Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria, to include the Brian Ritchie Collection (Part II)

A fine post-war lifesaving M.B.E. group of nine awarded to Skipper W. Imlach of the steam trawler “Loch Awe”, a veteran of active service in the Royal Naval Reserve, who, aged 58 years, displayed ‘very considerable courage and superb seamanship’ in rescuing the crew of a fishing vessel in the Moray Firth ‘in the great storm of January 1953’

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, M.B.E. (Civil) Member’s 2nd type breast badge; 1914-15 Star (S.A. 1345 2 Hd., R.N.R.); British War and Victory Medals (1345SA. 2nd Hd., R.N.R.); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star, clasp, North Africa 1942-43; War Medal 1939-45; Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners’ Royal Benevolent Society’s Medal, silver (Skipper, S.T. “Loch Awe” - M.F.V. “Caronia”, 31.1.1953), with dolphin riband fitment and brooch bar for wearing, in Elkington, London case, generally extremely fine (9) £600-800

M.B.E. London Gazette 1 June 1953:

‘For services during the Hurricane in North-West Scotland.’

The original recommendation states:

‘On Saturday 31 January 1953, the M.F.V. Caronia, INS276, was steaming from Wick to Lossiemouth after landing her catch. During the morning a heavy sea struck the vessel and washed overboard seine nets and ropes which were lying on deck. These fouled the propeller, rendering the vessel out of command. The Caronia got in touch by radio with the Loch Awe who came to her assistance. During this time the wind was steadily increasing to hurricane force, and the seas were the worst that had been known by experienced skippers, and visibility was down to a few yards owing to snow and sleet. A second heavy sea completely smashed the port side of the Caronia’s deckhouse, and at 4 p.m., when the Loch Awe approached, she was sinking. Taking his vessel round to windward, Skipper Imlach let the gale drift the trawler against the Caronia and called to the crew to jump aboard. By an excellent and daring piece of seamanship, Skipper Imlach, who is aged 58, effected the rescue of a crew who would otherwise have had no chance of survival in mountainous seas with darkness approaching.’

As confirmed by accompanying research, the recipient’s gallant actions attracted a good deal of publicity, so much so that an account of his bravery was read out by the Scottish Secretary in the House of Commons, amidst much cheering. In the opinion of Commander C. B. Lamb, D.S.O., D.S.C., R.N., of the Naval Fishery Protection Ship H.M.S. Welcome, which was on station in the Moray Firth at the time, ‘the seas were bigger and in more frenzied state than I have known before, throughout 23 years of seafaring’, while the local Marine Superintendent, Captain C. H. Champness, D.S.C., R.N. (Retd.), considered Imlach’s actions as ‘gallantry of a high order’, a view undoubtedly shared by the crew of the Caronia. And such praise was clearly not lost on the committee of the Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners’ Royal Benevolent Society, who announced the award of their Silver Medal to Imlach in February 1953, for ‘his remarkable and very gallant feat of seamanship in rescuing the crew of the Caronia, lost in the Moray Firth during the great storm on 31 January.’

William Imlach, who was born in Banffshire in September 1894, was appointed a 2nd Hand in the fishing fleet in April 1913, but enrolled in the Royal Naval Reserve in February 1915 and served in that capacity for the remainder of the War, largely in hired trawlers of the Auxiliary Patrol out of the Orkneys and Shetlands, but latterly in the Adriatic. Returning to his pre-war occupation, Imlach became a Skipper in April 1929, in which role he was still employed at the time of his heroic actions in the Moray Firth over 20 years later.