HMT LOCH GARRY

HMT Loch Garry

HMT Loch Garry.  13/09/1916

Displacement: 172 grt.

Length: 31,5 m.    Beam: 6.4 m.   Draught: 3.7 m.

Propulsion: 1 x 3-cyl. triple expansion engine, single shaft, 1 screw, 1 boiler .

Complement: 7 officers and men.

Men Lost: 6

Armament: Armed Trawler.

The steel Trawler Loch Garry was built by Hall A. & Sons Ltd. Aberdeen in 1903, Yard No 400, for the Empire Steam Fishing Company of Aberdeen Ltd. (H.A. Holmes, Managers) Sold to J. B. Graham and Registered in Hartlepool as HL 32.

Aberdeen Press and Journal - Wednesday 04 February 1903

LAUNCH OF A TRAWLER AT ABERDEEN. A steam trawler—the second .built the order of the Empire Steam (Fishing Company—was launched yesterday from the yard' Messrs. A. Hall and Co., shipbuilders, Aberdeen. The vessel, which is 106 feet long, will be fitted with triple expansion engines and all the most modern appliance. There were present at the launch .Mr. H. A. Holmes, .managing director; Mr. Andrew Smith of (Mr. James -Loath, merchant; and G. G. Littlejohn, merchant, directors; W'm. Sutherland, retired merchant; Mr. William Allan, farmer; Mr Alex. Catto, builder; (Councillor Edwards. Mr. W. J. Jameson, fish salesman; Reuben. Laing, flesher; Mr. James Murray, postmaster, Woodside; ; Mr. W. M. Brechin, coal merchant;, James Laing, hide merchant; Mr. V. R. Laing, Captain Thomas Palmer, Mr. John Rust, wood merchant; Mr. James Angus, superintending engineer; Messrs. Taylor and Anderson, secretaries of the Empire 'Company; and Messrs. William Hall. Arthur Farquhar, and Alex. Gray, of A. Hall and Co. As the vessel left the ways it was gracefully named the 'Loch Garry by Mrs. James Leith. After the launch there was a cake and wine banquet, at which several toasts were pledged.

History

Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail - Thursday 09 February 1911

ROYAL STURGEON LANDED AT HARTLEPOOL.

A royal sturgeon was landed the steam trawler Loch Garry (Captain V. Truefitt), managing owner, Mr. J. B. Graham.

Leicester Evening Mail - Friday 18 October 1912

LONDON STEAMER AND TRAWLER COLLIDE.

Six Spanish Seamen Drowned.

The trawler Loch Garry. which arrived at Hartlepool, to-day, reported the steamer. Carmargo, of Santander, sunk after collision with a London steamer 16 miles north-east of Hartlepool. Five of the Camargo's crew were drowned. Another man died after being picked up by the Loch Garry, which brought the remainder to Hartlepool.

The Loss

HMT Loch Garry was on duty as a Boom Net Tender and at anchor on the west side of ''A'' Boom at Kirkwall. ''A'' Boom stretched from Twi Ness, Shapinsay to Thieves Holm.
At about 1.15 am the vessel foundered with the loss of up to eight crew. The only survivor was William James Smith (16) who was son of the skipper. William survived by floating to a nearby small islet or island (possibly Thieves Holm or Shapinsay) where he was rescued later that day.

Newspaper reports state that an anchor line parted and the vessel went broadside to the sea and was swamped and foundered but file HD1916-793 held by UKHO states that enquiry found that ''she probably sank owing to the heavy gale and strong tides having strained her and caused some internal leak in the engine room....''

Chart showing where HMT Loch Garry sank. (UKHO)

The Scotsman - Monday 18 September 1916

TRAWLER WRECKED IN ORKNEY WATERS

PROBABLE LOSS OF TEN LIVES

Intelligence was received in Buckie yesterday to the effect that an English steam trawler has been lost in Orkney waters during the storm . It seems that the vessel broke loose from her moorings, and was swamped by the billows , and went down, everyone of the crew of probably nine or ten men being drowned, with the exception of William James Smith , aged 16 , son of the . skipper of the vessel , who resided at Portessie , Buckie . It transpires that young Smith floated to an island , where be ramained all night, and until he was rescued late the following day . The skipper, who is among the drowned, was William Smith ( Latin ) , who resided in Portessie . He was a widower, 55 years of age . Of the remainder of the crew, some, if not all of them belong to Fraserburgh .It is understood that most of the bodies have been recovered .

Dundee Courier - Monday 18 September 1916

STEAM TRAWLER LOST OFF THE ORKNEYS.

ALL MEMBERS OF CREW ARE DROWNED.

EXCEPT YOUTHFUL SON BUCKIE SKIPPER.

Intelligence was received in Buckie yesterday that an English trawler had been lost in Orkney waters during the storm. It seems that the vessel broke loose from her moorings, was swamped by the billows, and went down. All the members of the crew, comprising probably nine or ten men, were drowned with the exception of William James Smith (16), son of the skipper. He resided at Portessie Buckie. Young Smith floated to an island, where he remained all night. was rescued late the following day. The skipper was William Smith (Latin), who resided in Portessie. He was a widower, and 55 years of age. Some at least of the remainder of the crew belonged to Fraserburgh.

Birmingham Mail - Monday 18 September 1916

TRAWLER SUNK AND CREW DROWNED

BOY SAVED FROM ISLET.

A trawler, understood to be the Loch Garry, has been sunk in Orkney waters and the crew of nine drowned, with the exception of one boy, who was rescued from adjacent island after a night's exposure. The vessel broke adrift from her head mooring, end getting broadside to the sea was swamped.

Western Daily Press - Tuesday 19 September 1916

TRAWLER SWAMPED.

EIGHT LIVES LOST.

A trawler, understood to be. the Loch Garry, has been sunk, in Orkney waters, and the crew of nine drowned, with the exception of one boy, who was rescued from an
adjacent island night's exposure. The vessel broke adrift from her head mooring, and, getting broadside on to the sea, was swamped. The skipper was William Smith Latin, widower, aged 55, residing at Buckie.

The Wreck Today.

The wreck of the Loch Garry has the Wreck Card 70204. The card was created in 2000 but misidentified the wreck as that of the salvage vessel ''Disperser'' which sank in Kirkwall bay in WW2 but was refloated a short while after.

The wreck of HMT Loch Garry was found by accident by the Kirkwall Sub Aqua Club while they were searching for the wreck of HMT Endeavor which is slightly to the SE.

The wreck sits at the western end of The String in approximately 20m of water in position 59°01,727'N 02°56,897'W. The wreck is well broken up and the highest point being the boiler.

325 kHz 100m range 325 kHz 75m range 780 kHz 50m range

780 kHz - 25m range

C-Max CM2 Side Scan Sonar

Images Courtesy Scapa Scientific

Alcyonium digitatum or Dead men's fingers

Wrasse and Alcyonium digitatum

Photographs Courtesy Ivan Houston (Orkney Sub Aqua Club)

THE CREW OF LOCH GARRY

The research of Loch Garry started out the same as any other vessel and crew we worked on, which began with gathering the casualties names and cross checking with Naval and CWGC lists.
This project immediately became a mystery as newspaper reports of the day mentioned a lost crew of 9 or 10 men, a number we have yet to confirm if this was ever correct.

Mercantile Marine Medal

Name - Dougal Noble
DOB - 25th July 1881
Place of Birth - Fraserburgh, Aberdeen, Scotland
Parents - Dougal and Jessie
Early History - Named after his father, Dougal was first recorded on the 1891 Scotland census aged 10, the third of 6 children listed. The family lived at 93 High Street, Fraserburgh and Dougal attended school. 10 years later, the family were still recorded living at the same address, albeit parents Dougal and Jessie were not listed; Dougal Snr had died aged 40 in 1896 and Jessie died aged 46 in 1900, leaving a household full of children - Dougal was 19 years old and worked as a tinsmith at a fish meat factory and he, along with his older sister Annie, aged 22, cared for their siblings, the youngest aged just 7.

Rank - Deck Hand/Able Seaman - Mercantile Marine.

Service History - As Dougal was a civilian he has no service records. Following his death, as his parents were not alive to receive his pension, his siblings were awarded it in their place. After the storm where the Loch Garry was lost, his body was recovered and he was buried in Fraserburgh Kirkton Cemetery, remembered with a CWGC headstone.

FRASERBURGH WAR MEMORIAL Photo: Belinda Stephen (warmemorialsonline)

Sources:
Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950 - Ancestry.com
1891 & 1901 Scotland Census
ScotlandsPeople.gov
British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records, 1730-1960 National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; Admiralty: Naval Casualties, Indexes, War Grave Rolls and Statistics Book, First World War.; Class: ADM 242; Piece: 009 (1914 - 1919)
British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records, 1730-1960 National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; Admiralty and predecessors: Office of the Director General of the Medical Department of the Navy and predecessors: Service Registers and Registers of Deaths and Injuries. Registers of Reports of Deaths
Royal Navy and Royal Marine War Graves Roll, 1914-1919 TNA Series: ADM 242/9; Scan Number: 0700
UK and Ireland, Find A Grave Index, 1300s-Current
UK, WWI Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923 Western Front Association; London, England; PRC Ledgers; Reference: 647/01D
Photo courtesy of Roy Stevely
Researched by Wendy Sadler

Aberdeen Evening Express

Name - John William Winchester
DOB - 4th April 1886
Place of Birth - Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire
Parents - William and Helen (nee Mitchell)
Early History - John was aged 5 when recorded on the 1891 census - he lived with his parents at 56 School Street, Fraserburgh (where he was also born) and younger brother Alexander who was aged 2. 10 years later on the 1901 census the family of four had moved and were recorded living at 97 Charlotte Street, Fraserburgh, along with 4 lodgers/boarders. John was aged 15 and worked as an apprentice clerk in a shipping office

Rank - Mate - Civilian, Mercantile Marine
Service History - As John was a civilian he had no service records and it is not known when he joined the Loch Garry. After the storm where the vessel was lost, his body was recovered and he was buried in Fraserburgh Kirkton Cemetery on the afternoon of Monday 18th September 1916, along with his shipmates John Park and Otto Paterson.

In a double tragedy, his brother Alexander died in 1919 aged 20. They are both remembered on a family headstone.

Fraserburgh Herald and Northern Counties' Advertiser - Tuesday 18 September 1917
LOVING MEMORY of John William Winchester, who was drowned at Kirkwall, 13th Sept., 19I6. Oh for the touch of a vanished hand And the sound of a voice that is still, ( Inserted by Mrs J. W. Winchester, Aberdeen, and Mr and Mrs Winchester and family, 97 Charlotte Street.)

FRASERBURGH WAR MEMORIAL Photo: Belinda Stephen (warmemorialsonline)

Sources:
ScotlandPeople.gov.uk - Birth entry
1891 & 1901 Scotland Census
Aberdeen Evening Express- Tuesday 3rd October 1916
Royal Navy and Royal Marine War Graves Roll, 1914-1919 TNA Series: ADM 242/10; Scan Number: 1109
UK and Ireland, Find A Grave Index, 1300s-Current
National Records of Scotland - Statutory registers Deaths (021/ 75) and (028/ 15)
Headstone image courtesy of Roy Stevely
Researched by Wendy Sadler

Name - John Park
DOB - 1887
Place of Birth - Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire
Parents - John and Isabella Stephen
Early History - John was mentioned on the 1891 census, living with his Mother, Sister, Uncle (?) and Grandmother at 9 Dalrymple Street, Fraserburgh aged 4. 10 years followed and on the 1901 census, he still lived with his mother and younger sister Bella at the same address and worked as an apprentice clerk. Before the war John worked as a harbour weigher.

Rank - Able Seaman, Civilian, Mercantile Marine

Service History - As John was a civilian serving during the Great War, he did not accumulate any service records. Following his death he was awarded a CWGC headstone and buried in Fraserburgh (Kirkton) Cemetery on the afternoon of Monday 18th September 1916, along with his shipmates John Winchester and Otto Paterson.

FRASERBURGH WAR MEMORIAL Photo: Belinda Stephen (warmemorialsonline)

Sources:
1891, 1901 Scotland census
Headstone image courtesy of Roy Stevely
Royal Navy and Royal Marine War Graves Roll, 1914-1919 TNA Series: ADM 242/9; Scan Number: 0800
Fraserburgh Herald and Northern Counties' Advertiser - Tuesday 19 September 1916
Researched by Wendy Sadler

Name - Otto Deiser Paterson
DOB - 7th April 1876
Place of Birth - Banff, Banffshire
Parents - James and Barbara (Morrison)
Early History - Otto was born at 13 Kingswell Lane, Banff. He was recorded on the 1881 Scotland census, in his Grandparent’s household, George and Christina Morrison, at Heathery Brae, Auchterless, Aberdeenshire. Ten years later he was recorded at 58 Boyndie St in Banff, and lived at the address with 6 siblings and his mother (his father had passed away). Aged 25 on the 1901 census he was noted as living and working at Ryland (Farm?), Alvah, Banffshire working as a farm servant/ploughman.
A year later, aged 26, Otto married Rosalind Fullerton Gregson on 21st June 1902 at Temperance Hotel Hall in Huntly and the couple went on to have 8 children, the youngest sadly didn’t survive and was buried with Otto after his death.

Early in the year of 1905 Otto was mentioned in the Banffshire Journal and General Advertiser when he was witness to a fatal accident while working as a traction engine attendant. Fellow worker (and possible cousin) Edmund Paterson was crushed by one of the wagons that were being transported. Otto remained working as an engine attendant until the outbreak of war.

Rank - Engineer (civilian)

Service History - As Otto was a civilian he had no service records After the storm where the Loch Garry was lost, his body was recovered and he was buried in Banff Cemetery with Baby Paterson also remembered. Otto is remembered on the Banff War Memorial.

Sources:
ScotlandsPeople.gov.uk - Birth cert
1881, 1891 & 1901 Scotland Census
Headstone image courtesy of Roy Stevely
British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records, 1730-1960 National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; Admiralty and predecessors: Office of the Director General of the Medical Department of the Navy and predecessors: Service Registers and Registers of Deaths and Injuries. Registers of Reports of Deaths
British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records, 1730-1960 National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; Admiralty: Naval Casualties, Indexes, War Grave Rolls and Statistics Book, First World War.; Class: ADM 242; Piece 005 (1914 - 1920)
Moray, Scotland, Local Heritage Index, 1632-2014
Researched by Wendy Sadler

Maryculter War Memorial

Name - Charles Lovie
DOB - 12th April 1892
Place of Birth - Aberdeen area
Parents - George and Elizabeth
Early History - Unfortunately there are hardly any records on Charles’ early life. He did leave a will however which mentioned Eastland Lodge as a residence, which was a large estate in Kincausie, Maryculter, Aberdeen, of which he and his father probably worked on. He also left a total of £69 to his family.

Rank - Fireman, Civilian - Mercantile Marine

Service History - As Charles was a civilian he had no records while serving during the war. When the crew of the Loch Garry were first researched, there were only 4 crew members that were known and listed, Charles not being one of them. His name was discovered in a Royal Navy Register of Deaths list. Cross checking with the CWGC Register it was also discovered that his name was missing from their list and therefore not remembered for his service and sacrifice. He was however listed on the local Maryculter War Memorial and on a family headstone in the same village cemetery.

Charles Lovie, aged 24, was laid to rest on Tuesday 19th September 1916. The Admiralty had forwarded his remains to his father and the funeral party left George Lovie’s residence, the Den of Kincausie, and proceeded to the local churchyard.

**EDIT** - 9th December 2020 - We received a message from Charles' Great Granddaughter today (see correspondence image) informing us of her link and feedback on how the website and our research has helped her and her family.

Sources:
National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; Admiralty and predecessors: Office of the Director General of the Medical Department of the Navy and predecessors: Service Registers and Registers of Deaths and Injuries. Registers of Reports of Deaths - ADM104 piece 110
Memorial photos & headstone courtesy of Brian Burnett
Commissary Clerk of Edinburgh under the Sheriff Courts Act, 1876. Calendar of Confirmations and Inventories. Scotland, National Probate Index (Calendar of Confirmations and Inventories), 1876-1936
WWI Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923 Western Front Association; London, England; Pension Record Cards; Reference: 121/0577/LOV-LOW
Stonehaven Journal - Thursday 21 September 1916
Researched by Wendy Sadler

Maryculter War Memorial

Lovie family headstone Maryculter.

Name - William Smith “Latin”
DOB - 27th July 1859
Place of Birth - Rathven, Banff
Parents - William and Margaret McInnes

Early History - William was first recorded on the 1861 Scotland census, aged just one year old, living at 91 Porteasie, in Rathven parish, with his mother Margaret, Grandmother Jane and older sibling George, who was 3. 10 years later William lived with a larger household, with another 4 siblings, still in the same parish and attended school, his parents running a grocer shop. By the 1881 census William was aged 21 and worked as a fisherman. His family had also used the extension “Latin” on their surname (a way of distinguishing different local families that had the same surname) and four years later William married Helen Smith. On the 1891 census the couple had two children, James and Margaret, with William Jnr being born in 1901. Sadly Helen died in 1904 aged 38.
William bought the vessel S.D. OBERON upon completion in 1907 which was requisitioned for war service from 1915 to 1919, William however did not skipper it and was attached to LOCH GARRY instead. Following his death and released from war service the OBERON was sold to another resident of Buckie in 1919 and again in 1933. It was eventually sold to Norway in 1947.

Rank - Skipper

Service History - As William was a civilian he had no records while serving during the war. It was reported in the Banffshire Advertiser however that he acted as a quartermaster in the first year of the Great War on a supply ship, based in Malta.
When the crew of the Loch Garry were first researched, there were only 4 crew members that were known and listed, William not being one of them. He was only discovered as being part of the missing crew when his name was found on a death register with the same date and details as the other 5 crew members whose deaths were entered.
His body was never recovered so did not receive a burial but is listed on the Buckie war monument.

Sources:
Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950 - Ancestry.com
Parish: Rathven; ED: 9; Page: 19; Line: 3; Roll: CSSCT1861_23 1861 Scotland Census
Parish: Rathven; ED: 9; Page: 28; Line: 4; Roll: CSSCT1871_30 1871 Scotland Census
Parish: Rathven; ED: 3; Page: 36; Line: 25; Roll: cssct1881_48 1881 Scotland Census
Additional information courtesy of Charles Mackay Flett and David Fowler
Moray, Scotland, Local Heritage Index, 1632-2014
Photo courtesy of Banffshire Advertiser/Charles Mackay Flett
Researched by Wendy Sadler

SURVIVOR

Name - William George Smith -
DOB - 21st May 1901
Place of Birth - 145 Portessie, Rathven
Parents - William Smith “Latin” and Helen Smith

History - William was just 16 when he was caught up in the terrible tragedy that hit the vessel LOCH GARRY on the 13th September 1916. His father was skipper of the trawler and William Jnr had been working on the boat as cook to the crew. While the crew aboard and his father were lost, William managed to float to an island where he was discovered and rescued later the following day. His ordeal and survival deserve to be mentioned in the story of Loch Garry. He returned home to Buckie as an orphan and it is probable that he lived with his older brother James until old enough to support himself. In 1930 William and James lived on the same street (Craigenroan Place), but William had moved by 1940. He had followed in his father’s footsteps and earned a living as a fisherman, his previous experience when a teenager had not discouraged him from a life at sea. He remained single and died aged 53 on 3rd July 1954 of a coronary thrombosis.

Sources:
National Records of Scotland - Statutory Death register 164/73
National Records of Scotland - Statutory Birth register 164/128
With thanks to Charles Mackay Flett for information.
Researched by Wendy Sadler

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