What’s in a Name? Wartime Subterfuge

To begin we need to go back to 1905 when a fishing smack called the G & E was launched. The G & E had registration LT 649 and was a normal trawler until 1915 when it was taken over by the Admiralty for a short time, before being released back to civilian service. In January 1916 the Admiralty again requisitioned the G & E. This time they fitted it with a 3 pounder gun (some sources say 13 pounder), as it was to be used as a decoy ship. By February 1916 the G & E was known as the Bird, and its Skipper was - yes our Tom Crisp! 

The G&E, now the Bird, became Extirpator, then Foam Crest, and by 14/03/1917 was called I'll Try and Tom's service card has a note stating the he was the Skipper of the I'll Try at this date. These name changes were meant to hide the fact that the trawler was a decoy ship, and keep any German spies fooled. By August 1917 the I'll Try was sailing as the Nelson.

Tom's son's service record shows that he joined the G&E / Bird / Nelson on 25/09/1916 and he the Second Hand to his father. The fact that the son's record shows service with the Nelson from 25/09/1916 does not mean that this is what the vessel was called on that date, rather he was discharged from the Nelson and the record shows the date that he joined the vessel that would become the Nelson. 

So the chronology is:

• G&E 1905-1915
• Bird February 1916
• Extirpator (sometime in 1916)
• Foam Crest (sometime in 1916)
• I'll Try by 14/03/1917 (most likely called this from 1/02/1917)
• Nelson by August 1917

Note that the other designations for the trawler, Ledger 939 and S.3, were different references to it being a 'special service' or decoy, or Q ship. 

What makes it interesting is that there was another I'll Try (LT 379 sunk 27/07/1918) and another Nelson (LT 516). I guess that they used the names of these trawlers to disguise movements. It would mess up the spies' information gathering if a trawler with a LT number and the name Nelson was reported seen at both Lowestoft and Aberdeen, for example, on the same day. 

CREDIT: Damon Rogers