70th Anniversary of the Princess Victoria Disaster

[LARNE CABIN]

Not railway related, I know, but I hope you don't mind me posting this on this special day. The sinking of the Princess Victoria on 31st January 1953, with the loss of 135 lives,  was the worst maritime disaster in the waters off the British Isles.

 

From a painting by Norman Whitla, from the cover of Stephen Cameron's book 'Death in the North Channel'.

 

'Twas January the 31st, the year was nineteen fifty three,

The Princess Victoria left Stranraer, to cross the Irish Sea,

A Northern Gale was blowing, the sea was mountains high,

When the Captain sent an S.O.S., 'Portpatrick Tug Stand By',

The ship was drifting helplessly, and had taken a heavy list,

Her position was hard to find, through the driving rain and mist,

Over a hundred passengers on board, and sixty of a crew,

When this gallant ship went down, saved were very few,

The lifeboats from Portpatrick, Cloughey and Donaghadee,

Did heroic work to save them from the raging sea,

After the storm, then came the calm, and may they rest in peace,

For they have reached another shore, where troubled waters cease,

'Tis sad to read the story of the stricken vessels plight,

And to think they lost their lives, when safety was in sight,

With the bereaved, we sympathize, wherever they may be,

May God preserve all those who perished, in the raging Irish Sea.

 

'Oft times in a home it is the vacant chair that reminds of the passing of friends. Yesterday in Larne it was the empty berth at the harbour that spoke of the tragic loss, bereavement and death. We have lost a ship that had become part of us here in Larne, and we fear we have lost those who had become our friends through their coming and going across the narrow seas.'

Reverend RVA Lynas,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Minister, Gardenmore Presbyterian Church, Larne.

[GSR 800]

Decent short youtube doc done on her sinking

 

[leslie10646]

Thanks for that reminder, Mr Larne.

We were living at 294 Merville Garden Village, Whitehouse at the time and our neighbours (the Skingles, yes Bob Skingle of RPSI Whitehead) were about to move to Holywood (on the other side of Belfast Lough) and were visiting their new house there. Mrs Skingle reported ambulances rushing along the road towards Bangor that day (the ship foundered off the Copelands). Next day, I remember my mother lamenting "Just 44 (?) saved".

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I have a 1200th scale model of her behind me here in the display cabinet, in interloper (she was built by Denny at Dumbarton) among models of Belfast-built ships like the unlucky sisters, Titanic, Britannic and the Olympic.

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On a happier note, the same storm saw the "Clan Macquarrie", on an empty voyage run aground on the island of Lewis. The 66 crew were rescued in what was the largest ever rescue by Breeches Buoy in history.

Edited January 31, 2023 by leslie10646

[K801]

Very interesting and very sad, thanks for sharing

[skinner75]

From the same channel, the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald on the Great Lakes is another one - I heard the song that was penned about the sinking late one night on the radio, and found it very moving

https://youtu.be/U9jDNEtg8JY

https://youtu.be/9vST6hVRj2A

 

[GSR 800]

52 minutes ago, skinner75 said:

From the same channel, the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald on the Great Lakes is another one - I heard the song that was penned about the sinking late one night on the radio, and found it very moving

https://youtu.be/U9jDNEtg8JY

https://youtu.be/9vST6hVRj2A

 

Big Old Boats is another youtube channel with a lot of good videos on ship sinkings, usually focused on Great Lakers.

Gordon Lightfoot has many good songs, including some more rail related, including Canadian Railroad Trilogy and Steel Rail Blues.