GAMECOCK STEAM TOWING COMPANY LIMITED
The Gamecock Steam Towing Company was formed in 1880, originally being a consortium of London River Pilots. In 1928, a company with Turkish roots, The Ocean Towage And Salvage Company Ltd acquired Gamecock, but they continued to trade under their own name. In 1950 they became part of the Ship Towage [London] Ltd combine.
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Last updated 5-10-2009
FLEET LIST
ATLANTIC COCK
See Ship Towage Ltd. fleet list.
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BANTAM COCK
Built 1882 by A D Lewis, East Greenwich. Iron Screw Tug. L75.8'. B16'. D9.5'. 70grt. 7nrt. 40nhp 2cyl Compound steam engine by either Hodges, Millwall or Mitchell, Poplar. ON86998
1882 Delivered to Henry Rae & 14 other Poplar pilots, London. 1889 Owners George Doust & 13 others, Gravesend. 2-1890 owners Gamecock S. T. Co., Gravesend. 1891 Sold to Thomas Heywood, & John Guthrie, Cardiff, 1901 Owners The Cardiff Steam Towing Co Ltd., Cardiff. 1908 Owners Cornish Salvage Co Ltd., Cardiff. 1916 Owner Michael Dunn, Cardiff. 1917 Owner Edmund Handcock Jr Ltd, Cardiff. 1929 owners Edmund Handcock (1929) Ltd, Cardiff. 1938 Scrapped.
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COMMONWEALTH
Built 1902 Hepple & Co, S Shields. YN 532 Iron Screw Tug. L90.7'. B19.6'. D10.9'. 115grt. 585ihp 2cyl compound steam engine by Hepple. Acquired 19??. Disposed 1935. ON115916. Callsign TRNL.
10-1902 Delivered to Mason, Liley & Hunt [Empire Towing] Gravesend. 190? Owners Gamecock Steam Towing Co. 15-08-1914 to 12-09-1914 Req for UK War Office service. 30-10-1914 to 10-11-1914: Req UK Admiralty service. 2-12-1914 Req UK Admiralty, Downs Boarding Flotilla, renamed Commonweal. 1916 British India Steam Navigation Co Ltd., London. 7-6-1919 Returned to owners, renamed Commonwealth. 1921 Owners Gravesend United Steam Tug Co. 1931 Sold to Sidney Charles Roberts & L. Vandeventer, Commonwealth Steam Tug Co., Bristol. 1935 Sold to W J Reynolds, Plymouth renamed Antony. 1960 scrapped at Plymouth.
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CONDOR [1]
In Portuguese ownership. Photo J. Grainger.
Built 1896 by J. T. Eltringham Ltd., South Shields. YN187. L88'. B19.1'. D10.4'. 112grt. 1nrt. 750ihp 66nhp 2cyl compound 17.5"x36" 24" stroke coal fired steam engine by Hepple and Co., South Shields. Acquired 1896. Disposed 1899. Scrapped 1946. ON105894.
10-1896 Delivered to Gamecock Steam Tug Co., London. 1899 Owners Da Costa Herdeiros, Portugal. 1915 Owners R. E. James Ltd., Southampton, renamed Ridgway. 8-1-1915 Req for Admiralty service. 11-10-1915 Returned to Owner. 1916 Owners Tilbury Contracting and Dredging Co. Ltd., London. 1919 Owners John Cooper Ltd., Belfast. 1927 Owners Fowey Tug & Salvage Co. Ltd., Fowey. 1928 Renamed Penleath. 1941 Owners Radcliffe Towing & Salvage Co., Ilfracombe. 1942 Owners Cargo Fleet Iron Co. Ltd., Middlesbrough. 1946 Scrapped at Dunston by Clayton and Davey Ltd.
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CONDOR [2]
Built 1901 by Thomas Scott & Co., Goole. YN31. L80'. B18.1'. D10'. 90grt. 325ihp 2cyl compound engine by builder. Acquired 1901. Disposed 1908. Scrapped 1953.
1901 Delivered to Gamecock Steam Towing Co., Gravesend. 1908 Owners James Turner, Grimsby. 1914-1920 Req for Admiralty service. 1929 owner John Brant, Grimsby. 1936 Owners J. H. Lamey Ltd., Liverpool. 1953 Scrapped by T. W. Ward Ltd., Barrow.
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CRESTED COCK [1]
Built 1930 by Alexander Hall & Co. Ltd., Aberdeen. YN623. L100'. B26.1'. D12.3'. 214grt 2nrt. 1150ihp 3cylTE 16"x25"x42" 30" stroke 200psi steam engine by builder. Acquired 1930. Disposed 1934. Scrapped 1959. ON161393. Callsign MPTD.
4-1930 Delivered to Gamecock Steam Towing Co. Ltd., London. 1934 Sold to Sovtorgflot, Murmansk, renamed Shuga. 11-1936 Class withdrawn. 194? Owners Russian Government. 1959 Scrapped.
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CRESTED COCK (2)
See Ship Towage Ltd fleet list
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FALCON
Photo RGR colln.
Built 1892 by G. Rennie & Co., Greenwich. L91.5'. B19.1'. D10.9'. 124grt. 5nrt. 420ihp 98nhp 2cyl 18"x38" 24" stroke compound steam engine by J. Stewart, Blackwall. Acquired 1892. Disposed 1933. Scrapped 1949. ON99090. Callsign MPWN.
1892 Delivered to A. Couves and other pilots, Gravesend. 1929 Owners Gamecock Steam Towing Co. Ltd., London. 1933 Owner Sidney C. Roberts, Avonmouth. 1939 Owners Fairplay Towage and Salvage Ltd., London. 3-1949 Scrapped by Marine Metals Ltd., Penarth.
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GAMECOCK [1]
Built 1880 by R & H Green, Blackwall. C2cyl. ON81635.
1880: Delivered to Richard Holland & 12 other pilots at Gravesend. (Gamecock Steam Towing Co). 1-1882: sold to South American owners, doing the run from London to Panama in 31 days.
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GAMECOCK [2]
Built 1883 by Forrest & Co., Millwall. L85'. B19'. D9'6". 88grt. 350ihp 2cyl compound steam engine. Acquired 1883. Disposed 1926. Scrapped 1947. ON87063.
1883 Delivered to G. F. Payne and 12 other pilots, Gravesend. 1914 Req by RN for examination service, based in Lower Hope. 5-1926 Laid up in West India Dock. 1926 Sold to W. S. Masters, Poole for £800. 1930 Owners H. Paul, Fowey. renamed Pendennick. 19-8-1930 Owners Toyne and Carter, Fowey. 30-9-1946 Owners Fowey Tug & Salvage Co Ltd., Fowey. 3-10-1947 Scrapped at Stonehouse, Plymouth.
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NEW GAMECOCK
Photo R. Stanford colln.
Built 1930 by Alexander Hall & Co. Ltd., Aberdeen. YN622. L100'. B26.1'. D12.3'. 214grt 2nrt, 1000ihp 3cylTE 16"x25"x42" 30" stroke 200psi steam engine by builder. Acquired 1930. Disposed 1933. Scrapped 1995. ON 161394.
4-1930 Delivered to Gamecock Steam Towing Co., Gravesend. 1933 Sold to Crown Agents for the Colonies, renamed Steady. 1935 Owners Palestinian Government, Haifa. 12-1935 Converted to oil fired boiler. 1948 Owners Israeli Government, Haifa, renamed Eytanah. 1966 Sold to Tsavliris Salvage and Towage Co., Piraeus, renamed Nisos Hydra. 1975 Owners Maritime Commercial Enterprises Ltd., Piraeus, renamed Achilleus. 199? Owner Alexander G. Tsavliris and Sons, Piraeus. 1995 Scrapped at Aliaga, Turkey.
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NEW STORMCOCK
Built 1921 by Danziger Werft., Danzig. YN28. L104.2'. B21'. D10.1'. 197grt. 14nrt. 600ihp 3cylTE steam engine by builder. Acquired 1921 Disposed 1949. Scrapped 1957. ON146556.
1921 Delivered to George Edgley, Gravesend. 1928 Owners Gamecock Steam Towing Co. Ltd. 28-8-1939 Req for Admiralty service based Naval Control Southend, managers London Midland and Scottish Railway Co. 1940 Transferred to River Clyde, under management of Steel and Bennie Ltd. 1-10-1945 Returned to owners. 1949 Owners Tees Towing Co. Ltd., Middlesboro, renamed Kings Cross. 1957 Scrapped by C. W. Dorking, Gateshead.
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OCEAN COCK
See Ship Towage Ltd fleet list
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RED ROSE
Built 1885 by E Finch, Chepstow YN 55. L115.5'. B22'. D12'. 188grt. 99nhp 2cyl Compound steam engine by Pearson. Acquired 1886. Disposed 1892. ON89197. Callsign KGPQ.
2-1885 Delivered to D Guy, Cardiff, named Red Rose. 1886 Sold to Gamecock Steam Towing Co. Gravesend. 1892 Sold to Guthrie Heywood & Co, Cardiff. 1895 215grt. 1899 Owners Liverpool Screw Towing Co. Liverpool, renamed Storm Cock. 13-8- 1914 Req by Admiralty. 20-3-1916 Commissioned and renamed Stormbird. 9-10-1919 Returned to owners, renamed Storm Cock. 1934 scrapped W H Arnott Young & Co, Dalmuir.
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SPREAD EAGLE
Built 1911 by Robertson & Co., London. YN711. L96'. B21.1'. D11'. 143grt. 500ihp 80nhp 2cyl compound engine by Aitchison Blair Ltd., Glasgow. Acquired 1911. Disposed 1937. Scrapped 1961. ON129184. Callsign MGKX.
3-11-1911 Completed. 1911 Delivered to Gamecock Steam Towing Co., Gravesend. 8-1914 on war office service at Le Havre. 7-1919 Returned to Owners. 1937 Owners Newport Screw Towing Co. Ltd., Newport Mon., renamed Dunson. 4-1961 Scrapped by John Cashmore Ltd., Newport.
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STORM COCK
Photo John Mason colln.
Built 1881 by R & H Green Ltd., Blackwall. YN444. Iron Tug. L80'. B16'. D9.4'. 72grt. 60nhp 2cyl compound steam engine by A. Wilson Ltd., Vauxhall. Acquired 1881. Disposed 1913. Scrapped 1934. ON82892.
1881 Delivered to R. Holland and 12 other pilots, Gravesend. 1897 Owners G. Doust and 14 other pilots, Gravesend. 1913 Owners Joseph Dunn, Newport Mon. 1928 Owners The Newport Screw Towing Co. Ltd. 1934 Scrapped at Newport.
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UNDAUNTED
Built 1884 by Harvey and Co., Hayle, Cornwall. YN34. L85'. B17.1'. D9.2'. 76grt. 500ihp. 2cyl 16.75"x32"x21"s compound steam engine by builder. ON89542.
1884 Delivered to D. Barker, G G Spicer et al, London. 1886 Owners Gamecock Steam Towing Co., London. 1920 Sold to J Davies and Co., Cardiff. 1939 Owner J Davies Towage and Salvage Ltd., Cardiff.
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WATERCOCK
For details see Ship Towage Ltd. fleet list.
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WOODCOCK
Photo A. Hughes colln.
Built 1884 by R & H Green, Blackwall. YN471. L91'. B20'. D10.5'. 143grt. 75nhp 2cyl Compound steam engine by Wilson. ON89572. [This tug was fitted with a 'Patent Sea Subduer', a device which sprayed oil ahead to calm the sea.]
1884 Delivered to Gamecock Steam Towing Co., Gravesend. 17-11-1894 Foundered in Princess Channel.
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SALVAGE VESSEL
KING LEAR
Built 1906 by Earle's Co., Hull. YN505. Trawler. L148.4'. B23'. D11.2'. 309grt. 134nrt. 600ihp 96nhp 3cylTE 14"x23"x38"x27"s 185psi steam engine by Amos and Smith, Hull. Acquired 1920. Disposed 1949. Scrapped 1976. ON123234. Callsign HFTM later GDPR.
3-1906 Delivered to Hellyers Steam Fishing Co., Hull. 1918 Sold to A Lazarus, Hull. 1920 Sold to Ocean Salvage Co., and converted to salvage vessel. 1923 Owners Ocean Salvage and Towage Co Ltd. 1939-1945 Req by Admiralty as salvage vessel. 16-6-1944 Off Dungeness pumping out stored Phoenix units. 1949 Sold to Loucas Matsas and Sons., Piraeus, renamed Marigo Matsas. 1958 Sold to K. Syrmalakis, Piraeus, renamed Manos S. and converted to cable layer. 1976 Scrapped.
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