This is the title of a book first published in 1991. It was written by George F. Ritchie and records the loss of around 300 Aberdeen trawlers between 1887-1961, this averages out at about four a year. This fact is even more poignant when on many occasions it was not only the vessel that was lost, but part or in some cases the whole crew.
We have recently completed the stories of three trawler losses around our shores, all involved the total loss of the vessel and varying numbers of crew. These stories reinforce the high cost in human life and the tragic stories of loss to families and loved ones to put food on the table of the nation…..the Real Price of Fish.
The three vessels are the Hull registered Kingston Turquoise lost off Orkney in 1965, the Fleetwood trawler Michael Griffith lost off Barra in 1953 and finally the Milford based trawler Richard Crofts wrecked on the north west coast of the Island of Coll in 1953.
Links are provided below to the three stories by clicking on the individual pictures;
Kingston Turquoise
Michael Griffith
Richard Crofts
Hi Peter – George Ritchie served on armed trawlers escorting convoys in WW II – running up and down the swept channel off the East coast. He lived in Stonehaven like me – and with a shared interest in the sea, we used to go for lunch from time to time to chat about his time afloat. I learnt a lot from George about what went on off our coast – which has been very helpful to my own writing career.
All the best. Rod
What an interesting article, I will make sure to add this book to my libary.
Thank you.