George Burton, a British trawler chartered by the U.S. Navy in the spring of 1919 to help clear the North Sea of mines, was taken over at Grimsby Naval Base. She commissioned 26 May 1919, and was assigned to the Minesweeping Detachment, Mine Force, U.S. Naval Forces in European Waters. The Detachment was based at Kirkwall, Scotland, and began sweeping the vast area in April. Ships of the trawler division followed in the wake of the minesweepers to make sure that no mines remained and accounted for a larger number of mines than had been expected.
However, following the loss of trawler Richard Buckley, it was decided that these light -ships were not strong enough to withstand the shock of exploding mines. The majority were, therefore, returned to the Admiralty. George Burton was dispatched to Brightlingsea, England; decommissioned 5 August; and was returned 30 September 1919.
