# Grimsby trawler Nelson



## chrisgomersall54

I'm looking for any information on the Grimsby steam trawler Nelson, sunk by a German U-boat in September 1914 with the loss of 11 lives. In 1901 it was skippered by my great grandfather Herbert Grant, and owned by his father John Grant, but there were no Grants on board when sunk. Apparently some wreckage was recovered, including the ship's bell. Anybody have any idea where that might be now?

Also anything on the Weelsby GY299, captured and scuttled by a U-boat in September 1916. Crew survived, but identities not known. There are a couple of fine photos of the Weelsby in Grimsby public library, attached here.

Apologies if some of this has been covered previously, but I'm new to this forum and find it very difficult to search past threads.

Chris Gomersall


----------



## Erimus

Could it be the Lord Nelson instead?

geoff


----------



## JustWin

Nelson >


----------



## JustWin

Google 'Armed trawler Nelson' Wikipedia.


----------



## JustWin

I'll try/nelson >


----------



## seaman38

Rather than trawlers, they look like North Sea Drifters to me which usually fish in pairs, whereas trawlers fish as a single unit


----------



## chrisgomersall54

Thanks JustWin, but it was definitely a Grimsby registered boat, and was launched pre 1901. Should look much more like the Weelsby in my attached photo.


----------



## chrisgomersall54

Erimus, not “Lord Nelson”, just Nelson.


----------



## Roger Griffiths

Hello Chris,
Complicated! Lloyds War Losses 1914-1918 together with British Vessels Lost at Sea 1914-1918, do not record a fishing vessel named NELSON sunk by U Boat or other cause;s apart from the vessel NELSON A. As this boat was owned and lost around Nova Scotia it can be discounted together with the Wiki info which not only give a different date (15/8/1917) but a different GRT.
https://www.uboat.net/wwi/ships_hit/4339.html

However. Returns of Grimsby Fishing Vessels, an official BOT publication taken from the BT145 series held in the British Archives, Gives the following----- NELSON, Official Number 105549, Port Number GY41, 44 NRT, First registered in GY 18/04/1896, *Blown up* by enemy 9/11/1914.

So. Where to from here. I would suggest a U Boat was involved but it may have been a surface vessel. I would post on the WW1 Forum on uboat.net giving a link to this thread. There are some people with more knowledge than me. I would also get in touch with NE Lincs Archives to see if they can shed any light.

WELLESBY GY299 O/N 96239
Her last crew agreement should be in the British Archives. This should give you the names and address of the crew.

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2480533


regards 
Roger


----------



## chrisgomersall54

Thanks Roger, some useful leads there.

Grimsby Central Library has a 1914 press clipping from the Grimsby Evening Telegraph about the loss of the ship, which is where I got my initial info. I didn’t previously know the registration number of the
Nelson, so that’s a great help.

I have an email address for Adrian Wilkinson at Lincs Inspire which I also need to follow up for crew records - perhaps this is the NE lincs archive.

Chris Gomersall


----------



## Roger Griffiths

Chris,
The last logbook and crew agreement of NELSON
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2480347 

This do***ent should give you details of her owners from 1896 and give some information on her sinking.
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C10334834

regards
Roger


----------



## Roger Griffiths

Chris, 
Sorry the date 9/11/1914 was when her registry was closed. Not the date she was sunk.

regards
Roger


----------



## limeybiker

chrisgomersall54 said:


> I'm looking for any information on the Grimsby steam trawler Nelson, sunk by a German U-boat in September 1914 with the loss of 11 lives. In 1901 it was skippered by my great grandfather Herbert Grant, and owned by his father John Grant, but there were no Grants on board when sunk. Apparently some wreckage was recovered, including the ship's bell. Anybody have any idea where that might be now?
> 
> Also anything on the Weelsby GY299, captured and scuttled by a U-boat in September 1916. Crew survived, but identities not known. There are a couple of fine photos of the Weelsby in Grimsby public library, attached here.
> 
> Apologies if some of this has been covered previously, but I'm new to this forum and find it very difficult to search past threads.
> 
> Chris Gomersall


Found this on the Uboat site

https://uboat.net/wwi/ships_hit/4339.html


----------



## limeybiker

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armed_trawler_Nelson

History
Royal Navy EnsignUnited Kingdom 

Name: Nelson 
Launched: 1905 
In service: 1915-1917 
Fate: sunk 15 August 1917 
Notes: Converted to armed merchantman at Lowestoft 

General characteristics 

Type: armed smack 
Tonnage: 61 gross tons[1] 
Propulsion: sail 
Armament: 1 × 3 pounder naval gun 



Armed trawler Nelson was a British auxiliary warship which served during World War I. She was built in 1905 as the fishing smack G&E, operating from Lowestoft and registered as LT 649. In 1915 she was armed for defence against U-boat attack, and fought several actions against them. She was sunk in action on 15 August 1917. This action was fought between the German U-boat SM UC-63 and two trawlers, Armed trawler Nelson and Armed trawler Ethel & Millie off the English coast.


----------

