‘Aston Villa’ GY.428 1937.

A print on vintage, textured photo paper. A photo by Jack Jones. ‘Aston Villa’ is shown here in No. 3 Fish Dock, Grimsby after her sea trials.

‘Aston Villa’ GY.428 was built in 1937 by Smiths Dock Co. Ltd., Middlesborough for Consolidated Fisheries Ltd., Grimsby. She was one of a fleet of trawlers named after famous football clubs.

In 1939, ‘Aston Villa’ was requisitioned by the Navy and served as anti-submarine vessel HMT ‘Aston Villa’ FY-261. In May 1940, she was disabled by near-misses from enemy fire and then a direct hit from a dive bomber. She eventually blew up and sank. The bell from HMT ‘Aston Villa’ was recovered in the 1950s and is now an exhibit in the Kulturhuset i Namsos, the Culture House in Namsos, Norway.