Steam Trawler Ben Attow

The Ben Attow Disaster (Broughty Ferry Trawler)

February 1940

FROM THE PEOPLES JOURNAL 9TH MARCH 1940

Dundee Trawler Lost with all hands

26 CHILDREN RENDERED FATHERLESS BY NORTH SEA TRAGEDY

The loss of the Dundee Trawler Ben Attow and her crew of nine men off the Firth of Forth came as a severe blow to Tayside, and particularly to Broughty Ferry, where most of the men resided.
A poignant feature of this tragedy of the war is that all men, with one exception, were married, and the sinking of the Trawler leaves 26 children fatherless.
The first news of the loss of the Ben Attow was brought in by the trawler Strathblane, of the same fleet. When she put into port it was reported that the lights of another vessel thought to be the Ben Attow, had disappeared after a terrific explosion. Thereafter no trace of the vessel was seen. Later wreckage was discovered which left no doubt that the trawler had been lost.
The owners identified a lifebuoy bearing the ship's name, part of another on which they could read "Ben" and "D.E." as well as deck planking, and several fish boxes bearing the name of the firm.
This was the first total loss in the Dundee trawler fleet since 1916, when the Primrose was mined off Montrose and sank with all hands.

The Crew

The trawler was the first full command of Skipper Lorimer, third son of Mr & Mrs William Lorimer, King Street, Broughty Ferry. He went to sea as a cabin boy at 14 and had sailed the world in Brocklebank Liners and in oil tankers before he joined the trawler fleet ten years ago. He leaves a wife and three children, one only a few months old.
Over 30 years at sea was the record of the mate George Anderson, who was sailing in Dundee trawlers at 17. Twice in the last war when serving in the navy he was torpedoed. He had a family of six.
Only a fortnight ago Norman Ross, the second fisherman, transferred from another trawler. He went to sea when 15, and with the exception of a few years in D.P. & L. ships, had been that time with the trawler fleet.
Ross was married and had no family.

Lifetime at Sea

Sunday was the thirteenth birthday of one of the sons of W. J. Briggs, the fireman. Briggs had been a seaman all his life, but had spent only six weeks on the Ben Attow, Mr & Mrs Briggs have a family of three.
Twenty years of age, John Robertson was unmarried. Formerly a gardener, he joined the Ben Attow on the outbreak of war.
Alexander Gall, formerly of 19 David Street, Broughty Ferry, resided latterly at 1 Links Cottages. He was Bowman of the Broughty Lifeboat. Married, he leaves a five year old daughter.
Chief Engineer Arthur Lawrence, a native of Broughty Ferry spent his early years at sea. He went to Monifieth when employed with Charles Dick and Son, Builders. He returned to trawlers five years ago. His 19 year old son, Jack, is serving with the Royal Marines, while his daughter, aged 14 recently started work.
The cook, Luigi Schiavetta, went to sea for the first time only a fortnight ago, and was making his second trip on the trawler. He has a family of five sons and five daughters. A member of Monifieth Racing Pigeon Club, he has won numerous trophies. One of his sons Joe Schiavetta, is a member of the trawler crew which rescued four Nazi Airmen after their bomber had been shot down off the Firth of Forth

Members of Lodge Broughty Castle No.486

David Knight Lorimer was a member – Initiated on 12th February 1931, recorded as a Fisherman, age 22 of 27 Fort Street, Broughty Ferry.
Also, I think that this George Anderson was a member - Initiated on the 3rd April 1918, age 27, a Seaman of 153 Fisher Street, Broughty Ferry.

Details from Newspaper cuttings of the Public Appeal to help the widows and orphans.

Bailie William Reid – Lord Provost Depute of Dundee.

He was member of Lodge Broughty Castle – Right Worshipful Master from 1931 to 1932 

From the Courier 27th Feb 2012

Today marks the 62nd anniversary of one of Dundee’s worst maritime disasters, when the trawler Ben Attow was sunk after a German mine exploded in the Firth of Forth.
The Courier of Feb 27 1940 reported that the trawler had been lost with all nine crew members, rendering 26 children, mostly from Broughty Ferry fatherless. The report stated that the trawler’s lights had been seen in the darkness by another trawler in the same fleet before a ‘terrific explosion’ was seen, then the lights of the Ben Attow disappeared.
Wreckage was later discovered “which left no doubt that the trawler had been lost” the paper reported. Further evidence of its sinking came with the finding of a lifebelt bearing the ship’s name, as well as deck planking and several fish boxes bearing the name of the owners.
It was the first total loss in the Dundee trawler fleet since 1916, when the Primrose was mined of Montrose and sank with all hands. All but one of the crew of the Ben Attow were married. One Broughty Ferry family alone left 10 children without a father – the family of the ship’s cook Luigi Schiavetta
Luigi had only gone to sea for the first time a fortnight before the disaster and it was only his second trip on the trawler. His son Peter, now 73, still lives in Broughty Ferry, and last night recalled how his mother was suddenly left to bring up all 10 children on her own. “It was a terrible tragedy for Broughty Ferry” he said. The ‘Ferry’ was a close community back then, but there were no handouts at that time, apart from St James’s church. “My mother had to bring us all up by herself with no help”.
When you read in the papers of people complaining about not getting enough help, my mother was a really hard-working woman bringing us all up. “Providing for 10 children, she was really good. She died in her 80’s
Mr Schiavetta says he is one of seven surviving siblings, with two sisters in Toronto, a brother in Australia, two sisters still in Broughty Ferry and his oldest brother Joe who lives in Nova Scotia. Ironically, as the paper reported, Joe was a member of a trawler crew that had previously rescued four German airmen after their bomber was shot down of the Firth of Forth. It would be good for the other families to read about it in the Courier on the anniversary Mr Schiavetta added. The crew members who died that night were Skipper David Lorimer (31), mate George Anderson (50), second fisherman Norman Ross (29), deck hand John Robertson (20), deck hand Alexander Gall (26) Mr Schiavetta, first engineer Arthur Lawrence (30), second engineer Robert Mayes (42) and fireman W. J. Briggs (48).
According to the courier article, the Ben Attow was the first vessel under Mr Lorimer’s command. He left behind a wife and three children, one only a few months old.
The mate George Anderson had been at sea for 30 years, having started out as a Dundee whaler when he was 17. He had a family of six.

Details from the WW11 Casualty lists

The Ben Attow Memorial in London at the Merchant Naval Memorial on Tower Hill

Details of the Steam Trawler Ben Attow

Type STEAM TRAWLER
Date 1900
Official Number 112909
Description
BEN ATTOW A168
Yard Number: 329
1908: Owned by R Irvin & Sons Ltd, Aberdeen.
1914: Owned by J Craig, Aberdeen. August 1916: Requisitioned and converted to boom defence vessel.
1919: Returned to owners.
1920-21: Owner J. Craig, Sen.
1930: Owned by J H McFarlane, Dundee.
27 February 1940: Mined 7 miles E 1/2 S from May Island. Wreckage washed ashore Berwick in March.
Shipbuilder Hall Russell
Associated North British Steam Fishing Company Limited, Aberdeen
Shipowner Richard Irvin & Sons
Dimensions length 103ft x breadth 20.3ft x depth 11.7ft
gross tonnage: 156 ton

Iain D. McIntosh, 2020