HMD Lustring
Helm & Telegraph
HMD Lustring. (No 2003) 03/10/1918
Displacement: 71 grt.
Length: 25.5 m. Beam: 5.68 m. Draught: 2.5 m
.
Propulsion: 2 Cylinder compound. 1 x Boiler, single screw.
Complement: officers and men.
Armament: 1-3pdr
Displacement: 71 grt.
Length: 25.5 m. Beam: 5.68 m. Draught: 2.5 m
.
Propulsion: 2 Cylinder compound. 1 x Boiler, single screw.
Complement: officers and men.
Armament: 1-3pdr
The wooden steam drifter Lustring was built by Stevenson & Asher, Banff, Scotland in 1910, Engine maker: McKie & Baxter, Copland Works, Govan (No 561) Registered on 13/06/1910 in Banff with the fishing number BF195.
Dundee Evening Telegraph - Wednesday 27 April 1910
MORAY FIRTH DRIFTERS. Messrs Stevenson & Asher, Banff Harbour, have launched a steam drifter of about 90 tons, built the order of Mr James Wilson, Banff- She is to be engined by Messrs Watson Brothers, Banff. The vessel was named Lustring.
Aberdeen Press and Journal -- Wednesday 25th May 1910
BANFF.
TRIAL TRIPS. -- The finishing touches have been put within the last few days by Messrs Watson Bros. to the equipping of three new drifters with engines. The first of these, the Fragrance, went on a preliminary spin on Friday, the Lustring proceeded to Buckie on Monday, and the Olympus, of Ianstown, Buckie, also sailed west yesterday afternoon on her first trip. The Fragrance and Lustring belong to Banff. The Lochnabo, of Lossiemouth, and the Ben Bui, of Nairn, are at present being engined.
Banffshire Journal - Tuesday 5th September 1911
ACCIDENT. -- Alexander Main (17), 26 High Street, Macduff, cook on the drifter Lustring, berthed in Aberdeen Harbour, received injuries to one of his feet as a result of an accident which happened on board that vessel on Sunday. He was removing a roast form the oven when his hand came into contact with the door, knocking the can containing the meat out of his hand. The hot fat was spilt on his left foot, severely scalding it. He was treated in the Royal Infirmary.
Dundee Evening Telegraph - Wednesday 27 April 1910
MORAY FIRTH DRIFTERS. Messrs Stevenson & Asher, Banff Harbour, have launched a steam drifter of about 90 tons, built the order of Mr James Wilson, Banff- She is to be engined by Messrs Watson Brothers, Banff. The vessel was named Lustring.
Aberdeen Press and Journal -- Wednesday 25th May 1910
BANFF.
TRIAL TRIPS. -- The finishing touches have been put within the last few days by Messrs Watson Bros. to the equipping of three new drifters with engines. The first of these, the Fragrance, went on a preliminary spin on Friday, the Lustring proceeded to Buckie on Monday, and the Olympus, of Ianstown, Buckie, also sailed west yesterday afternoon on her first trip. The Fragrance and Lustring belong to Banff. The Lochnabo, of Lossiemouth, and the Ben Bui, of Nairn, are at present being engined.
Banffshire Journal - Tuesday 5th September 1911
ACCIDENT. -- Alexander Main (17), 26 High Street, Macduff, cook on the drifter Lustring, berthed in Aberdeen Harbour, received injuries to one of his feet as a result of an accident which happened on board that vessel on Sunday. He was removing a roast form the oven when his hand came into contact with the door, knocking the can containing the meat out of his hand. The hot fat was spilt on his left foot, severely scalding it. He was treated in the Royal Infirmary.
BT 110-355 Lustring Particulars of ship document
In January 1915 Lustring was hired by the Admiralty as Drifter No 2003. HMD Lustring was employed as a boom net barrier tender for the Kirkwall boom.
THE LOSS
On the 3rd October 1918 at 7.30 pm the Boom Net Tender HM Drifter 'Lustring', while working at the Kirkwall boom net, collided with HM trawler 'Elvina' No 701 (GY.238) and then foundered in 14 fathoms, close to the shore off Hellier Holm, Shapinsay.
All crew were saved.
An enquiry held in the Kirkwall Hotel on 10th October 1918 found:
'' in compliance with your memorandum No 17/50 of October 8th, 1918, have held a full and careful enquiry into the circumstances attending the collision between H.M Trawler ''Elvina'' No 701 and H.M Drifter ''Lustring'' No 2003 on the evening October 3rd, 1918 off Hellier Holm''.
''We find the chief skipper of ''Elvina'' did not exhibit due care on approaching the ''Lustring'' , and his lack of caution in closing a vessel which appeared to him to be maneuvering was solely the cause of the collision and his final order prior to the collision to be unjustifiable in as much as he put the helm hard a' port knowing ''Lustring was crossing port to starboard''.
The result was:
''Chief skipper William Wood of H.M Trawler ''Elvina'' has been informed and directed to be more careful in future ''. (HD3821-1918)
All crew were saved.
An enquiry held in the Kirkwall Hotel on 10th October 1918 found:
'' in compliance with your memorandum No 17/50 of October 8th, 1918, have held a full and careful enquiry into the circumstances attending the collision between H.M Trawler ''Elvina'' No 701 and H.M Drifter ''Lustring'' No 2003 on the evening October 3rd, 1918 off Hellier Holm''.
''We find the chief skipper of ''Elvina'' did not exhibit due care on approaching the ''Lustring'' , and his lack of caution in closing a vessel which appeared to him to be maneuvering was solely the cause of the collision and his final order prior to the collision to be unjustifiable in as much as he put the helm hard a' port knowing ''Lustring was crossing port to starboard''.
The result was:
''Chief skipper William Wood of H.M Trawler ''Elvina'' has been informed and directed to be more careful in future ''. (HD3821-1918)
CAB 2466
ADM 1/8496/190 ''Trawlers lost and paid off''
ADM 171/197. Naval Medals & Awards Roll 1793-1972/WW1 Medals & Awards/Warship Qualifications Periods
The Wreck Today
The wreck of HMD Lustring was located using magnetometer and side scan sonar by SULA Diving on 25th May 2021.
Due to the research by this project and a survey by SULA Diving HMS Lustring now has three Wreck Card's with UKHO. These are 97879 (boiler) 97880 (engine) and 97878 (bridge Section)
Boiler 59°00,832'N 02°53,03'W
Engine 59°00,834'N 02°52,949'W
Bridge 59°00,84'N 02°52,897'W
Due to the research by this project and a survey by SULA Diving HMS Lustring now has three Wreck Card's with UKHO. These are 97879 (boiler) 97880 (engine) and 97878 (bridge Section)
Boiler 59°00,832'N 02°53,03'W
Engine 59°00,834'N 02°52,949'W
Bridge 59°00,84'N 02°52,897'W
Helliar Holm Lighthouse
The Survey
The Admiralty telegram (above) stated that HMD Lustring was lost in 14 fathoms of water. They must have had a good idea where the vessel sank and then used the depth in the area as a guide to the position. This was more likely to show wreck was not a hazard to navigation than to give an accurate position as no Lat long or bearing from land were given.
A magnetometer survey was conducted around Helliar Holm checking all the 14 fathom soundings on the 1917 Admiralty chart .
A magnetometer survey was conducted around Helliar Holm checking all the 14 fathom soundings on the 1917 Admiralty chart .
Approaches to Kirkwall , chart 2594 1917 (UKHO)
A good magnetic response was recorded south east of Helliar Holm. The magnetometer data was post processed using SonarWiz 7 software. The area was then surveyed with a C-Max CM2 side scan sonar and a number of contacts were located.
Magnetometer contour chart
MaxView basemap with side scan coverage.
Side Scan image of the wreckage area. Image: SULA Diving
Boiler Engine Bridge.
Images: SULA Diving
Images: SULA Diving
The Site
From the side scan data the wreck could be seen to have spread over a wide area, with three main contacts, in a straight line corresponding with the tidal flow.
The boiler could be easily identified from the side scan data with a fairly large contact (engine) midway, with some scattered debris, to a framework thought to be the main wreck site.
The distance between the boiler and main site is 157m. As the tide was 4 hours into the flood when the accident happened it could be considered the vessel may have capsized with the boiler falling out, followed by the engine before the drifter finally sank.
The wreck was dived on 04/06/2021 and the three main contacts located. The boiler has parts of the funnel underneath which supports the theory of a capsize happening prior to the vessel foundering.
The large two cylinder engine was then dived, cylinder heads were measured.
The framework was found to be the base of the wheelhouse with the large helm and ships telegraph still in-situ. The deck and wooden hull has all gone.
Photo mosaics of the bridge section. Photos: SULA Diving
Photos showing the boiler, two cylinder engine with brass tap , the helm and telegraph from HMD Lustring, a steel ring seen on side scan between the engine and boiler. .Photos: Bertrand Taylor, Malcolm Thomson & Keith Rendall.
Photos: Ian Rendall
Wheelhouse - Photos: Keith Rendall
