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I thought I had put this photo on before but cant see it on the site.
This was taken in the Kirkwall Hotel on the occasion of a reception held by the owners of the trawler "Thunfish" lost on Pentland Skerries and was a thank you to all who helped in any way with the rescue of her crew.
Our crew pictured are Left to Right Ian McFadyen-Jimmy Swanson-The Trawl Owner Rep-A Young Me-Jacko Leslie-Billy Budge-Billy Mowat -Angus Heddle(Launcher).
[Date currently guessed]
Picture added on 29 August 2012 at 10:00
Where have all the years gone John?!!!
Added by Billy Farquhar on 30 August 2012
Good to see this photo, never seen it before John. A lot of young faces right enough.
Added by Beryl Simpson on 30 August 2012
What nationality was the Thunfish.
Added by .anthony adamson on 04 September 2012
The THUNFISCH was German
Anonymous comment added on 05 September 2012
Hids the story o me life I aye start at the end and finish at the begining!.
We were called oot at aboot three or four in the morning o the 31st o Jan 1975 red flares in the east end o the Firth - "O aye hid will be nothing" we thought, but shortly after leaving Aith Hope I was able tae smell fuel oil on the water the ithers all puffman on there fags and me wae a big nose and a none smoker could detect the oil.
Settle doon this is a long yarn!!.
As we came aroond the Tarf o Swinna it was clear a ship was holed or sunk, very soon we came on a raft wae men in it I cinna mind hoo many this is a long time ago thou kens, anyway wae hid a job gittan them aboard as the raft wiz washan up on the slopan rocks on the East side o the Isle.
Any way wan o the men was the Mate of the trawler wae poor English but he reckoned the had struck Pentland Skerries so we set course towards the Skerries and as wae approached wreckage was to be seen and oil comman up fae an area near the Clettack.
Noo Thurso and Wick Lifeboats were also on the case along wae a Helicopter and a Nimrod fae Lossiemouth, this was a big incident. The east goan tide was on so it took us a while tae cut it back tae "Swinna" but as wae approched the Isle what a wonder full sight we saw!, there wiz reek comman fae ane o the Houses - somebody was on the deserted Island!! Ian McFadyen and myself landed and found that all Twenty crewmen were accounted for now.
If I fast forward tae the photo and tell you the owners o the "Thunfish"were a big ootfit they were intae transport shipbuilding and all sorts o industry back in Bremerhaven they did indeed fly from Germany in one o there own aircraft.
They treated all who helped in any way in the rescue very well indeed ,I still have some of the gifts they gave us on that night.
I hope my recall is OK as this all happened a long time ago.
Oh wan ither thing I think the big man shaking hand wae Jacko was the Skipper o the "Thunfish" and said he had sailed out o Bremerhaven since he was sixteen years old and had transited the Firth many many times.
What a sad thing to happen, but at least there was no loss of life.
I am told the "Thunfisch " lies in twenty meters o water near the "Clettack "Skerry.
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We were called oot at aboot three or four in the morning o the 31st o Jan 1975 red flares in the east end o the Firth - "O aye hid will be nothing" we thought, but shortly after leaving Aith Hope I was able tae smell fuel oil on the water the ithers all puffman on there fags and me wae a big nose and a none smoker could detect the oil.
Settle doon this is a long yarn!!.
As we came aroond the Tarf o Swinna it was clear a ship was holed or sunk, very soon we came on a raft wae men in it I cinna mind hoo many this is a long time ago thou kens, anyway wae hid a job gittan them aboard as the raft wiz washan up on the slopan rocks on the East side o the Isle.
Any way wan o the men was the Mate of the trawler wae poor English but he reckoned the had struck Pentland Skerries so we set course towards the Skerries and as wae approached wreckage was to be seen and oil comman up fae an area near the Clettack.
Noo Thurso and Wick Lifeboats were also on the case along wae a Helicopter and a Nimrod fae Lossiemouth, this was a big incident. The east goan tide was on so it took us a while tae cut it back tae "Swinna" but as wae approched the Isle what a wonder full sight we saw!, there wiz reek comman fae ane o the Houses - somebody was on the deserted Island!! Ian McFadyen and myself landed and found that all Twenty crewmen were accounted for now.
If I fast forward tae the photo and tell you the owners o the "Thunfish"were a big ootfit they were intae transport shipbuilding and all sorts o industry back in Bremerhaven they did indeed fly from Germany in one o there own aircraft.
They treated all who helped in any way in the rescue very well indeed ,I still have some of the gifts they gave us on that night.
I hope my recall is OK as this all happened a long time ago.
Oh wan ither thing I think the big man shaking hand wae Jacko was the Skipper o the "Thunfish" and said he had sailed out o Bremerhaven since he was sixteen years old and had transited the Firth many many times.
What a sad thing to happen, but at least there was no loss of life.
I am told the "Thunfisch " lies in twenty meters o water near the "Clettack "Skerry.
Added by John Budge on 06 September 2012
Hoy and Walls
