Lady Curzon
Steel twin screw steam tug built in by JP Rennoldson & Sons, South Shields (Yard No 233).
Technical Data
- Length: 120 ft (overall) (between perpendiculars)
Breadth: 25.1 ft
Depth: 12 ft
Draught: ft
Tonnage: 253 gross/12 net/ deadweight
Engines: 2 x C 4 cyl JP Rennoldson & Sons
Power: kW/138 nHP
Speed: knots
Capacity:
Call Sign: HCDT (@ 1930), MCDX (@ 1945)
LR Number (1945): 10121
Official Number: 114093
Port of Registry: London/UK
History
April 1904: Launched
November 1904: Completed for Dover Harbour Board,
December 1904: Arrived in Dover
Courtesy of Paul Wells @ Dover (Kent) History Pages
“ACCIDENT TO THE LADY CURZON DAMAGE. Last Friday morning, just before 7, the new- Dover Harbour tug Lady Curzon ran into the west side of the Prince of Wales Pier and damaged its bow in a very serious manner. The tug was lying off the west side of the Prince of Wales Pier, and on the arrival of the East African liner Kaizer, it left its moorings to go alongside the Pier. When bow on to the Pier, it is stated, that Captain Lambert signalled to the engine room “Full speed astern.” Either through some defect the apparatus or reading the signal, was mistaken for full speed ahead, and the engines were put accordingly. The tug, after narrowly missing running down Messrs. Pearson’s barge the Garnet, crashed into the stonework with a report like gun. The bow of the tug was completely smashed in, the plates doubling like a concertina. Fortunately, the collision bulkhead prevented the vessel filling, and there was only a slight leak on the tug moving ahead. The tug afterwards went alongside the dolphin the outer harbour, and the bow was filled up with concrete and made watertight so that the tug could be used till the Lady Vita’s overhaul was completed. The bow of the Lady Curzon will have to be rebuilt to great extent.”. (Dover Express – 3rd March 1905 and so accident occurred on 24th February)
July 13th 1906: Together with LADY VITA assisted the fastest liner of her time, DEUTSCHLAND, to leave the port. “As the manoeuvre progressed the vessel suddenly shot stern first, breaking one of the tug’s two ropes and making straight for the southern breakwater. Instead of colliding, however, the DEUTSCHLAND then changed direction once more for some explicable reason heading bow first in the opposite direction and on a direct course for the end of the Prince of Wales Pier….. In desperation, the starboard anchor was let go only 20 yards from the pier, but the was hardly sufficient to check the liner’s momentum and shortly after she stuck the jetty a glancing blow, doubling her stem over at right angles and damaging the plating on either side of her bow. The ship rebounded, struck again, though only slightly this time, then managed to back out of the harbour and into the Channel without further damage.”. Together with the Admiralty, who deemed the harbour unsafe for foreign liners, Hamburg – Amerika line also decided not use Dover as a port of call.
August 5th 1907: Acted as “Pilot Boat” for failed attempt to swim the Channel by Edmund “Ted” Heaton”.
August 31st 1907: Acted as “Pilot Boat” for failed attempt to swim the Channel by Edmund “Ted” Heaton”.
September 3rd 1907: Acted as “Pilot Boat” for failed attempt to swim the Channel by Edmund “Ted” Heaton”.
1912: Sold for £8,550 (replaced by LADY BRASSEY) to S Pearson & Son, London
1913: To General Works Construction Co Ltd, London
1914: Requisitioned?
1915: To British Tanker Co Ltd, London
1921: To Petroleum Steamship Co Ltd, London
1953: To Hanna El Sheik River Transport Co, Iraq
1955: Entry removed from Lloyd’s Register as existence in doubt
All information is believed to be correct and no responsibility is accepted for any errors or omissions. All items included in this article are subject to © copyright. We would like to take this opportunity of thanking: Dover Express and Paul Wells @ Dover (Kent) History Pages for his assistance in producing this feature.
Special thanks go to: John Hendy
Article © Nigel Thornton and Ray Goodfellow (Dover Ferry Photos Group)
