Quesada survivors unite to unveil cairn
‘It was hard emotionally but I am proud that we managed to bring it together’
TWO DAYS before the 50th anniversary of the Quesada tragedy, a memorial cairn was proudly unveiled on Campbeltown’s harbour front.
The cairn has been three years in the making by Willie MacCallum, whose father Jack was one of eight souls who never made it home after the boat sank three miles from Davaar Island.
Following a wellattended service at the Highland Parish Church last Saturday, friends and family gathered at the cairn to see it unveiled by the five remaining survivors of the tragedy, as well as the last survivor from the Moira, which sailed to her aid.
Willie said: ‘We could not have asked for more. The weather was excellent and we had around 200 people for the service.
‘It was hard emotionally but I was quite proud we managed to bring it all together so well. So many people have said it was a beautiful service and praised the cairn.’
The church service, conducted by Matthew Ramsay, featured a rendition of ‘An Ataireachd Ard’ by Norman McKinnon and the hymn ‘Rock of Ages’, which Jack MacCallum sang on the Quesada as she sank to keep the crew’s spirits up.
Willie followed in his father’s footsteps, giving an emotive performance of ‘Beyond the Sea’.
At the unveiling, Willie McCallum played the pipe tune ‘Ceol na Mara’ at the cairn location that was his late father’s suggestion, while the Rev Catriona Hood spoke on the importance of remembering those lost. Willie was just eight when his father was lost on May 23, 1966, along with seven others as the converted motor torpedo boat returned from a day trip to Arran.
The fishing boat Moira, with skippers Neil Speed and Jim Meenan on board and a handful of volunteers, rushed to its aid as it sank after suffering engine failure. Their heroic efforts saved 10 of the men on board.
After 50 years without a memorial in the town, Willie is relieved to see the cairn finally in place.
He said: ‘It has been three years in the making and, although it was my idea, I owe so much to the community for coming together to fundraise for it. To see them all come together in honour of these men was quite emotional.
Important
‘I thought it was really important to have the story on the cairn.
‘It’s important for visitors to know about the efforts and the bravery of these men who risked their own lives to try to save them all.
‘They all now have a fitting tribute and the town has a lasting legacy.’
Willie was joined by his brother, John, from Canada and his sister Lorna and highlighted the importance of the families joining together to remember the tragedy on its anniversary.
He added: ‘The son of Neil Speed, Raymond, attended the services and he told me now he can go back to the Isle of Man and tell his family that visitors to Campbeltown will know what a brave man he was, as they all were on that night.’
Councillor John Armour, who attended the ceremony, said: ‘Most children like myself growing up in Campbeltown in the late 1960s and early 1970s learned at a very early age of the terrible tragedy.
‘The cairn is a very fitting memorial to what happened and I congratulate Willie MacCallum and all involved in pulling it together, and to Willie Ross for making such a superb job of building it.’
Through bank donations and an online Justgiving page, the Quesada memorial fund raised £4,140.29, while a recent fundraising concert at Stronvaar collected £1060.00.
The memorial fund has paid for the cairn’s construction, while the concert funds will go to Campbeltown Community Council for its future maintenance.
Closure
Willie said: ‘There was a wee sense of closure from the whole weekend, that all the men are now remembered forever.
‘I want to thank everyone involved, it really could not have been achieved without everyone’s help.’
For information on the Sunday service, when the survivors travelled to the spot where the Quesada sank, turn to page 12.