Black and white photograph of Warrant Officer William Arthur Graham.
Warrant Officer William Arthur Graham who was killed when two Halifax aircraft collided in mid-air over Tiree airfield on 16th August 1944. William, who was twenty-one when he died, was in the Royal Australian Air Force. He was the son of William and Rose Graham of Sydney, New South Wales in Australia and husband of Mabel Graham of Preston in England. He is buried in Dalton-upon Furness cemetery.
Captain`s chair from the S.S. `Malve`.
Wooden swivel chair with iron base from the bridge of the S.S. `Malve`, a Finnish steamship wrecked off Balephetrish Bay in 1931. The chair was salvaged by Charles Lamont (Tearlach Iseabail) of the Coal-ree in Kenovay and acquired by Mairi MacFarlane (Mairi Tearlach Mairi) of Creagan Breac in Cornaigbeg, whose parents Charles (Tearlach Mòr) and Flora (Floraidh Lachainn Eòghain) MacKinnon ‘purchased’ the Coal-ree in 1952. It was restored by Alan Reid of Kenovay.
Photocopied photograph from the `Bulletin` of wreck of the `Tapti`, with printout of webpage from Mallaig Heritage Centre.
Photograph of the wreck of MV `Tapti` at Gunna in January 1951 publiched in the `Bulletin`; printout of webpage from Mallaig Heritage Centre about the `Tapti`.
Laminated photocopy of a newspaper cutting about John Neil MacLean of Kenovay.
Newspaper cutting about John Neil MacLean of Kenovay who drowned in an accident in October 1913 off the coast of New South Wales.
Copied photograph of sailor Fred Greenshields.
Seaman Fred Greenshields who died when H.M.S. Sturdy ran aground at Sandaig in October1940.
Copied photograph of HMS Sturdy.
The destroyer HMS Sturdy which was on convoy protection duty during World War II when she ran aground at Sandaig on 30th October 1940 with the loss of five lives.
Printout from website `Navy News` of an article by Lt. Cdr. Michael J Gibson RN RD (Rtd).
An account of the shipwreck of HMS Sturdy in October 1940 by Michael Gibson, the son of E J A Gibson, Engineer Officer of the Sturdy who was injured during the incident.
The evidence of Charles MacLean
Transcription of the evidence of Charles MacLean given at the enquiry into the sudden of death of a fishing crew from Mannal in 1860.
Courtesy of Argyll & Bute Archives
In April 1860 two fishing skiffs, one from Mannal and one from Balephuil, were out near Stevenson’s Rock, twenty kilometres to the south-west of Tiree. Both boats were rigged with dipping lugs which require considerable skill when tacking in heavy seas.
In windy weather there is the danger that too much sail will cause the boat to heel over and be swamped. This is apparently what happened to the Mannal boat which was not seen again after leaving the fishing grounds in the early morning.
Lugsails are shortened by lowering the yard and taking in reefs, i.e. hooking the sail to the bow at a point further up the luff (the leading edge of the sail) and tying the excess sail with reefs (cords attached to both sides of the sail). A lugsail may have four to six rows of reefs depending on its size.
Photocopied letter relating to the drowning in March 1857 of Lachlan MacDonald, John MacDonald and Hector MacDonald of Caoles.
Letter dated 11/3/1857 from Tiree Registrar William Wilson to Tobermory Procurator Fiscal Henry Nisbet informing him about the capsizing of a fishing skiff south of Coll and the drowning of Lachlan MacDonald, John MacDonald and Hector MacDonald of Caoles.
1858 Balemartine fishing tragedy
Transcription of the seven witness statements for the inquest into the loss of four Tiree fishermen in April 1858.
Courtesy of Argyll & Bute Archives
On 30th April 1858 four fishermen, cottars Donald MacLean and Alexander MacFarlane from Heylipol and John MacLean and Archibald MacArthur from Balinoe, were drowned in a great gale. They had left the port at Balemartine early that morning in calm, clear weather and headed for the fishing banks between Hynish and Skerryvore.
The wind began to blow in the afternoon. Other fishermen in the area saw them lifting their lines and reported that they were the last to leave the fishing grounds and head for home. The wind and tide were against them and they failed to reach the shore. Their boat was only 14 feet in length.
Charles Campbell, another Balemartine fisherman, set out a few days later when the storm had abated to search for the bodies. He found no trace of the boat or her crew in Colonsay, Islay or Iona.
Images of manuscript added to website August 2024:
