Launched from the Irvine Shipbuilding Company yard on 15th February 1899 (Yard No 7) the steel steam trawler Forth measured 105.6′ x 21.0′ x 10.7′ and her tonnage was 168 gross tons, 55 net tons. She was powered by a triple expansion steam engine by Muir and Houston Ltd., of Glasgow delivering 50 registered horse power. Initially owned by James Leyman and Co Ltd of Hull she was registered in that port as H469. In 1912 she was purchased by Richard Lewis of Aberdeen and operated from that port until she was purchased by her final owners W Baynton (Baker and Green managers) of Grimsby in 1916, renamed Bel Lily and registered as GY1000.
Bel Lily under way
As World War One began the Bel Lily continued to make the dangerous trips to the fishing grounds despite the threat of German U-boats and minefields. In May 1917 she set out on her latest voyage from Grimsby under the command of her skipper, Amos Smith who had a crew of nine men under his command. Meanwhile the UCII class mine laying submarine UC-49 was on her latest sortie laying her deadly mines in a series of barrages off the coast of Aberdeenshire under the command of Oberlieutnant Alfred Arnold.
UC-49 under way
On 4th May UC-49 laid four mines then five more off Buchan Head and then on 5th May nine more in two lines off Peterhead. Only four days later the Hull trawler Windward Ho collided with one of the mines south east of Buchan Ness and a week later the unfortunate Bel Lily collided with one of the mines off Peterhead. There were no survivors.
Mine barrage chart for UC-49 & UC-31
The wreck of the Bel Lily lies in position 57° 31.079’N, 001° 44.658’W oriented 040°/220° in 44 metres. Located and dived by Buchan Divers in 2010 the wreck is broken in three distinct sections with the bow section to the north, the engine and midships at the position noted above and the stern to the south. Initially it was believed that this wreckage could be the Hit or Miss but further dives and review of video footage and a positive identification of a wreck nearby previously believed to be Bel Lily confirmed this wreckage as the Bel Lily.
We would like to acknowledge the assistance of Buchan Divers – www.buchandivers.com in the preparation of this article.
