Volunteer Crew from Fraserburgh Lifeboat take part in Remembrance Day Parade
Volunteer Lifeboat Crew Members took part in this years Fraserburgh Royal British Legion’s Remembrance Day Parade on Sunday 13 November 2016.
Latest recruit and youngest member Declan Sutherland laid the wreath at Fraserburgh War Memorial.
As we remembered the casualties of all conflicts we looked back through the generations to a century ago to see how the Great War had personally affected our counterparts in Fraserburgh Lifeboat in 1914 -1918.
These are some of their stories, we shall remember them.
Long time Fraserburgh Lifeboat Coxswain Andrew Noble received word on the 3rd of November 1917 that his eldest son Andrew had been killed as a result of enemy action.
Andrew Noble senior was Coxswain of Fraserburgh Lifeboat for 32 years until he drowned on service to the Admirality drifter Eminent in Fraserburgh Bay in 1919 when the Lady Rothes capsized. He had received several awards for bravery and saving lives.
As well as being a pilot for Fraserburgh Harbour Andrew had devoted his life to the RNLI and saving others. His father and four of his brothers had all drowned at sea in three separate incidents in the second half of the nineteenth century and this may have provided the motivation for him to join the Institution.
His son, also called Andrew Noble had been serving as Mate on the HM Drifter Deliverer in the Irish Sea in 1917 when it had struck a mine laid by the U-Boat UC75 commanded by Oberleutenant zur See Johannes Lohs. This U-boat had laid a number of mines across the entrance to Dublin Bay in anticipation of departing troopships
Bowman Frederick William (Auld Freddy) Hutcheson received word that his eldest son Frederick William (Freddy) had been killed on the 23rd of September 1917.
Private Frederick Hutcheson, Gordon Highlanders fell in action on the 23rd of September 1917.
He had been in the trenches, and during a very heavy shell fire a shell had struck the shelter killing Private Hutcheson and other three including one of his officers.
His captain who sent the details said about the deceased soldier said that he was “absolutely fearless in the face of danger.”
Private Hutcheson who was 27 years of age had been employed with Messrs Mitchell and Sons at Lerwick when War was declared.
He joined the forces there and shortly afterwards was drafted to France.
He had been almost continuously in the thick of the fray and was wounded on four different occasions and once gassed.
In one terrible encounter he was the only man left in his unit and had to be transferred to another battalion.
Private Hutcheson’s last visit home had been at the New Year.
Bowman (Old) Freddy Hutcheson later survived the 1st Fraserburgh Lifeboat disaster along with another son, Sandy when the Lady Rothes capsized in 1919.
Old Freddy continued serving aboard the Lady Rothes with son Sandy until he reached the upper age limit with 38 years service to the RNLI in 1931.
Sandy continued serving the RNLI till the late 1940’s, when he was well into his fifties.
Hon Sec. J Wallace Tarras received word on 3 November 1917 that his brother Andrew had been killed.
J Wallace Tarras had succeeded his father Andrew as Hon.Sec (which is the equivalent of today’s role of LOM) at Fraserburgh in 1913. Tarras senior had served as Hon.Sec since the 1860s. Father and son occupied the role for over 70 years.
Lt Tarras had been walking down a communication trench with another officer when they were hit by a shell. Both were killed instantaneously.
He had been on duty in the trenches of his own accord as it had been his period of rest, but he had wished to share the dangers of his men
Titanic survivor Lady Rothes had given her name to the Fraserburgh Lifeboat gifted by her grateful father, Thomas Dyer-Edards in 1915 to the RNLI in gratitude to the Almighty for the safe deliverance of his daughter from the maritime disaster.
Lady Rothes received word in 1916 that her husband had been wounded. Injuries from which he never really recovered, eventually dying in 1927.
Its ironic and tragic that these losses on a very personal level affected people who had devoted their lives to saving others.
RNLI Media Contacts: Billy Watson, volunteer lifeboat press officer at Fraserburgh, [email protected] 07564 468304
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.
Learn more about the RNLI
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, X, TikTok and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.
Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.