[4] In January 1910, on instruction from the Chancellor of the Exchequer, HM Treasury passed responsibility for North Sea fishery investigations to the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries (later MAFF), who in-turn were required to come to an agreement with the Marine Biological Association (MBA) as to how scientific investigations could continue into the future, in support of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES).

[1] During the course of the financial year 1912-13 a grant was made available to allow the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries to charter the steam yacht Hildegarde for a series of dedicated studies into the adverse consequences of trawling on herring populations.

Scientist's logbooks from these historical surveys are now held by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) in Lowestoft and datasets have recently been digitized as part of the Trawling through Time initiative.

[6] Additional survey work was carried out by the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries on sprat and small herring (whitebait) in 1915 and 1916 aboard the chartered fishing vessel SS Unity (LO 170) although restricted to the East Anglian coast and Thames estuary.

She served in the ‘special yacht squadron’ as a wireless-equipped armed patrol Group Leader and operated throughout the Mediterranean and Gulf of Suez.

One of Weldon's tasks was to deposit agents and spies on the shores of Palestine and Syria and to transmit telegraphic messages from the ship to British central intelligence in Cairo.

HMS Managem was included on two Admiralty ‘Pink Lists’ (compiled every three to four days to show the stations and movements of ships) from 30 June 1918 and 11 November 1918.