Fire at sea A TRAWLER on fire, not under control, but under way about four miles north east of Aberdeen: that was the message received from HM Coastguard at 2055 on Saturday, April 13, by the honorary secretary, Aberdeen. The crew were called by telephone and at 2130 the reserve lifeboat Hilton Briggs, a 52' Barnett built in 1951, slipped her mooring.

The weather was fine with a slight haze, there was little or no wind and a low easterly swell. It was 2J hours after high water.

The lifeboat arrived in the vicinity of the trawler, Netta Croan, within half an hour, but was unable to catch her as she was sailing an erratic course atover 9 knots. Netta Croan was burning fiercely over the whole after end and 12 crew members were on the forecastle head unable to stop the engines or steer the vessel. The rig tender Smit Lloyd 47 and the BEA S61 rescue helicopter had been with the burning trawler for some time but had been unable to effect any rescue because of the flames and the erratic course.

Coxswain Albert Bird continued to chase Netta Croan without being able to catch her, but as she started to circle to starboard the opportunity was taken to cut across her turning circle and close her starboard side. On the near approach to the casualty Coxswain Bird handed over the wheel to Mechanic Ian Jack, a man experienced in closing moving vessels after several years on the pilot boat, and stationed himself at the port wheelhouse door where he could see both the casualty and the helmsman.Hilton Briggs was taken alongside the forward end of the main deck still at full speed and all survivors were taken off and the lifeboat cleared, all within one minute. It was about 2300. This operation was helped by the helicopter flying overhead and illuminating Netta Croan throughout.

During this whole manoeuvre, carried out at speed, Hilton Briggs was in very real danger from the flames, the possibility of exploding fuel tanks and the possibility of the trawler sheering and putting the lifeboat under her bows.

It was now established that a further crew member had some time previously attempted to jump into a liferaft towed astern of Netta Croan and had slipped into the water. A search was mounted but it was broken off to land the survivors at Aberdeen at 2330. The lifeboat returned and searched until 0200, and returned to station at 0300.

For this service a bronze medal for gallantry was awarded to Coxswain Albert Bird and Motor Mechanic Ian Jack. The thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum were accorded to Assistant Mechanic George Walker and Crew Members F. Cruickshank and A. Walker..