Warsailors Forums

Good Morning Gents,
I have been asked if I can look into the history of the Grimsby Trawler Blackburn Rovers GY 102
she was requisitioned as an Anti Sub Trawler 25/08/1939

I have found 2 conflicting reports

1. 26/11/1939 whilst off Goodwin Sands in bad weather a cable was washed off her foredeck and tangled the prop, she was eventually dragged/drifted into a mine field, the dover lifboat was apparently dispatched to rescue her and did indeed get her crew off.
It is said she was then scuttled approx 30 miles off the Kentish Sands
2. She took part in the Dunkirk Operations and during the withdrawl on the 02/06/1940 she was either torpedoed or hit a mine.

So does this mean she was not scuttled or was she scuttled and salvaged, returned to service

is it possible both reports are correct
any help in clarifying the above would be of great help

as always Thank you
Trevor

Blackburn Rovers was certainly lost on 2 June 1940 off Dunkirk, probably after detonating a mine, with the depth charges exploding as she sank - trawler Westella in company went to her aid and suffered the same fate.

This would suggest that she survived any earlier incident, and was not scuttled.

Thanks David

I have since found a family member who's uncle was on board at the time and he tells that although they opened the sea cocks they failed and that left the boat drifting until the anchor snagged on the kentish sands

looks like it was then recovered because by the 28/02/1940 she was sent to Hartlepool having being withdrawn from the Dover Patrol to have AA guns fitted then rejoined the patrol ready for operation Dynamo

Certainly took some digging to get there just need to find out what happened between Kentish Sands and the Refit

cheers for now