JJ Neale (from Ireland) and Henry West (of Bristol) set up in business together as fish merchants in Cardiff in 1885. In 1888 the company bought the trawler Lark, after which a significant fleet was built in Cardiff and Milford Haven. In Cardiff the company’s base was in West Bute Dock.
The ships were given Japanese names (eg Fuji, Oku) following a friendship with a Japanese businessman and the company being involved in training Japanese trawler men.
During WW1, most of the Neale & West fleet was taken over by the Admiralty mainly for use as mine sweepers. Seven were lost to enemy action, three while fishing before naval requisition.
What happened to the trawlers?
Hirose, June 2nd, 1915, attacked while fishing by gunfire from U-Boat. Charges/explosives were placed on the vessel and she was sunk when about 32 miles W of the Scilly Isles.
The Hirose had only been built two months before.
There were no casualties
Kyoto, November 2nd, 1916, sunk while fishing by U-Boat, 90 miles SWxW of Fastnet.
There were no casualties.
Hatsuse. November 14th, 1916, was sunk while fishing by U-Boat , 86 miles SWxW from Fastnet.
There were no casualties.
Miura, August 23rd, 1915, Miura was mined and sunk U-Boat off Great Yarmouth while acting as a patrol boat for the Royal Navy
The 11 crew were lost.
Hirose (replacement) June 29th 1916, mined and sunk off Aldeburgh Napes in the North Sea while operating as a minesweeper for the Royal Navy
There were 10 casualties.
Ijuin, July 22nd, 1918, attacked by the U-Boat gunfire Badly damaged, she was abandoned and scuttled in the Mediterranean off Alexandria.
There were no casualties.
Asama, 16 July 1917 sunk by gunfire from U-Boat while operating as a Q-ship for the Royal Navy, 190 miles west of Lundy Island.
1 crew member was killed
The remainder of the fleet requisitioned by the Royal Navy survived:
Fuji, Hatamo, Honjo, Kodama, Kunishi, Kuroki,
Mikasa, Miura (replacement), Nodzu,
Nogi, Oku, Oyama,
Sasebo, Settsu, Suma, Tamura