1911
FIFE BOAT LOSES MEMBER OF CREW WHILE OUT FISHING IN FIRTH OF FORTH, AND AFTER STIFF BATTLE REACHES MONTROSE. The Cellardyke herring fishing boat Guiding Star (KY. 677) at early hour yesterday morning lost one of her crew, John Moncrieff, in the Firth of Forth. The boat arrived at the mouth of the South Esk, off Montrose, about five o’clock yesterday afternoon, flying a signal for assistance. Pilot Stephen went off, and after difficulty got the craft safely berthed at the jetty, where the crew reported the unfortunate affair. The Guiding Star left Cellardyke to prosecute the herring fishing soon after midnight, and although a strong south-west gale was blowing everything went well till about two o’clock the morning. Then the boat was some distance off the May Island, and while the missing man Moncrieff was in the stem the other four members of the crew were engaged shifting their nets. Moncrieff was never seen after that. What actually happened will probably never be known, but it is supposed that the gale had caused Moncrieff to lose his balanoe and fall overboard. There was absolutely no trace of the missing fisherman, so that no attempt could be made at rescue. The crew had stiff battle against wind and tide, and ultimately reached Montrose in the afternoon. Moncrieff, who belonged Cellardyke, was a man of about middle age, and leaves widow and four children. Dundee Courier – Friday 24 February 1911
1912
CELLARDYKE. Feared Loss of Ship’s Fireman.— Information was received at Cellardyke on Sunday that John Watson, fire man on board the steam drifter Guerdon of Cellardyke, had not been seen since Friday evening, and grave fears are entertained that he has met his death drowning in the dock Yarmouth, where the craft is at present engaged at the fishing. Watson, who is about 26 years of age, is unmarried, and is the sole support of his widowed mother, to whom much sympathy is extended. St. Andrews Citizen – Saturday 26 October 1912
KIRKCALDY FIREMAN’S FATE. Although an inquest was held at the Mariner’s Refuge, Gorleston, upon the body of John Watson, aged 27, fireman on the Kirkcaldy steam drifter Guerdon, which was recovered from Yarmouth Harbour after he had been for three weeks, no real light has been shed upon his fate. He had lived with his mother, a widow, Cellardyke, and, according to the skipper of the Guerdon, Adam Reid, he left his vessel on the night of October 18 to on shore for the evening, and never returned to her. Adam Reid, son of the skipper said he met deceased in King Street, Yarmouth at 10.15 p.m.. more than an hour after he had left the Guerdon, and he was not the worse for drink, but the night was dark and thick with rain, and as the Guerdon was the fourth boat off the quay, Watson might make a slip getting on board. No cry was heard during the night, and deceased never came board again. On his body being searched by a policeman, he stated he found nothing in his pockets. The Coroner said there was no evidence to show how or where deceased got into the river, but was most probable he stumbled and fell when getting to his boat from the quay. An open verdict of Found drowned ” was recorded. Dundee Courier – Monday 11 November 1912
1913
CELLARDYKE SKIPPER DROWNED IN THE DOCK AT HARTLEPOOL. Intelligence has been received at Cellardyke that John Sutherland, skipper and joint owner of the steam liner Dreel Castle, Anstruther, met his death by drowning at Hartlepool. Sutherland went on shore on Saturday evening to visit some friends, and it surmised that in making his way back to the vessel he tripped and fell into the dock. His body was found on Sunday morning. The crew were not alarmed his not returning his vessel on Saturday evening, as they concluded he was staying on shore overnight. Deceased, who was about 45 years of age, leaves a widow and five of a family, his eldest son being with him the fishing.
Cellardyke Fisherman Drowned – The Steam herring Drifter Baden Powell, put into North Shields yesterday and reported the loss of John Wilson (46) married who belonged Cellardyke. The boat had been engaged in the Yarmouth herring fishing, and left for Anstruther on Wednesday. About Five o clock on Thursday morning when the vessel was off Dudgeon Lightship a member of the crew went to call Wilson to take his watch. His berth was empty and a search of the ship failed to reveal any trace of him. The weather was very stormy at the time and Wilson had evidently gone on deck unobserved and been washed overboard. The Scotsman – Saturday 22 November 1913
1914
James – Moncrieff – CELLARDYKE MAN FATALLY INJURED AT SEA. Intelligence was received in Anstruther yesterday that James Moncrieff, seaman on board the S.S. Harrow, London, had died in a London hospital as the result of an accident | at sea. Deceased, who was years age, unmarried. and a native of Cellardyke, left Methil last week. – Dundee Courier – Friday 01 January 1915
1915
William Reekie – Naval Reservist Lost. —On Friday morning, intimation was received by Mrs Alex. Smith (Rodger) that her brother, William Reekie, who was serving on the patrol boat Clan Macnaughton, had been lost at sea. The circumstances of the loss are not known. Reekie was about 22 years ‘of age, and resided with his sister. in today’s daily papers, the loss is definitely announced by the Admiralty, who state that “H.M.S. Clan Macnaughton, an armed merchant cruiser (Commander Robert Jeffreys, R.N.), has been missing since 3rd February, and is feared that the vessel has been lost. An unsuccessful search was made, and wreckage, supposed to be portions of this ship, has since been discovered. The last signal from the Clan Macnaughton was made in the early morning of 3rd February, and it is feared that she was lost during the bitter weather which prevailed at that time.” The Clan Macnaughton was one of the Clan Line of steamers, and had a gross tonnage of 4985. She was built at Glasgow in 1911, and carried a crew of nearly 300. – East of Fife Record – Thursday 25 February 1915
John Bett , Deck hand RNRT ( 22) On patrol off the coast on RNR steam drifter Coreopsis, he was on a small boat sent out to retrieve an anchor when he went over board and was drowned, 20th April 1915. The Engineer dived in to retreive his body. Buried at Kilrenny Parish Church
Inquest at Larne. Dr. J. J. Adams, coroner, held an inquest at Larne yesterday on John Bett, a native of Cellardyke, Fifeshire, who lost his life through the capsizing of a boat off Rathlin lsland on Tuesday. Evidence was given by Alexander Gardiner and David Christie. to the effect that they were dragging for a lost anchor off Rathlin Islan when their boat was capsized by a heavy sea. One of the men swam to another boat, and two other members of the crew were washed ashore on the upturned boat, but Bett was drowned, after a gallant attempt to rescue him by an engineer named Spratt had failed. Dr, Killen stated that death was due to drowning, and the jury found accordingly, and the foreman spoke favourably of the gallant attempt made by Lieut. Robinson and Engineer Spratt in attempting to save the life of deceased – Irish News and Belfast Morning News – Friday 23 April 1915
William Watson – Stoker RNR. Although in the Royal Navy he fought as a soldier with the Royal Navy Division Hood Battalion and was killed at Gallipoli 4/June /1915
1916
James Anstruther Moncrieff – stoker RNR (22) ex engineer on steam drifter Vanguard III. He served on HMS invincible in the battle of the Falklands when the British ships sunk the Scharnhorst. He was lost when HMS Invincible was sunk at th battle of Jutland 31 April 1916. St Helens, West Forth Street, Cellardyke
1917
James Dick – RNR (21) lost when the requisitioned trawler he was working on, HMT Evadne, was struck by a mine off owners light vessel 27th Feb 1917, 14 East Forth Street, Cellardyke. ( his brother Andrew Dick was killed while serving in Black Watch 1916)
John Thomson – Master Mariner RNTS (47) prior to the war he was engaged by the Caledonian Ship Company – He was Captain of a liner in Admiralty service when he drowned in an accident off Portland, Dorset 20 March 1917, Buried Kilrenny Kirkyard, Rathmore, Crail Rd
Alexander Keay – Mate RNRT (25) lost with HM trawler Repro, sunk while mine sweeping off Tod head, 26 April 1917, 29 Rodger Street Cellardyke.
David Watson – Deckhand RNRT (43) his boat the steam trawler Aster hit a mine in the Mediterranean in July 1917, David died 13 Oct 1917, Born in Cellardyke but lived with his wife in Torry Aberdeen.
John Christie – 2nd Engineer RNR ( 25) having served on the cruiser HMS Monitor, he was transferred to HMPMS Queen of the North ( a 22 year old Paddle steamer that prior to the war ran day trips from Blackpool to Douglas Isle of Man) the vessel struck a mine and sunk with a loss of 29 men. He lived at 4 George Street.
Motor Yawl Mined -The very sad news was received on Tuesday that the motor yawl ‘Jane’ while engaged in the herring fishing, had been mined and all her crew lost. These were, Mr. Andrew Henderson (Skipper) West Forth Street, his two sons Andrew and Alexander Henderson, James Wilson (Wallace) Burnside terrace; and Thomas Boyter, Rodger street. All were married men and leave widows and families, for whom much sympathy is felt in the great bereavement that has so suddenly and unexpectedly fallen upon them Although no really authentic particulars can be obtained it was noticed by craft in the vicinity that the crew were engaged in hauling their nets when a loud report was heard. On proceeding to the spot no trace of yawl or crew could be found. The boat only left Anstruther on Monday and it was Skipper Henderson’s last trip in the boat before taking charge of another craft. Mrs Henderson received the following letter from the officer in charge of the Patrol boats which work in the vicinity of Eyemouth
“It is with deepest sorrow that I write to you to offer my sincere sympathy in your terrible bereavement. I am the Officer in charge of the patrol boats which guard the Eyemouth fishing fleet and I was the last person to whom your husband spoke in life. He had sent a message to me that there was an obstruction in his nets so we had come within a boats length and I was asking him about it when the explosion, which was undoubtedly caused by a mine becoming entangled in the nets, took place. When the smoke and spray had cleared away nothing whatever was to be seen except broken pieces of wood, and there was no sign of the crew although we searched the spot carefully for some time. I am quite sure that everyone was killed instantaneously and that no one can have suffered any pain. Before leaving the place I read the funeral service because I thought that you and the other friends of the crew would like this. I knew your husband very well and I often spoke to him since I have been on duty here, and only on Friday last I had a long talk with him about his sons and his new boat and I had a great regard and liking for him as indeed everyone here seemed to have. I understand that he was home for the weekend and I saw the boat on her way. As I suppose you only parted from him yesterday morning I feel that nothing I can say can really comfort you, but we all consider that in meeting his death while working to bring food into the country he has given his life for our cause just as much as a man who dies in the trenches.” The skippers of the Eyemouth fishing boats to the number of 18, held a meeting on Tuesday and expressed their sincere sympathy with Mrs Henderson and the other relatives of the crew. – Coast Burgh Observer 16 August 1917
Latitude N 55 49.8318 Longitude W 1 51.5958 the mine was laid by the U Boat, UC 42 under command of Hans Albrecht Müller, this vessel was lost 10 Sept 1917 off south coast of Ireland.
Second Mate R. Wallace. R.N.R., Cellardyke, has died in Mesopatamia of Fever
Mitchell Anderson – Engineer RNR (T) Killed at Sea off Queenstown Ireland when his ship HMS Morococala hit a mine 19th November 1917. The boat, which had been minesweeping sank within 6 seconds. His wife was Euphemia and he lived at 2 Fowler Street, Cellardyke
1918
Alexander Corstorphine – Deckhand RNRT (19) served his apprenticeship as a blacksmith and employed at the Cleekmaking factory ( golf clubs). His father was skipper of the steam drifter Unity KY 162. He died after his boat HMT Gambri was sunk by a mine off the Royal Sovereign Light Vessel, 19th January 1918, buried in Kilrenny church yard, he lived at St Abbs, West Forth Street, Cellardyke
Robert Gardner – Seaman – RNR (22) was said to be the first from Cellardyke to go on active Naval duty, serving first on a transport vessel and then as a gunner aboard S.S. Greynog, which was sunk when torpedoed without warning by a submarine 18/April/ 1918, 2 Rodger Street, Cellardyke.
Alexander Brown, died when his minesweeper HMMS Blackmorevale was sunk by a mine off Montrose, on 1st May 1918. He had been with the ship only three weeks and was lost exactly three years to the day that he had joined up . 13 Dove Street
Robert Johnstone – DRIFTER FIREMAN KILLED AT GAIRLOCH. Sheriff the Hon, Huntly D. Gordon and a jury conducted an inquiry into a fatal accident which occurred on the 4th May on the steam drifter St Adrian of Kirkcaldy while fishing off Rhurea, Gairloch, whereby Robert Johnstone, fireman, single, 38 Charles Street, Aberdeen, lost his life.
James Wallace, fisherman, Cellardyke, stated that on 4th May the St. Adrian was off Rhurae Point, Gairloch, engaged fishing. At 8 a.m. witness got his hand hurt and went below to get warm water for his hand, and he found Robert Johnstone, fireman, lying with his head jammed in the bilge of the boat by the crank of the engine, He called out to him when he went down, not knowing what had occurred. He got no response. He shouted again, and told him that the telegraph had rung; there was still no response, going forward he found he was dead. The bilge was the bottom of the boat and contained water, The crank moved up and down. At the bottom of the stroke the crank went to within, roughly, a foot of the bottom of the boat. Johnstone’s head was pinned down. |Witness called up the engineer who was in his bunk; he also called the crew, The engineer reversed the engine, and took Johnstone out. He was dead, there was a wound at the back of his head.
By the Court—He could not say it was the man’s duty to go down into the bilge. The crew consisted of 10 men.
James Watson, skipper of the drifter, and residing at Cellardyke, said he was fishing from Mallaig with the great lines off Rhurae. They anchored in Lochbroom overnight, and at 4 a.m. proceeded to the fishing ground to lift their lines. About half past eight they were still hauling their lines. James Wallace, who had hurt his hand, came on deck and reported that Johnstone was amongst the machinery. He went below and found Johnstone was pinned down by the crank. His head was between the end of the crank and the bottom of the bilge. The man was dead; there was a wound on the back of the head.
Samuel Benefe, engineer, 37 Skene Square. Aberdeen, said the second engineer, Robert Johnstone, was on duty. At 7.45, he was told by Wallace that Johnstone was jammed in the engine. Witness found Johnstone’s head in the crank pit or bilge, and the crank was jammed down on his left shoulder. There were only about three inches between the crank and the point where he was jammed. He put on the turning gear and reversed the engine and took him out. The man was dead. Johnstone, he believed, was filling the oil box with his hand on a bar when the crank must have moved by the motion of the ship. The man would have slipped and been jammed by the falling crank.
By a Juryman—Was there a guard — Yes, there was a proper guard. He could not say how it happened. Personally, he had done this same work with the engine running full speed. It was done regularly.
By the Court—-The crank might turn a full revolution by the motion of the boat in the sea. The man had been used to the work all his life. The engine had been stopped for only a few minutes when the accident happened. Dr Macrae, Balmacara, submitted his report on the case. Death resulted from a wound behind the ear, which fractured the skull. Death would have been in- instantaneous. I The jury returned a verdict in accordance with the evidence, finding that no one was to blame in any way. – Ross-shire Journal – Friday 31 May 1918
James Muir Gourlay – Deckhand RNRT (23) On active service on HMS Western Queen in North Sea when he contracted influenza which became pneumonia. His family had received a letter saying that he had been very ill but had got over the worst of it; followed by a telegram the very next day that he was dangerously ill. He died with his parents by his side at Ingham Hospital, 15th July 1918. Interred at Kilrenny with naval honours attended by his four brothers all in naval service 6 Dove street, Cellardyke
William Tarvit – RNRT (22) William had worked as a cleek finisher and may have been discharged with shock from aboard the Gunner Pelagos, he died of consumption 13/Oct/1918 at 2 Harbourhead, Cellardyke with his fisherman father, (who was also on active service on the Motorlaunch Granton ) at his bedside
Robert Thomson – Leading Seaman, RNR (35) served on Hms Armadale Castle, survived the war to fall victim to the flu epidemic, dying at Plymouth Naval Hospital 17/0ct/1918. he lived in George Street.
1919
John Morris Wood – Seaman – RNR served as a gunner aboard S.S. Wellaston died 8/Jan/1919 buried Kilrenny kirkyard. 26 Fowler Street , Cellardyke
George Brown Served on HM Armed Fishing Smack Ivanhoe Died, 9th Jan 1919 (any further info welcome)
Alexander Watson – Skipper RNR (50) attached to HMS Vivid died 30 May 1919, Buried in Kilrenny Parish kirkyard, 50 John Street. Cellardyke.
- Page 2 – List of Losses
- Page 3 – 1776 – 1799
- Page 4 – 1800 – 1849
- Page 5 – 1850 – 1869
- Page 6 – 1870 – 1879
- Page 7 – 1880 – 1889
- Page 8 – 1890 – 1899
- Page 9 – 1900 – 1909
- Page 10 – 1910 – 1920
- Page 11 – 1921 – 1950