The annual service to remember all of the lost trawlermen of Hull will be held on Sunday, January 26.
The commemoration will acknowledge 70 years since the loss of two Hull trawlers, the Lorella and the Roderigo. The vessels were both lost on January 26, 1955, off Iceland’s North Cape.
The service will take place at St John the Baptist Church, known as the Fishermen’s Church, in St George’s Road, in the heart of the once-thriving Hessle Road fishing community of Hull, at noon. Lost Trawlermen’s Day is organised by St Andrew’s Dock Fishing Heritage Group (STAND) and a service is held on the last Sunday in January every year.
Ruth Creasey, chair of STAND, said: “This year, our 36th, we will pay tribute to both the Lorella and the Roderigo because it’s the 70th anniversary since both these trawlers were lost. They were lost on the actual date of the service.
“The service is to remember all of Hull’s lost trawlermen. We will put the names up of all 40 crew members lost on the Lorella and the Roderigo during the two minutes’ silence and I will be telling the story, briefly, of what happened when both the trawlers went down.”
The trawler Lorella, lost along with another Hull vessel, Roderigo, in January 1955 in appalling weather conditions off Iceland
(Image: Hull Daily Mail)
It is estimated that over 6,000 trawlermen have been lost from the port city of Hull. During the Lost Trawlermen’s Day commemoration, the bell recovered from the wreck of the Gaul trawler, lost in 1974, sounds the beginning of the two-minute silence.
Ruth said: “We have our special guests, the City of Hull Band. We have had them with us over the past few years and they are very supportive of us.
“We also have the children from Chiltern Primary School choir performing. As a group we go out to schools and tell the story, so it’s really nice to have the primary school coming to the service; the children get to see first-hand what it’s all about.”
A previous report in the Hull Daily Mail looked back at the losses of the Lorella and Roderigo. It said: “Of all trawler tragedies, the loss of these two vessels remains the one that produced the most emotional description of just how the final hours must have been to the 40 men who lost their lives.
“Several miles off Iceland’s North Cape, the two vessels faced into hurricane-force winds, which lashed the seas into a frenzy. Blizzards swept down from the Arctic.
“Neither trawler could turn and to do so would mean instant disaster. Both were in radio contact and from Lorella came a message to the Roderigo: ‘Boat deck frozen with solid snow, lads digging it out since breakfast. Terrible lot on bridge top and they are going out there in daylight if possible.’
“Roderigo replied: ‘Same here. The whaleback is a solid mass.’ 14.21, Roderigo: ‘One side of our aerial is down. Weather very bad and freezing.’ 14.39, Lorella: ‘Going down. Heeling over. Lorella going down. Heeling over.’ There was no further transmission.15.43, Roderigo: ‘Calling all ships, we are now taking heavy water.’ 16.30, Roderigo: ‘Aerials now icing up.’ 16.45, Roderigo: ‘Can anyone take a bearing on this frequency?’
“From the trawler Lancella, which was in shelter and listening into the broadcasts: ‘Bearing as near as can say north east.’ 16.50, Roderigo to Lancella: ‘Come to us. Position becoming serious now.’ 16.52, Lancella to Roderigo: ‘We are coming to you.’
Hull’s memorial to its lost trawlermen, at St Andrew’s Quay, Hull
(Image: STAND)
“A US aircraft from the USAF base on Iceland, now asked Lancella for Roderigo’s position. Lancella replied: ‘Roderigo is 90 miles NE of Iceland’s North Cape. Wind NE force 11-12, visibility nil to one cable.’
“Aircraft to Roderigo: ‘What are your intentions?’ 1704, Roderigo: ‘No intentions. Going further over. No visibility. Still going over to starboard.’ 17.05, Roderigo: ‘Still going over to starboard. Cannot get her back.’ 17.08, Roderigo: ‘Still going over. Going over.’ 17.09, Roderigo: ‘Roderigo going over.’ The message was repeated in Morse until, after three minutes, transmission ceased.”
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