John M Paton was a Glasgow ship owner who formed the Coasting Motor Shipping Co Ltd in 1912 in order to build and operate a fleet of small motor vessels for service in the British coastal trade, all with the INNIS-prefix to their names. He originally ordered 12 vessels in 1912, and this was followed by orders for 6 further vessels shortly afterwards. These ranged in length from 66 ft between perpendiculars – the reason being that the ships built by McGregor’s Yard at Kirkintilloch were limited by the locks on the Forth and Clyde Canal – to 116 ft between perpendiculars. They were built by four different Yards and had four different machinery arrangements although all were motor vessels.
These ships were not as successful as John Paton had hoped for and as early as November 1914 he began selling the entire Fleet off. Once the last pair had been sold, the Coasting Motor Shipping Co Ltd was placed in voluntary liquidation late in December 1919.
Between August 1915 and March 1916, the Admiralty purchased six of these vessels for service as Water Carriers, retaining their INNIS names, one of which became a WW1 loss just a month later!
The Admiralty-purchased vessels were INNISFREE, INNISINVER, INNISJURA, INNISSHANNON, INNISTRAHULL and INNISULVA
INNISFREE:
Builder: Peter McGregor & Sons, Kirkintilloch.
Launched: 3 April 1913 Completed: 15 April 1913
Purchased by the Admiralty 7 September 1915
Yard Nr: 62 Official Nr: 131315 Signal Letters: Not Fitted
Tonnages: 95 grt 56 nrt
Dimensions: 65.9 (p.p.) x 18.4 x 8.7 ft
Machinery: 1 x 2 cyl Kromhout diesel engine by D. Goedkoop Junior, Amsterdam. 110 ihp.
Speed: 8 knots.
Pennant Nr: ????
Battle Honour: None recorded
Fate: Sold commercially 24 November 1920 and renamed NUTTA. Renamed FALSTER 1927. Renamed DANGULF LUBE 1948. Renamed INGER LUPE 1959. Renamed HANNE WEDDELL 1963.Renamed TANJA 1967. Broken up at Esjberg in September 1980
INNISINVER:
Builder: A. Jeffrey & Co, Alloa.
Launched: 20 May 1913 Completed: 9 Jyuly 1913
Purchased by the Admiralty on 14 August 1915
Yard Nr: 7 Official Nr: 133135 Signal Letters: Not Fitted
Tonnages: 127 grt 65 nrt
Dimensions: 74.2 (p.p.) x 18.7 x 18.8 ft
Machinery: 1 x 2 cyl diesel engine by Tuxham Engine Co, Valby, Copenhagen. 110 bhp.
Speed: 8 knots
Pennant Nr: ????
Battle Honour: None recorded
Fate: Sold commercially on 19 July 1920 name unchanged. Sank off Portland Bill, Dorset after striking a submerged object while on passage from Par to Boulogne with a cargo of china clay. Her crew of four escaped in the ship’s boat
INNISJURA:
Builder: A. Jeffrey & Co, Alloa
Launched: 14 June 1913 Completed: 6 August 1913
Purchased by the Admiralty on 2 October 1915
Yard Nr: 8 Official Nr: 131339 Signal Letters: Not Fitted
Tonnages: 127 grt 65 nrt
Dimensions: 74.2 (p.p.) x 18.7 x 8.8 ft
Machinery: 1 x 2 cyl diesel engine by Tuxham Engine Co, Valby, Copenhagen. 110 bhp.
Speed: 8 knots.
Pennant Nr: ????
Battle Honour: None recorded
Fate: Sold commercially 18 March 1920 name unchanged. Was wrecked in a gale at the entrance to Loch Broom while on passage from there to Glasgow with a cargo of timber. The crew escaped in a ship’s boat and landed at Ullapool.
INNISSHANNON:
Builder: William Chalmers & Co Ltd, Rutherglen
Launched: 2 April 1913 Completed: 23 June 1913
Purchased by the Admiralty on 16 September 1915
Yard Nr: 164 Official Nr: 131328 Signal Letters: None fitted
Tonnages: 238 grt 143 nrt
Dimensions: 115.7 (p.p.) x 21.6 x 9.6 ft
Machinery: 1 x 4 cyl diesel engine by Wm Beardmore & Co Ltd, Dalmuir. 26 nhp.
Speed: 8 knots
Pennant Nr: ????
Battle Honour: None recorded
Fate: Sold commercially on 23 February 1921 name unchanged. Renamed STRATTON CROFT 1948. Renamed ARAB NAVIGATOR 1950. Was wrecked amongst the Farasan Islands, south of Jeddah in the Red Sea, after an engine breakdown.
INNISTRAHULL;
Builder: William Chalmers & Co Ltd, Rutherglen.
Launched: 9 May 1913 Completed: 21 August 1913
Purchased by the Admiralty on 14 March 1916
Yard Nr: 165 Official Nr: 133144 Signal Letters: Not fitted
Tonnages: 238 grt 143 nrt
Dimensions: 115.8 (p.p.) x 21.6 x 9.6 ft
Machinery: 1 x 4 cyl diesel engine by Wm Beardmore & Co Ltd, Dalmuir. 26 nhp.
Speed: 8 knots
Pennant Nr: ????
Battle Honour: None recorded
Fate: Lost on Admiralty service in April 1916, details unknown.
INNISULVA:
Builder: William Chalmers & Co Ltd, Rutherglen.
Launched: 16 April 1914 Completed: 3 December 1914
Yard Nr: 168 Official Nr: 136338 Signal Letters: Not fitted
Tonnages: 235 grt 143 nrt
Dimensions: 115.8 (p.p.) x 21.6 x 9.5 ft
Machinery: 1 x 4 cyl diesel engine by William Beardmore & Co Ltd, Dalmuir. 26 nhp.
Speed: 8 knots
Pennant Nr: ????
Battle Honour: None recorded
Fate: Sold commercially on 28 April 1920 name unchanged. Was abandoned at Paris and was seized by German Forces on 12 June 1940. One of her crew of five became a PoW. She was found sunken at Quai Garonne Vieux, Le Havre on 30 January 1946. Was refloated by the French Navy on 13 December 1946, reportedly for resale for further service. No further details known.