Families in poignant trip to scene of 1918 sinking
TRAWLER TRAGEDY IS MARKED 100 YEARS ON
FAMILIES took an emotional boat trip to mark the centenary of the sinking of a trawler which hit a mine off the Tyne. The 97-ton North Shields steam trawler Reaper struck the mine, laid by the German submarine UC-49, more than a mile off Marconi Point in Cullercoats on February 21, 1918, as she was returning from fishing. The crew of eight were lost. The skipper was Alexander Hastie, 43, a father-of-four, of Park Crescent, North Shields. His grandson, John Hastie, who also lives in North Shields, decided to commemorate the 100th anniversary by taking a boat out to the area of the sinking and laying a wreath on the sea.
Representatives of the family of crewman Thomas Fyall, 44, of Washington Terrace, North Shields, who had five children, were also on the boat.
Blue plaques have been placed on the former homes of the two men by the Tynemouth – now Northumbria – World War One Commemoration Project, which was represented on the trip by Tommy McClements.
John was joined by his sister Jackie Bettes, who lives in Kentmere in the Lake District.
Their sister Joan, who could not make the trip, laid flowers on the sea off Clevedon pier near Bristol, where she lives.
Alexander’s great-granddaughter Alison Russell, from Monkseaton, was also on the boat.
John 72, a retired builder, comes from a fishing family, with his father being the skipper of a trawler.
His great-grandfather, also John, died in the Eyemouth fishing disaster of October 14, 1881, when the local fishing fleet was caught by a sudden severe storm which resulted in the loss of 189 fishermen, of whom 129 were from Eyemouth.
The Eyemouth-based John’s brother, Robert, moved to North Shields and founded the trawler firm of Robert Hastie and Sons.
“With the anniversary coming up, I thought that the laying of a wreath was the least I could do in memory of my grandfather,” said John.
He grew up with family memories of the sinking, including Alexander’s wife walking the beach at Tynemouth for weeks after the sinking in case her husband’s body was washed ashore.
John said: “I felt very emotional. I feel lifted because it is something I have wanted to do for a long, long time. It’s great to make that link with my grandfather.”
Fyall family member Judith Pannell said: “That was very emotional and I now feel closer to him.”
Other North Shields crewmen included Thomas Appleby, 55, of Bird Street; Henry Blackman, 38, of Rudyerd Street; James Blythe, 44; Martin Gibbons, 47, of Back George Street; Alfred Pye, 47, of Camden Street, and Walter Sparks, 44, of Thames Street West, Wallsend. More than 30 children lost their fathers.
Losses of fishing vessels, many of which combined fishing with – under naval control – minesweeping, were significant off the east coast during the war.
Just days after the loss of Reaper, another North Shields trawler, Rambler, sank off Blyth after also hitting a mine, with the loss of nine lives.