HMT JOHN G. WATSON

HMT John G.Watson

HMT John G. Watson.(No 427) 31/10/1915

Displacement: 196 grt.

Length: 35 m. Beam: 7 m. Draught: 3 m
.
Propulsion: 1 x 3-cyl. triple expansion engine, single shaft, 1 screw, 1 boiler .

Complement: officers and men.

Men Lost: 0

Armament: 1 x 6pdr.

The steel steam trawler John G. Watson built by Hall, Russell & Co. Ltd. Aberdeen in 1910 and registered in Aberdeen as A327. On hire to Royal Navy in 1914 as minesweeper.

In collision near Stornoway with the oil tanker SS Rosalind and foundered. All crew saved.

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Aberdeen Press and Journal - Friday 26 August 1910

ABERDEEN TRAWLING INDUSTRY.

ANOTHER VESSEL LAUNCHED.

Messrs Hall, Russell, and Company, Limited, launched from their yard yesterday steam trawler built to the order of Messrs Richard Irvin and Sons, limited, Aberdeen, The vessel is the folio-wing dimensions —Length 8.P., 115 feet; breadth, 22 feet; and depth, 12 feet 9 inches. Steel boiler and triple-expansion, engines will be supplied and fitted by the builders. leaving the ways, the vessel was named the John G. Watson by Mrs John G. Watson, Newcastle, wife one the directors of Richard Irvin and Sons, Limited. After the launching ceremony, the company adjourned to the offices of Messrs Hall, Russell and Company, -where cake and wine were served. The chair was taken by A. Hall Hall, Russell, and Company and among those present were Mr John H. Irvin, managing director of Richard Irvin and Sons, and the following directors—Mr George D. Irvin, Cape Town; Mr T. W. Irvin, Mr A. Spence Macdonald, Provost Leask, Peterhead; Mr John G. Watson, Newcastle; and Mr Thomas Young, Tynemouth; with Mrs John G. Watson, Mrs George Irvin, Mrs John Irvin, Mrs Thomas Irvin, Mrs A. Macdonald, Mrs Martin, Aberdeen; Miss Keith, West Knock; Mr Richard Turnbull, Hartlepool; J. C. Rennie, Mintlaw; Mr Francis Coutts and Mr James H. Anderson, of Hall, Russell, and Company; Mr Alexander Riddell, Aberdeen Coal Company; etc. A short toast-list was gone through. The Chairman, in giving " Success to the John G. Watson," said that was the twenty-first vessel his firm had built for Irvin and Sons, and thus they had double kind of celebration—a sort of coming-of-age ceremony. (Laughter and applause.) His firm were to get this order from the company, and he hoped the vessel would be successful. She was built with all modern improvements, and such a way would make her thoroughly up-to-date. He might mention that they had other three vessels building to the order of the Richard Irvin firm. (Applause.) Mr John H. Irvin, with whose name the toast was coupled, said Mr Wilson had told them that this was the twenty-first vessel Hall, Russell, and Company had built for his firm and that there were three more coming on. He (Mr Irvin) hoped his firm -would be able to build many more. They were not rushing into the thing, these boats were only being built to take the place of other The trawling industry, as they knew, had during the past five or six years been passing through serious times, and were not out of the wood yet. But they could not carry a successful business unless they kept their fleets up-to-date—that was what they were doing at the present time. He felt sure that the new vessel would do credit her builders and owners. She had every appearance of carrying that out. (Applause.) Provost Leask proposed " The Builders," and said that Hall, Russell, and Company's firm was known all over the world. Their ships took second place none wherever they went. This latest output from their yard was another credit to them. (Applause.) A. Hall Wilson responded to the future prosperity of his firm, and hoped the vessel would repay the owners. The health of Mrs John G. Watson was proposal by Mr James H. Anderson, who thanked for for the graceful manner in which she had performed the naming ceremony. Mrs Watson "as presented with a handsome brooch as a memento of the occasion. Mrs Watson, in acknowledgment, wished all success to the new vessel, and hoped there would never any lives lost from " Bon-Accord " terminated the toast-list.