# FV Commandant Bultinck

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History Name Marloes (M76) (1911-1914) HMS Marloes (1914-1919) Marloes (FD170) (1919-1926) Commandant Bultinck (1927-1929) Owner Société de Pêcheries à Vapeur Port of registry Ostend, Belgium Builder Smith's Dock Co. Ltd. Yard number 466 Launched 3 March, 1911[1] Completed May, 1911[2] Acquired 1911 Maiden voyage 1911 In service 1911 Out of service 2 October 1929 Identification Official number: 128753 Fate Ran aground in a storm and scrapped General characteristics Type Trawler Tonnage 219 GRT Length 35.7 m (117 ft 2 in) Beam 6.4 m (21 ft 0 in) Depth 3.4 m (11 ft 2 in) Installed power 1 x 3 cyl. triple expansion engine Propulsion Screw propeller Crew 12

**FV *Commandant Bultinck*** was a Belgian [trawler](/source/Trawler_(fishing)) that [ran aground](/source/Ran_aground) in a storm off [Fleetwood](/source/Fleetwood), [Lancashire](/source/Lancashire), [United Kingdom](/source/United_Kingdom) on 2 October 1929.[3]

## Construction

*Marloes* was built at the Smith's Dock Co. Ltd. shipyard in [Middlesbrough](/source/Middlesbrough), United Kingdom in 1911. Where she was launched and completed that same year. The ship was 35.7 metres (117 ft 2 in) long, had a [beam](/source/Beam_(nautical)) of 6.4 metres (21 ft 0 in) and had a depth of 3.4 metres (11 ft 2 in). She was assessed at 219 [GRT](/source/Gross_register_tonnage) and had one three-cylinder [triple expansion engine](/source/Triple_expansion_engine) driving a single screw propeller.[3]

## Early service

Registered at [Milford, England](/source/Milford%2C_England) 26 May, 1911.[4] and put in service

## World War I

Requisitioned by the Admiralty in August 1914[5] and used as a minesweeper. Sold 1918 and returned to owner 1919.[6]

## Post war service

Milford registry closed 20 May, 1919 and registered at Fleetwood next day. Sold in 1924. Sold to Belgian firm August 1926 and renamed *Commandant Bultinck*.[7]

## Sinking

*Commandant Bultinck* was sailing in the [Irish Sea](/source/Irish_Sea) when on 2 October 1929, she got caught in a storm with winds up to 80 mph (130 km/h) with sleet and lightning, which drove her to shore and ran her aground at Rossall Point near [Fleetwood](/source/Fleetwood), [Lancashire](/source/Lancashire), [United Kingdom](/source/United_Kingdom) barely missing a [breakwater](/source/Breakwater_(structure)). She was spotted on the beach by a number of passengers on a [tramcar](/source/Tramcar) at 11 pm, who quickly alerted the Fleetwood harbourmaster. The lifeboat headquarters at [Blackpool](/source/Blackpool) were also informed of the wreck and chartered their lifeboat by horse to the wrecksite.[3]

By the time the rescuers arrived, a large crowd had followed them to the site, where the harbourmaster said that the lifeboat would be useless as the wreck lay in very shallow waters surrounded by big waves. The rescuers waited on the shore until 4 am as they saw how another lifeboat with other rescuers tried in vain to reach the wreck before having to return to Fleetwood for shelter against the storm. Meanwhile, *Commandant Bultinck* endured wave after wave crashing over her deck as she lay broadside to the shore, with her crew holding onto the tilted deck. Ultimately three of the crew attempted to swim for the shore and holding onto a rope which could be used afterwards to rescue the remaining crewmen, but were swept under the stranded vessel and drowned.[3][8]

By this time one of the teachers from the nearby [Rossall School](/source/Rossall_School) arrived on the scene with a megaphone. He was the only person who knew some [Flemish](/source/Flemish_dialects) and helped to communicate with the stricken [Flemish](/source/Flanders) crew who did not know any [English](/source/English_language). The crew of *Commandant Bultinck* were reluctant to enter the water again as the two previous attempts failed and claimed the lives of three of their fellow crewmen. Instead they waited until [low tide](/source/Low_tide) when the rescuers were finally able to reach the ship and assist the remaining crew into getting ashore. The nine surviving crewmen were taking to the Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen's Hostel in Fleetwood. The [fish catch](/source/Fish_catch) aboard *Commandant Bultinck* was also lost as all the ice aboard for preservation had been washed out by the [seawater](/source/Seawater).[3]

## Wreck

The wreck of *Commandant Bultinck* lay nearly completely dry at low tide, but several attempts to refloat her were made. But even after holes were cut in the ship to make her lighter, she still failed to be refloated. Ultimately *Commandant Bultinck* was scrapped on site.[3]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["S. T. Marloes FD170"](http://www.fleetwood-trawlers.info/index.php/2009/01/s-t-marloes-fd170/). fleetwood-trawlers. 3 September 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["S. T. Marloes FD170"](http://www.fleetwood-trawlers.info/index.php/2009/01/s-t-marloes-fd170/). fleetwood-trawlers. 3 September 2025.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-NHE_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-NHE_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-NHE_3-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-NHE_3-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-NHE_3-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-NHE_3-5) ["FV Commandant Bultinck (O-177) (+1929)"](https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?139645). wrecksite.eu. 24 March 2010. Retrieved 18 June 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["S. T. Marloes FD170"](http://www.fleetwood-trawlers.info/index.php/2009/01/s-t-marloes-fd170/). fleetwood-trawlers. 3 September 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["S. T. Marloes FD170"](http://www.fleetwood-trawlers.info/index.php/2009/01/s-t-marloes-fd170/). fleetwood-trawlers. 3 September 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Commandant Bultinck lost 1929"](https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/~cmi/books/miscWr/bultinck.html). liverpool.ac.uk. 2 September 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Commandant Bultinck lost 1929"](https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/~cmi/books/miscWr/bultinck.html). liverpool.ac.uk. 2 September 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FTE_8-0)** ["Commandant Bultinck lost 1929"](https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/~cmi/books/miscWr/bultinck.html). liverpool.ac.uk. 4 October 1929. Retrieved 16 December 2022.

v t e Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1929 Shipwrecks 2 Jan: Malakoff 16 Jan: Hsin Wah 12 Feb: Alloway 19 Feb: Kanowna 22 Mar: I'm Alone 25 Mar: Muggia 29 Mar: Selje 26 May: Aleutian 9 Jul: HMS H47 17 Jul: USS General Alava 1 Aug: Asakaze 30 Aug: San Juan 7 Sep: Kuru 9 Sep: Andaste 11 Sep: Acielle 2 Oct: Commandant Bultinck 22 Oct: Milwaukee 29 Oct: Wisconsin 31 Oct: Senator 4 Nov: Gilbert San 29 Nov: Norwich City 7 Dec: Ägir 18 Dec: Fort Victoria Unknown date: San Antonio Other incidents 5 Jan: Siboney 20 Jan: President Garfield 29 Jan: City of Cairo 28 Feb: Liberty Glo 7 Mar: Thétis 10 Mar: Pengreep 22 Mar: USCGC Dexter 25 Mar: Germaine L D 26 Mar: Europa 28 Mar: Libia 30 Mar: Naïade 6 Apr USS Childs 7 Apr Paris 18 Apr Paris 27 Apr: Duchess of Richmond April (unknown date) Franconia 15 May: Irwell May (unknown date): Duke of Lancaster, Duke of Rothesay 9 Jul: HMS L12 11 Jul: I-55, Kinugasa 3 Aug: Medway Queen 9 Aug: Viceroy of India 20 Aug Paris September (unknown date): Binnendijk, Eider 5 Oct: NRP Adamastor 12 Oct: USFS Widgeon 13 Oct: Empress of Canada 19 Oct: Bowes Castle 20 Oct: USAT Liberty 6 Nov: Barbana G 13 Nov: Ro-63 22 Nov: Parizhskaya Kommuna 7 Dec: Aba 18 Dec: Algonquin 24 Dec: Roosevelt 1928 1930

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [FV Commandant Bultinck](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FV_Commandant_Bultinck) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FV_Commandant_Bultinck?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.