Lifeboat Mona
Encyclopedia
The Mona was a lifeboat
based at Broughty Ferry
in Scotland
, that capsized during a rescue attempt, with the loss of her entire crew of eight men. The Mona was built in 1935, and, in her time, saved 118 lives.
which was reported adrift in St Andrews Bay
. Weather conditions were exceptionally severe with a strong south-easterly gale and the Broughty Ferry Lifeboat was the only boat in the area able to launch. The Mona was seen clearing the Tay and heading south into St Andrews Bay. Her last radio message was timed at 4.48am, and after a helicopter search she was found capsized on Buddon Sands. Her crew of eight were all drowned. The North Carr
reef is off the coast of Fife
. The lightvessel
, later replaced by a beacon, is now berthed at Victoria Dock, Dundee
harbour.
As The Mona was struggling to reach the North Carr, the Lightship's crew of six were able to drop their spare anchor. They were all rescued alive and well by a helicopter the next morning, 24 hours after the first call for help had gone out.
The Mona disaster was the subject of an official investigation, in which the boat was described as having been 100% seaworthy at the time of the accident.
According to a letter to the Dundee Evening Telegraph, in January 2006, "Among some seamen, it was believed the vessel was tainted with evil, and they resolved to exorcise the boat in a 'viking
ritual'". The Mona was taken to Cockenzie harbour on the river Forth
in the dead of night, stripped of anything of value, chained to the sea wall, and burnt. The burning was done with the knowledge and permission of Lord Saltoun
, the chairman of the Scottish Lifeboat Council. Questions were raised in the House of Commons
about the destruction of a lifeboat built with public subscription.
The incident was immortalised in song by Peggy Seeger
entitled The Lifeboat Mona, which is sung by The Dubliners
, commemorating its great achievements and the hardships the crew endured.
The scale of the tragedy
stunned the local community, and a disaster fund raised more than £77,000 in less than a month.
By the time a relief lifeboat arrived at Broughty Ferry two weeks after the disaster, 38 volunteers had signed up to form a new crew.
The names of the men who died are commemorated on a plaque on the side of the present day boat house.
Local newspaper the Dundee Courier and Evening Telegraph was at the forefront of coverage of the disaster. In 2006, on his retirement, deputy chief reporter Ron Skelton told regional journalism website HoldTheFrontPage that it was his work in covering The Lifeboat Mona disaster that convinced him his future lay in hard news.
The 50th anniversary of the disaster, in 2009, saw a number of memorial events organised to mark the occasion. These included a memorial concert on the actual anniversary date and talks entitled The Mona Remembered at the local church on November 23 and 25.
There was also an appeal for relatives of the lost crew to come forward.
Writing on the Lasting Tribute website, a local man who was nine at the time of the tragedy recalled how news of the deaths of the Mona's crew left his tough, war hero father in tears. "I saw my dad cry for the first time. It shook me, it stunned me," he recalled.
Lifeboat (rescue)
A rescue lifeboat is a boat rescue craft which is used to attend a vessel in distress, or its survivors, to rescue crewmen and passengers. It can be hand pulled, sail powered or powered by an engine...
based at Broughty Ferry
Broughty Ferry
Broughty Ferry is a suburb on the eastern side of the City of Dundee, on the shore of the Firth of Tay in eastern Scotland...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, that capsized during a rescue attempt, with the loss of her entire crew of eight men. The Mona was built in 1935, and, in her time, saved 118 lives.
The loss of the Mona
At 0313 hours on 8 December 1959, the Mona was launched to assist the North Carr LightshipNorth Carr Lightship
North Carr is the last remaining Scottish lightship. She is in length, in beam and 250 tons.The purpose of the vessel was to warn mariners by sight, light or sound of the dangers of the North Carr rocks which are situated 1.7 miles off Fife Ness at the turning point for vessels entering...
which was reported adrift in St Andrews Bay
St Andrews Bay (Fife)
St Andrews Bay is a bay of the North Sea located in Fife, Scotland, named for the nearby Royal burgh of St Andrews....
. Weather conditions were exceptionally severe with a strong south-easterly gale and the Broughty Ferry Lifeboat was the only boat in the area able to launch. The Mona was seen clearing the Tay and heading south into St Andrews Bay. Her last radio message was timed at 4.48am, and after a helicopter search she was found capsized on Buddon Sands. Her crew of eight were all drowned. The North Carr
North Carr
The North Carr Reef is a sandstone reef northeast of Edinburgh, on the headland between the Firth of Forth and St Andrews Bay. There have been many ships wrecked on the reef, which lies on the busy shipping lanes into the Forth ports and the River Tay.A buoy was first placed on the reef in 1809...
reef is off the coast of Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
. The lightvessel
Lightvessel
A lightvessel, or lightship, is a ship which acts as a lighthouse. They are used in waters that are too deep or otherwise unsuitable for lighthouse construction...
, later replaced by a beacon, is now berthed at Victoria Dock, Dundee
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
harbour.
As The Mona was struggling to reach the North Carr, the Lightship's crew of six were able to drop their spare anchor. They were all rescued alive and well by a helicopter the next morning, 24 hours after the first call for help had gone out.
The Mona disaster was the subject of an official investigation, in which the boat was described as having been 100% seaworthy at the time of the accident.
According to a letter to the Dundee Evening Telegraph, in January 2006, "Among some seamen, it was believed the vessel was tainted with evil, and they resolved to exorcise the boat in a 'viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
ritual'". The Mona was taken to Cockenzie harbour on the river Forth
River Forth
The River Forth , long, is the major river draining the eastern part of the central belt of Scotland.The Forth rises in Loch Ard in the Trossachs, a mountainous area some west of Stirling...
in the dead of night, stripped of anything of value, chained to the sea wall, and burnt. The burning was done with the knowledge and permission of Lord Saltoun
Lord Saltoun
Lord Saltoun, of Abernethy, is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1445 for Sir Lawrence Abernethy. The title remained in the Abernethy family until the death in 1669 of his great-great-great-great-great-great-granddaughter, the tenth Lady Saltoun. She was succeeded by her cousin...
, the chairman of the Scottish Lifeboat Council. Questions were raised in the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
about the destruction of a lifeboat built with public subscription.
The incident was immortalised in song by Peggy Seeger
Peggy Seeger
Margaret "Peggy" Seeger is an American folksinger. She is also well known in Britain, where she lived for more than 30 years with her husband, singer and songwriter Ewan MacColl.- The first American period :...
entitled The Lifeboat Mona, which is sung by The Dubliners
The Dubliners
The Dubliners are an Irish folk band founded in 1962.-Formation and history:The Dubliners, initially known as "The Ronnie Drew Ballad Group", formed in 1962 and made a name for themselves playing regularly in O'Donoghue's Pub in Dublin...
, commemorating its great achievements and the hardships the crew endured.
Names of crewmen
- Ronald Grant
- George Smith
- Alexander Gall
- John Grieve
- George Watson
- James Ferrier
- John T Grieve
- David Anderson
The scale of the tragedy
Tragedy (event)
A tragedy is an event in which one or more losses, usually of human life, occurs that is viewed as mournful. Such an event is said to be tragic....
stunned the local community, and a disaster fund raised more than £77,000 in less than a month.
By the time a relief lifeboat arrived at Broughty Ferry two weeks after the disaster, 38 volunteers had signed up to form a new crew.
The names of the men who died are commemorated on a plaque on the side of the present day boat house.
Local newspaper the Dundee Courier and Evening Telegraph was at the forefront of coverage of the disaster. In 2006, on his retirement, deputy chief reporter Ron Skelton told regional journalism website HoldTheFrontPage that it was his work in covering The Lifeboat Mona disaster that convinced him his future lay in hard news.
The 50th anniversary of the disaster, in 2009, saw a number of memorial events organised to mark the occasion. These included a memorial concert on the actual anniversary date and talks entitled The Mona Remembered at the local church on November 23 and 25.
There was also an appeal for relatives of the lost crew to come forward.
Writing on the Lasting Tribute website, a local man who was nine at the time of the tragedy recalled how news of the deaths of the Mona's crew left his tough, war hero father in tears. "I saw my dad cry for the first time. It shook me, it stunned me," he recalled.