Winter storms dislodge lard from wartime shipwreck

Several blocks of animal fat from cargo hold of ship sunk in 1941 wash up on Gourdon beach

Wartime lard that escaped from a ship that was bombed and sunk by the Luftwaffe has reappeared on the Mearns coastline.

The recent storms that battered the UK have dislodged the unusual mementos from the final resting place of the Second World War wreck of the MS Taurus.

A number of white blocks of animal fat – still with their barrel shape but with the wood long gone – appeared on the beach at Gourdon from the sunken wreck of the Norwegian merchant ship that was attacked in 1941.

The wreck of the Taurus, known locally as the Rosebury, is thought to lie further up the coast near Johnshaven, with bad weather setting free its contents over the years.

The appearance of the lard, originally destined to be used in lipsticks and soap, has triggered memories of earlier deposits of the fat at the beach.

Joan Beattie from Johnshaven said: “My mum told me about the barrels washing in in 1941 and of the villagers going down the beach and helping themselves.

“There used to be lots of things washed up between here and Gourdon.

“I have a brass incense burner that washed ashore from the Balmoral.”

Sandy Pittendreigh said he was four when the wartime lard first came ashore at Johnshaven.

“I seem to recall barrels being opened by a group of local fishermen at the head of the dock at the bottom of the lane down from the Mason’s hall where I lived in 1941,” he said.

“The men divided the lard up into large chunks which they gave to anyone who wanted it.

“I was told later that I came home in a bit of a mess of lard clutching my prize.”

Mearns councillor George Carr said: “It’s amazing to think how much history lies under the water, a short distance away.

“People who find these blocks on our beaches are often puzzled why lard is still washing up after 70 years.

“But it was a major ingredient in soap making, and every merchant convoy would have had tonnes of it on board. Rich pickings for the Luftwaffe, unfortunately.”

The lard first came ashore on the Mearns coastline in the 1940s and canny locals would scrape it off and fry up with it.

After a storm in the late 1960s or early 1970s the lard came up onshore again.

Fishermen in the area were also said to have searched waters close to the wreck for their catch because fish that had fed off the fat had grown well beyond normal size.

Scottish National Heritage staff from St Cyrus remembered lard coming ashore in the early 1980s as well.

Some rock hard lumps of lard washed ashore at the north end of St Cyrus beach in 2013 when a storm further weakened the wreck.

Sir, – Like many others I was disappointed with the recent Brexit transition deal, particularly in relation to the fact that Scottish fishermen will have to wait until the end of the transition period until EU fishermen will stop plundering Scottish waters.

However for Nicola Sturgeon to scoff at the deal is sheer hypocrisy, as this is a woman who would stay in the EU and, by definition, would allow Scottish waters to be fished by EU fleets forever. Mike Rogalski. 82 Feus Road, Perth.

Left: a block of lard that washed up on the beach at Gourdon after spending the last 77 years in the hold of the Norwegian ship MS Taurus, which was sunk by the Luftwaffe in 1941.