The Scotsman – Wednesday 19 February 1936
FEARS FOR LEITH TRAWLER
Wreckage Driven Ashore in Shetland
CREW OF TEN MEN
It is feared that the trawler May Island has been wrecked in Shetland. The May Island is owned by Messrs Thomas H. Scales & Sons, Newhaven, and is registered at Leith. Her crew consists of ten men.
A considerable quantity of wreckage was driven ashore yesterday at Norwick, at the north-eastern end of the island of Unst, Shetland, during a gale. The wreckage gave the name and registration indices “May Island, LH 194.
It was stated in Unst that whistling from an unknown vessel had been heard at 3 am
CREW FROM FORTH PORTS
No information was available last night as to what had happened to the crew, who belong to Leith, Cockenzie, and Anstruther, though it was suggested that the vessel might have been wrecked on a lonely part of the island. The May Island was in charge of Skipper Tarvit, Anstruther.
“I have been in contact with the coastguard on the spot and he could give me no definite information,” Mr Thomas H. Scales told The Scotsman last night.
“He said that the weather was bad, and that the wreckage had come ashore, but they were hoping the crew would be safe.”
BOAT IN WRECKAGE
The wreckage which was driven ashore includes a wireless set, a lifebelt, fishermen’s clothing / a lifeboat, and a mass of other material, including fish boxes. The May Island left for the fishing grounds, north of Shetland, last Friday, and was not expected back until the end of this week. A sister trawler was reported to be lying at Balta Sound, not far from Norwick, yesterday. The May Island was built by Hall, Russell. & Co. (Ltd.). Aberdeen, in 1911, and was of 195 tons gross
Aberdeen Press and Journal – Wednesday 19 February 1936
It is feared that the Leith trawler May Island has been lost off Unst, in the Shetland Islands. The May Island carried a crew ten
Sheffield Independent – Wednesday 19 February 1936
OWNERS MYSTIFIED
A reporter learned last night from the owners Messrs. Thomas Scales and Sons, Newhaven, that word had been received of an accident to the vessel. The owners are at a loss to understand the reports, as they have been informed by another ship that the May Island was 200 miles from the Shetlands yesterday. …… A Lloyd’s message states that a spar noticed at Lamba ness Norwick, was apparently attached to a wreck 50 yards from the shore. There was no trace of the crew. The sea remained rough.
Nottingham Evening Post – Thursday 20 February 1936
…..The discovery of wreckage at Norwick, on the Island of Unst, in the Shetlands, the previous day, gave rise to fears that the trawler, May Island, of Newhaven, Edinburgh, had been wrecked. The May Island (195 tons) left last Friday for the fishing grounds north of the Shetlands, carrying a crew of ten. Wreckage found included a lifebelt, a ship’s lifeboat, a wireless set, and a large quantity of fish boxes. Some of it was marked “May Island, LH, 194.”
The Scotsman – Thursday 20 February 1936
LEITH TRAWLER’S FATE
No News of Crew of May Island
No definite news as to the fate of the Leith trawler May Island and the crew of ten men has yet been received by the owners of the vessel, Messrs Thos. H. Scales & Son. Newhaven. It is feared the trawler has been wrecked off Shetland during a gale. The owners were in communication yesterday afternoon with the Inspector of the Coastguard at Unst, and he stated that two masts’ , believed to be those of the trawler, had been seen near Norwick, but that owing to the south-westerly gale it was impossible to get near the spot to investigate. There was no word regarding the crew .
As reported in The Scotsman yesterday a considerable quantity of- wreckage, bearing the name and registration indices “May Island, LH 194.” was driven ashore at Norwick at the north-eastern end of the Island of Unst, Shetland.
THE CREW the following are the members of the crew: —
James Tarvit (31). Single. 22 Fowler Street Cellardyke. Master:
John Tarvit (39), James Tarvit’s brother 8 Fowler Street, Cellardyke, mate:
David Birrell (31). 42 West Forth Street Cellardyke. Fisherman:
David Young, Jun. (27), Bracklinn, Station Road, St Monance , deck-hand:
John Blaikie (28). Married. 9 Edinburgh Road, Cockenzie, deck-hand:
Graham Alexander (39), married. 12 Winton Park. Cockenzie. Second engineer;
Scott W. Herd (26), 5 Bowling Green Street, Leith, fireman:
James Herd (married), engineer. 47 Albany Street, Leith .. brother of Scott W. Herd:
D. Auchinleck (41), 29 Admiralty Street, Leith, trimmer: and
R . J. Searle (42) , married, 12 Perth Street, Edinburgh, cook,
Scott W , Herd, a young married man has no family. His brother, James Herd, engineer on the missing vessel, is married, and has two children, a boy of eleven years and a baby of six months. Mr James Herd took the place of another brother. Mr Alexander Herd, who was unable to sail on the May Island owing to illness. The brothers have been engaged in seafaring work for many years.
Falkirk Herald – Wednesday 12 August 1936
LOSS OF LEITH TRAWLER
Story of Last S.O.S. from Doomed Vessel.
MATE’S “GOODBYE” MESSAGE
A dramatic story of the last S.O.S. message from the Leith trawler, May Island, was told at the inquiry at Lerwick into the loss of the vessel, with her crew of ten men, on February 18 last.
The disaster occurred during a gale off the coast of Lamba Ness, Unst, Shetland.
John J. Liston, marine superintendent to. Thomas Scales & Son, Ltd., Newhaven, owners of the trawler, gave evidence to the effect that she was thoroughly Seaworthy when she left on her last voyage and that her skipper was a competent and experienced seaman. The May Island was equipped with wireless telephony, a direction finder, charts, and flares. During last year £150 had been spent on overhauling and repairing the trawler, and the previous year the expenditure on her was about £2000 including the installing of a new boiler. The vessel was insured for £1000.
Mr Liston identified pieces of wreckage, etc., as belonging to the May Island. James E. Anderson, master of the Aberdeen trawler D. W. Fitzgerald, said was one of 50 trawlers sheltering to the lea of the island of Unst on the night of February; 17. After changing the watch at 3.30 a.m. on the 18th, he turned on his wireless and heard the message “May Island on Flugga Rocks.” He heard it twice and then summoned all hands to keep a look-out- for flares. His trawler searched the Flugga coast twice unsuccessfully but never right round the south side of Lamba Ness. The red sector of Flugga light would have been visible only two or three miles that night.
FOUR BODIES WASHED ASHORE
Local witnesses from Unst described the spot where the wreck occurred and the wreckage which drove ashore and also spoke to four unrecognisable bodies being picked and buried.
Mrs Blaikie, Cockcenzie, widow of John. Blaikie, one of the drowned men, identified a petrol pipe lighter found in the trousers on one of the bodies as belonging to her husband.
Daniel Begg aged 15, Dunnet, Caithness, said he picked up a bottle 13 miles from Thurso containing the following message “ Island gone, no hope, off Shct!and, Goodbye.”
Stuart Tarvit, Cellardyke, testified that the writing on the message was that his brother John Tarvit, mate of the trawler and brother of the skipper.
Other evidence was to the effect that a high intervening hill prevented the men on the local coast watching station from seeing a vessel close at Lamba Ness.
The jury returned formal verdict.,
Additional info from inquest
Henry W. L. Hunter and other local witnesses detailed the spot where the trawler struck, and spoke of four bodies being found. The weather that night was the worst they had ever known.