The First Months of Peace

In early 1919, the demobilisation of Auxiliary Patrol vessels and fishermen began. By this juncture, the bases from which the force had operated were already beginning to be run down, and many were completely closed during the following twelve months. The dismantling of this new navy was a major task involving thousands of people and vessels, and took some considerable time to organise and carry through to fruition.

Fishing vessels and crews eventually returned to their home ports from bases around the British Isles and beyond, and for those based overseas this was at times something of a trek. Skipper William Oliver, for example, who had been stationed in Malta for more than three years, during which time he had commanded the minesweeping trawlers Marion and then Kymric, was amongst the first to return from the Mediterranean, being given charge of the Grimsby Auxiliary Patrol trawler Moravia for the voyage back to England. On 12 December, just over a month after the Armistice, this minesweeper left Valetta Harbour for the final time, part of a flotilla of six trawlers and four drifters, their crews finally embarking on their homeward voyage. They were given what Oliver described as ‘a wonderful send off, every ship in the harbour, blowing their whistles to which the homeward bound vessels responded in kind’.

Progress across the Mediterranean was painfully slow: some of the drifters taking tows from the trawlers at various times in an attempt to maintain speed. It was not until nine days later, at noon on 21 December, that Moravia sighted the Rock of Gibraltar. After a short stay until the 24th, mainly for coaling and taking on stores, the flotilla sailed northwards. Despite this being the first December without war since 1913, the vessels were destined to spend Christmas Day at sea, season's greetings being sent to all ships from the flotilla’s commanding officer aboard the trawler Lemberg. A day later the ships arrived in the River Tagus and anchored off Lisbon to snatch a brief sojourn, but a little more than 24 hours later they resumed their homeward voyage, finally sighting Lizard Point in heavy seas on the last day of 1918. Here the flotilla split: while the drifters headed into Falmouth, the six trawlers proceeded in convoy along the Channel and by the morning of 2 January they were anchored in Portland Harbour.