A terrific gale swept in from the sea on Saturday 24 January 1942. It was so fierce that in the exposed places the pedestrian had to struggle desperately to make headway against it, the full blast brought him to a standstill. That night a ship was smashed to pieces in Wick Bay and all her crew perished.
The vessel was a coasting steamer named the Isleford believed to have fifteen men on board. Said to be plying between Scapa Flow and Invergordon, she had passed Wick earlier that awful night going south, but developed engine trouble and became the plaything of merciless waves. Distress flares from her when off Sarclet were picked up at 10.30 by coast watchers and the coastgaurd station at Wick informed. The severity of the storm precluded the launching of the Wick lifeboat but the rocket apparatus crew were ordered to stand-by and the Cromarty lifeboat was called.
The storm tossed ship was picked up in the beam of a searchlight off Wick, where the fury of wind and wave carried her into the bay which was a seething mass of broken water, with mountainous waves dashing on the shores. Here the steamer was whirled hither and thither on an erratic course to death. Anticipating her ultimate doom the rocket crew took up position on the north shore and miraculously the ship survived, only finally to be flung on to the jagged rocks under the cliffs. Exposed to the full force of the heavy seas the ship broke in two, the forepart being swept away.
The figures of five men were seen near the bridge and others may have been sheltering in the wheelhouse. The rocket crew went into action. At the first attempt it was lifted high in the air and over the mast, a second met the same fate, only the line fell across the steamer, but out of reach of the seamen.
When hope was high rescuers and spectators were horrified to see two men and the wheelhouse washed away, another man went to his doom with the next wave.
The battle for life went on. Two survivors clung desperately to the rigging. A rocket whipped round the mast which was swinging dizzily and violently from side to side plunging the clinging victims into the sea. Above the mens heads was the lifeline. Did they know it ? Human voices were lost in the storm. The man nearest struggled forward, everything was against him, the sweeping wind, the bitter cold, his drenched condition, his precarious hold and the higher he got the wilder the swing of the mast and the greater the chance of being mutilated on the rocks. there was that one chance - no he was exhausted. His shipmate below released his grip and was gone in a flash the last man was soon his companion in fate.
Early that Sunday morning the rocket crew returned from valiant but vain attempts to save brothers from the sea and praying again never to have such a bad experience. Wreckage was plentiful when daylight dawned and two bodies were recovered. One held tightly an empty box in each hand. That pointed to hope of being washed ashore, but man could only live moments in such a sea. Fourteen crew and one DEMS gunner were lost in total.
The story circulating at the time may, if true, explains why the Isleford was at sea in such fearful conditions. Alfred MacKay, retired fisherman and naval auxiliary, was involved in the aftermath of the sinking, the dangerous job of clearing the mines that had swept ashore from the wreck. At age 84, (in 1993), he recalls. "She was supposed to be carrying gun barrels from the British battleship, King George V which were being taken south to be rifled. Apparently there had been a problem with them when the battleship had been shadowing the Bismark in the Atlantic". There was no sign of the six-inch guns amongst the wreckage the following day. That wasn't surprising as the sea hasn't yet given up all of the cargo. The shore between the dry dock and the open-air north bath pool was strewn with mines and wooden cases containing shells. The mines were of the type used to defend harbours and entrances such as Scapa Flow. At the time Norway having fallen to the Germans, an invasion through the North of Scotland was regarded as a serious threat.
Each mine weighed half a ton and contained 400lbs of TNT. Alfie Mackay recalled; "We lifted the mines out of the water and manhandled them onto a central point on shore for collection. We were pretty ignorant of the danger at first. The officer in charge of the mines disposal left us in no doubt". The officer shouted to Jim Begg, a local fishcurer, who was out for a walk and descending the cliff via a flight of stone steps, "Get back if you don't want to get your head blown off".
Mr Mackay, who lived in Dunnet Ave, reflected; "There's no doubt if the mines had blown up that half of the Wick side of the town would have been wiped out into the bargain".
The Isleford was built in 1913 by Ardrossan Drydock and Shipbuilding Co. Ltd as a Coaster. Yard No.241. She was 45m long by 8m wide and 423 tons.
Ever since her sinking, Royal Navy Clearance divers have made regular inspections of the Isleford's cargo of ammunition. From time to time over the years, heavy munitions have been removed from the site and detonated out at sea. The remaining ammunition is thought to be mostly inactive and does not pose a danger.
On 16 April 2012 the wreck of NAV Isleford was made a designated wreck under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 (Designation of Vessels and Controlled Sites) Order 2012.
Today the remains of the Isleford lie on the North side of Wick Bay in a general depth of around 16m. Still visible are her boiler, engine, rudder, prop-shaft and part of her ships bottom. In winter months when the weed has reduced there can be found boxes of ammunition with their bullets still lined up in rows. Also visible are the remains of some 14" naval shells. A memorial plaque was placed on her engine remains in September 2104 by the Merchant Navy Association.
More information on the ship itself can be found by clicking on the following link.
The vessel was a coasting steamer named the Isleford believed to have fifteen men on board. Said to be plying between Scapa Flow and Invergordon, she had passed Wick earlier that awful night going south, but developed engine trouble and became the plaything of merciless waves. Distress flares from her when off Sarclet were picked up at 10.30 by coast watchers and the coastgaurd station at Wick informed. The severity of the storm precluded the launching of the Wick lifeboat but the rocket apparatus crew were ordered to stand-by and the Cromarty lifeboat was called.
The storm tossed ship was picked up in the beam of a searchlight off Wick, where the fury of wind and wave carried her into the bay which was a seething mass of broken water, with mountainous waves dashing on the shores. Here the steamer was whirled hither and thither on an erratic course to death. Anticipating her ultimate doom the rocket crew took up position on the north shore and miraculously the ship survived, only finally to be flung on to the jagged rocks under the cliffs. Exposed to the full force of the heavy seas the ship broke in two, the forepart being swept away.
The figures of five men were seen near the bridge and others may have been sheltering in the wheelhouse. The rocket crew went into action. At the first attempt it was lifted high in the air and over the mast, a second met the same fate, only the line fell across the steamer, but out of reach of the seamen.
When hope was high rescuers and spectators were horrified to see two men and the wheelhouse washed away, another man went to his doom with the next wave.
The battle for life went on. Two survivors clung desperately to the rigging. A rocket whipped round the mast which was swinging dizzily and violently from side to side plunging the clinging victims into the sea. Above the mens heads was the lifeline. Did they know it ? Human voices were lost in the storm. The man nearest struggled forward, everything was against him, the sweeping wind, the bitter cold, his drenched condition, his precarious hold and the higher he got the wilder the swing of the mast and the greater the chance of being mutilated on the rocks. there was that one chance - no he was exhausted. His shipmate below released his grip and was gone in a flash the last man was soon his companion in fate.
Early that Sunday morning the rocket crew returned from valiant but vain attempts to save brothers from the sea and praying again never to have such a bad experience. Wreckage was plentiful when daylight dawned and two bodies were recovered. One held tightly an empty box in each hand. That pointed to hope of being washed ashore, but man could only live moments in such a sea. Fourteen crew and one DEMS gunner were lost in total.
The story circulating at the time may, if true, explains why the Isleford was at sea in such fearful conditions. Alfred MacKay, retired fisherman and naval auxiliary, was involved in the aftermath of the sinking, the dangerous job of clearing the mines that had swept ashore from the wreck. At age 84, (in 1993), he recalls. "She was supposed to be carrying gun barrels from the British battleship, King George V which were being taken south to be rifled. Apparently there had been a problem with them when the battleship had been shadowing the Bismark in the Atlantic". There was no sign of the six-inch guns amongst the wreckage the following day. That wasn't surprising as the sea hasn't yet given up all of the cargo. The shore between the dry dock and the open-air north bath pool was strewn with mines and wooden cases containing shells. The mines were of the type used to defend harbours and entrances such as Scapa Flow. At the time Norway having fallen to the Germans, an invasion through the North of Scotland was regarded as a serious threat.
Each mine weighed half a ton and contained 400lbs of TNT. Alfie Mackay recalled; "We lifted the mines out of the water and manhandled them onto a central point on shore for collection. We were pretty ignorant of the danger at first. The officer in charge of the mines disposal left us in no doubt". The officer shouted to Jim Begg, a local fishcurer, who was out for a walk and descending the cliff via a flight of stone steps, "Get back if you don't want to get your head blown off".
Mr Mackay, who lived in Dunnet Ave, reflected; "There's no doubt if the mines had blown up that half of the Wick side of the town would have been wiped out into the bargain".
The Isleford was built in 1913 by Ardrossan Drydock and Shipbuilding Co. Ltd as a Coaster. Yard No.241. She was 45m long by 8m wide and 423 tons.
Ever since her sinking, Royal Navy Clearance divers have made regular inspections of the Isleford's cargo of ammunition. From time to time over the years, heavy munitions have been removed from the site and detonated out at sea. The remaining ammunition is thought to be mostly inactive and does not pose a danger.
On 16 April 2012 the wreck of NAV Isleford was made a designated wreck under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 (Designation of Vessels and Controlled Sites) Order 2012.
Today the remains of the Isleford lie on the North side of Wick Bay in a general depth of around 16m. Still visible are her boiler, engine, rudder, prop-shaft and part of her ships bottom. In winter months when the weed has reduced there can be found boxes of ammunition with their bullets still lined up in rows. Also visible are the remains of some 14" naval shells. A memorial plaque was placed on her engine remains in September 2104 by the Merchant Navy Association.
More information on the ship itself can be found by clicking on the following link.