr Joseph Croft of Whinfield Avenue was buried at Fleetwood on December 10th after his body was washed ashore on the west scottish coast. Born in Fleetwood he had been going to sea four years. He was the second son of Mr and Mrs G.Croft.

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The trawler cook was 43 year old Mr Bertie Lees of Shakespeare Road. He had lived in Fleetwood about 20 years and was married with 3 children. He was a member of the West End Social Club.

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Trawler mate Norman Leach left his sick bed to go on the last voyage of Hondo.

His wife told reporters that he had been ill with flu but hadn’t wanted to let the skipper down.

Mr Leach was 39 and lived in Addison Road. Besides his wife he had left 3 children. He had moved to the Wyre Port from Hull and had skippered trawlers to Bear Island, the White Sea and Iceland. He was also buried in Scotland.

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Another crewman was William Cameron – a native of Aberdeen. He was married and lived in Thornton.

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Teenage Patrick Wilson – making only his third trip – was the youngest son of Mr and Mrs G.A. Wilson, of Gordon Road.
A former pupil at Bailey School he worked on the fish market before going to sea. He was 16. His brother George lost his life while serving in a minesweeper in the R.N.R. In December 1939.

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Chief engineer Herbert Henry Scuffell had served in minesweepers in the First World War. A native of Norwich he was 49 and lodged in Seabank Road, Fleetwood. He went to sea from the age of 14 and moved to Fleetwood from Hull. He was a member of the R.A.O.B.

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Fireman James Hill had previously survived several shipwrecks. A native of Kilmarnock he lived in Queens-Terrace and was 60 years old.

He had lived in the port 30 years and had served as a stoker in the Royal Navy in the first war and had been shipwrecked 3 times. In May 1940 he was the only surviver from a crew of nine when the Fleetwood trawler Oona Hall sank after a collison in the Irish sea.

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Mr Sidney Beswick (or Bestwick) was a native of Scarborough. He said from Fleetwood as a second engineer for many years. Married with a daughter he lodged in Kemp Street, Fleetwood.

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Bachelor Mr Frederick Mearns lived at the fishermen’s mission in Dock Street. A native of Hull, Mr Mearns was 38 and sailed from Fleetwood as a deckhand for several years.

His father and brother also lost their lives during the war.

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Bosun Mr Norman Stirzaker was making his second trip in Hondo. Born in Fleetwood he lived in Radcliffe Road.

For 12 years he had sailed from Hull but returned to his home port in 1940. Mr Stirzaker who was 37 served at Dunkirk.

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Other crewman were W.Harrison, S.Olsen and J Braunberch and as yet we have not been able to discover anything more about them.

The information provided by our anonymous reader has been passed to the Skipper Nicholson’s family.

“We are very grateful this is the most information we have received.

“At the time the two eldest sons were at war and any information which went to the family has been lost in time.

“In all the trawling stories over the years we never saw the Hondo mentioned – which is why we asked for your help.

“We will be able to pursue it further,” said a member of the family.