Watch these short minesweeping videos.
Minesweepers: https://youtu.be/aTsYiZFzv5M
A Bad Day in December 1940: https://youtu.be/Lw2pW31qH4s
The Fishing Trawler Noogana FD 341, renamed St Olive, FY 1599 she served as a minesweeper.
May 1915 to 1919. HMT St Olive served as a minesweeper in WW1. Admiralty No. 2663.
31 July 1918. Based at Egypt.
12 March 1919. Returned to owner at Fleetwood.
1935. Renamed ST OLIVE (SN47, North Shields).
March 1940. Requisitioned by the Admiralty and converted to a minesweeper. (Hire rate £63.4.0d/month).
1 July 1941, ROYAL NAVY SHIPS, Nore Command, Sheerness, Wildfire III, Queenborough.
Minesweeping Group 30 - minesweeping trawlers HEROINE (Ty Sk E H Brooks RNR), PETER CAREY
(Sk E G Catchpole RNR), ST OLIVE (no CO listed), WINDWARD HO (Ty Sk A J Thomas 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.
21 Nov. 1945. Returned to owner at North Shields.
1956, Broken up.
To find out more of the St Olive's movements go to DRIFTERS AND TRAWLERS.
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS. A DSC was awarded to Skipper Lieutenant Walter Johan Jonsen for Minesweeping
OFFICER ON NAVY LIST Dec, 39
Not on List.
OFFICER ON NAVY LIST July 40
Not on list.
OFFICER ON NAVY LIST June 41
On List but no officers
OFFICER ON NAVY LIST June 42
Skipper, R.N.R., A. Cowie, 15 Apr 42.
Temp. Skipper, R.N.R., W. Ross, 22 Feb 42
OFFICER ON NAVY LIST June 43
Skipper, R.N.R., A. Cowie, 15 Apr 42.
Temp. Skipper, R.N.R., A Foreman, 27 Jan 43.
OFFICER ON NAVY LIST June, 44.
Skipper Lieut., R.N.R., W. J. Jonsen, DSC (act) Apr 44
Temp. Skipper, R.N.R., C. E. Hart (act), 21 July 43.
OFFICER ON NAVY LIST June 45
Not 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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Commander Beresford White, R.N.,
Minesweeper Supply for the Admiralty.
Dear Sir,
Your son sent for me this morning and asked me to write to you, giving my reasons why the Admiralty should not take our latest vessel, the "Nairana". They say we have four other vessels, but these belong to Mr. Curzon and his friends, and when Mr. C. E. Curzon took a minesweeping commission, he asked me to look after his interests while he was away, and it would be very unfair for us to lose our only chance of carrying on our business through this. We are also paying three of our shore staff who have joined the army half their wages, and we cannot do this, neither keep on our old servants, if we lose the "Nairana".
I hope you will be able to make the Admiralty look at this in a fair light, as they have already had our "Koorah", "Noogana", "W.H. Podd", "Salome", "Joseph and Sarah Miles" and "Alpha". The last three were under our management.
Yours faithfully,
E. Brand.
Owners of the Noogana (St Olive) prior to WW1, were Edward Brand, Johnston; James Tidman, Gorleston; Walter H. Podd, Lowestoft & Charlie T. Pannell, London (Edward Brand managing owner)
Thank you to Rob Hoole for the following information.
SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 7 JUNE, 1918.
"HONOURS FOR SERVICE IN THE AUXILIARY PATROL.
The KING has been graciously pleased to approve of the award of the following decorations and medals to Officers and Men in recognition of their services in vessels of the Auxiliary Patrol in Foreign waters between 1st January and 31st December 1917
To receive the Distinguished Service Medal.
Engineman. William James Boast, R.N.R, O.N. 403 E.S.
Type of Vessel: Steam trawler converted to minesweeper.
Pennant: FY 1599
Fishing Number: FD341. (Other fishing numbers, M9, LL32, SN47.
Other Names: Noogana.
Year Constructed: 1914
Built by: Hall, Russell & Co Ltd.
Built at: Aberdeen.
Owner: 1935 Robert Hastie & Sons Ltd, North Shields.
Engine: T.3-cyl by Hall, Russell & Co Ltd, Aberdeen.
Gross Tons: 237 ton.
Length: 120.9 feet.
Beam: 22.7 feet.
Depth: 12.1 feet.
Armament: 1 X 3 pounder (WW1)
Fate: Survived the war and was sold for breaking up in 1956.
HMT St Olive
Wildfire III, Queenborough.
Minesweeping Group 30
The St Olive was a hard working minesweeper in both World War One and World War Two.
Little is known of her exact movements during her time at Wildfire III, Queenborough. To find out more of the St Olive's probable movements go to DRIFTERS AND TRAWLERS.
It is known that other minesweeper in her group (Minesweeping Group 30) came under heavy attack from enemy aircraft with the Peter Carey being bombed and severely damaged. Vessel in the Minesweeping Group were credited with shooting down four German Aircraft.