HM Trawler Corona

[Dave]

My Great-Grandfather, William John Coulter was killed on 23 Mar 1916 when HM Trawler Corona struck a mine. I'm trying to obtain any information about the ship and it's crew.

[culverin]

The fishing vessel Corona was built by the Dundee shipbuilding company, and was completed in 1912.
Of 212 tons, she operated out of Grimsby, registered GY.684
In Feb 1915 she was, with many hundreds of other trawlers and drifters, requisitioned by the British Admiralty as a hired trawler and allocated the Admiralty no as an HMT, 1137.
She spent the following year based out of Dover and the Channel ports being armed with 1 - 6pdr and 1 - 3 pdr, and was involved in the fairly archetypal armed trawler duties.
On the 23 March 1916 whilst operating in the downs, off Ramsgate, she struck a mine, believed laid by the German UC 6.
Under the command of Lieutenant J. Irvine, he and his entire crew all perished in the resultant explosion and loss of their boat. All 13 were either RNR or RNVR.

[Wightspirit]

The file on the loss of the Corona is held at the National Archives, Kew, under reference ADM1/8452/67B. The file will probably contain statements from witnesses and reports from relevant authorities. You may also find a report in the Auxiliary Patrol Weekly Reports for Dover, also held at TNA.

Dave W