HMY Kethailes


HMY Kethailes was a ship of the British Royal Navy. It was designed by St Clare John Byrne and built in 1903 as a steam yacht for William Johnston of Liverpool by Richardson, Duck & Co., Thornaby-on-Tees in Durham, England. Johnston named the Yacht combining letters from the names of his four daughters; Kathleen, ETHel, AILeen, EStele. From 1903–1914 it was used as a pleasure craft.
With the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the Royal Navy suddenly found itself in need of additional ships. As a result, on 24 September 1914 Johnston voluntarily handed over the yacht to the Royal Navy, for use as an Armed Naval Auxiliary. It became Admiralty Armed Yacht No#118032 in the Yacht Patrol. It patrolled in the North Sea, then transferred to the Irish Sea.
On the 28th September 1917 it was first-on-scene and rendered aid to SS William Middleton, a cargo ship carrying hay from Dublin to Falmouth. It had hit a mine laid by UC-75. Two ratings were lost. The Commanding Officer, Lt-Comdr Lane RNR and crew were commended for their work which prevented the ship from sinking.
On 11 October 1917 Kethailes was sunk in the Irish Sea in a collision with SS Leicestershire near the Blackwater Lightship, off Wexford on the south-easternmost tip of Ireland. A total of 17 persons were killed. Survivors, including the commanding officer were rescued by the patrol boat P44 and Leicestershire, and subsequently landed at Liverpool. The casualties were lost at sea; several bodies were subsequently washed ashore on the Welsh coast and were buried in local churches.