HIS MAJESTY THE KING, in his reply to Parliament's congratulations on his victory in the late war, singled out for special mention, along with the Armed Forces and the Merchant Marine, the men of his fishing fleets - who were not deterred by the dangers and perils of the wartime ocean from carrying out those tasks without which the military effort would have failed for lack of supplies and his people at home would have starved.

    The following booklet tells some of the story of the war effort of the Campbeltown fishermen, which I am sure will bear comparison with that of any other port in the country.

    The older men and the younger lads who were left at home carried on, inspired by the hope I heard so often repeated, that there would be something for the boys when they came home. It is up to all of us to see that our efforts to help our industry to a better future and worthy of the self sacrifice of those who gave their all and who will never see the "wee toon" again.

    Let the spirit of "love thy neighbour" which actuated so much of this task continue in peace.

    I for one, when I read this book, "Am prood to say that Cam'ltoon's the place that gied me birth." I am doubly proud to have a dash of Kilbrannan Sound in my blood and to have such a close association with the fishermen of my native town.

    To make a complete and comprehensive story of the wartime activities of the Branch, in all its aspects, is a difficult, if not an impossible task.

    With humble apologies and a certain pride - a pride shared, and rightly so, by all the members - the following facts are placed on record.

BOATS

    When war was declared, the Campbeltown Ring-Net Fishing Fleet was composed of twenty-four modern boats, employing somewhere about one hundred and forty men. It was obvious to owners and men alike that boats and men would be sought after for patrol and other forms of active service. This obvious fact became a realism, for soon after hostilities commenced boats were being requisitioned and the men who manned them were invited to go with them. Question of age for service did not arise - the fact that they were qualified seamen was the main concern. The first boats to be taken over by Government departments were manned by some of their original crews and made up by local fishermen. A good number of these men were in their fifties.

    For the whole period of the war, out of the total of twenty-four boats, the various Government departments requisitioned, in all, ten boats.

    They were:- Kittiwake, Kestrel, Nobles, Silver Grey, Ave Maria, Golden Dawn, Mystical Rose, Margaret Hamilton, Moira, and the Lochfyne.

    Of this number the Moira and Mystical Rose were later acquired outright by the Government for service abroad.

MEN

    The requisitioning of boats left, in seafaring language, a good number of our men "on the beach." In an attempt to overcome this difficulty the skippers of the boats left to carry on the fishing, agreed to employ an extra man. This, and the fact that some of our men found berths in Carradale boats, greatly reduced the number thrown idle. By 1942 some of the older men, who originally went with their boats on Government service, had been released, thus adding to the numbers employed. Several men were forced to seek employment ashore. Because of wartime conditions jobs were more easily obtained.

    The application of the Compulsory Service Act also created a steady depletion of crews and these gaps were readily filled by young lads who, as they came of age, came under this Act.

    The following is a Roll of Honour of all Campbeltown fishermen who served in one or other of the Services:-

Black, Archibald
Black, John
Blair, Dugald
Blair, Dugald
Brodie, Hector, D.S.M.
Brodie, John
Brodie, Lionel
Brodie, Malcolm
Brown, William
Brown, Thomas G.
Burnfield, Alexander
Butters, Donald
Colville, William
Conley, Daniel
Conley, James
Conley, John
Durnin, Charles
Durnin, Charles
Durnin, George
Durnin, George
Galbraith, Daniel (P.O.W.)
Galbraith, Duncan
Galbraith, Jack
Gilchrist, Alex.
Gilchrist, Duncan
Gilchrist, John
Gilchrist, Malcolm
Gillies, Crawford
Gillies, James
Gillies, Robert
Gillies, William
Graham, Michael
Huie, Peter
Johnstone, Jack
Lafferty, Archibald
Lang, Duncan
Lang, Neil
Mathieson, Archibald
Mathieson, Daniel
Martin, Alister
Martin, Angus
Martin, Angus
Martin, Duncan
Martin, James
Martin, Henry
Martin, William
Meenan, James
Mitchell, Ian
Morrans, Hugh
Morrans, John
Morrans, James
Morrison, Alexander
Morrison, James
Morrison, John
Morrison, Neil
McAulay, Charles
McAulay, Daniel
McAulay, James
McAllum, Archibald
McDonald, Duncan
McGeachy, A.
McGeachy, James
McGeachy, Johnstone
McGeachy, Sweeny
McIntyre, Donald
McIntyre, George
McIntyre, John
McIntyre, William
McKay, Denis
McKay, Edward
McKay, Edward
McKay, Frank
McKay, John
McKay, Patrick J.
McKinlay, Alexander
McKinlay, Donald
McKinlay, Peter
McKinlay, Peter
McKinven, Daniel
McKinven, James
McLean, Alexander
McLean, Duncan
McLean, James
McLean, Neil
McLean, William
McMaster, Donald
McMillan, Charles
McMillan, Peter
McMillan, Robert
O'Hara, Henry
O'Hara, Michael
Reid, Duncan
Robertson, Alexander
Robertson, Charles
Robertson, David
Robertson, David
Robertson, Donald
Robertson, James
Robertson, John (P.O.W.)
Robertson, Peter
Robertson, Thomas
Ralston, Thomas
Scally, Robert
Scally, William
Short, John
Short, Neil
Speed, Matthew
Speed, Neil (D.S.M.)
Smith, Archibald
Smith, Archibald
Stephen, James
Stephen, William
Stewart, Archibald (B.E.M.)
Stewart, Charles
Stewart, David
Stewart, William
Taylor, John
Thomson, James
Wareham, James
Wareham, Sweeny
Wilkinson, Malcolm
 
 

WAR CHARITIES

    The first donation in cash given to war charities by the Branch was on 8th November, 1939 - £5 to the Provost's War Relief Fund.

    The members shall recollect that the finances of the Branch, prior to this time, and until late in 1940, were very limited. The only means of revenue was the grant from the Clyde Fishermen's Association, varying from £20 to £30 annually.

    That humble donation of £5 pounds on 8th November, 1939, from our meagre resources was an indication that both officials and members desired to subscribe to the best of their ability to war relief, etc.

    This was demonstrated to the full when, at a meeting of the members held in Mr. R. Robertson's store on Monday, 23rd September, 1940, it was unanimously agreed that a levy be put on the gross earnings of the Campbeltown fishermen to create a fund to be known as the Campbeltown Fishermen's War Relief Fund. The main idea was to give an annual cash gift to all serving personnel from Campbeltown.

    A committee was appointed to administer and control this fund.

    At the end of 1940 the total amount subscribed was £559 10s. Out of that sum 10s. was sent to each Service man and woman from Campbeltown.

    To ensure that no one was omitted, the committee invited the ministers and heads of all denominations to prepare a list of Service men and women in their respective charges. With these gentlemen's wholehearted co-operation we did, so far as I know, succeed, and subscribed for this specific purpose was the sum of £329 10s.

    As may be seen from the appended financial statement, the balance of £230 for 1940 was given to other needy organisations.

    In 1941 the committee agreed to take the responsibility of preparing lists, etc. from the ministers and those concerned and also, to prevent overlapping with the Provost's War Relief Fund, the committee decided to subscribe £300 to the P.W.R.F., to be earmarked for an annual cash gift to members of the Forces from Campbeltown and district.

    To the Provost's War Relief Fund Committee we were also indebted for taking over the responsibility.

    It shall be appreciated that the steady calling-up of our men and women to the Forces meant that £300, although a substantial contribution, could not meet the demand. Our committee were willing, and desired, to augment the sum to the required amount, but the P.W.R.F. committee kindly agreed to take over that responsibility.

    In 1942 we again subscribed to the P.W.R.F. the sum of £300, earmarked for the annual cash gift.

    In 1943 the amount subscribed was increased to £450 pounds.

    I would record here that the committee of the P.W.R.F. met with many difficulties in the distribution of this money. Many 10s. postal orders were returned, and it was natural to assume that very many more were never received by the intended recipients. The advance of our troops in North Africa, and their continual movements in other theatres of war, was one of the principal causes.

    They were reluctantly forced to discontinue this idea. As the financial statement shows, the total amount subscribed from the C.F.W.R.F. to the P.W.R.F. was £2,307 5s. 3d.

    I think it is worthy to record the only instance where the Campbeltown fishermen gave their own fraternity special consideration from the finances of this War Relief Fund.

    In the event of the death of any fishermen belonging to Campbeltown through active service, it was decided that £20 pounds be paid to his next of kin. Later it was agreed that if any member of the Branch (contributor to the fund) lost a son on or through active service, the said fisherman receive £20.

PRISONERS OF WAR

    In 1940 and 1941 it should be noted that £70 and £90 was subscribed from the Campbeltown Fishermen's War Relief Fund to the P.W.R.F, earmarked for the Red Cross P.O.W. These sums were equal to £1 per P.O.W. for the two years mentioned.

    In 1942 the fishermen considered that something more directly beneficial to the individual P.O.W. belonging to Campbeltown and district should be done.

    To form a basis of a fund, £100 was transferred from the Fishermen's War Relief Fund to the Trustee Savings Bank, with the view that when hostilities ceased a cash gift could be given to these unfortunate men when they returned from captivity.

    At this stage of the war, with the future so uncertain, the fishermen actually set themselves the task of endeavouring to give to each P.O.W., or in the event of his death, his next of kin, the sum of £5.

    In 1943 a committee was formed to organise a whist drive and dance to raise money for this fund.

    A similar effort was arranged in the spring of 1944.

    From these two efforts the amazing sum of over £300 was raised on each occasion.

    It was with great ingenuity and effort that these sums were raised. A special word of praise is due to the committee concerned. It should be recorded that all P.O.W. from the whole of Kintyre, including Tarbert, came under this scheme.

    To the Tarbert Branch (C.F.A.) we also record our thanks for a donation of £30 to this fund.

    In the summer of 1944, and as a final effort, the fishermen organised a regatta and sports to add further to this fund. The combined proceeds from all these efforts permitted the fishermen to give £5 to all returned P.O.W.

    The total amount disbursed was £665; representing 133 P.O.W.

"WELCOME HOME" FUND

    In common with other towns and districts a "Welcome Home" Fund was launched by the P.W.R.F.

    At a representative public meeting, convened by the Provost, it was agreed by a large majority that this should take the form of a cash gift to members of H.M. Forces belonging to Campbeltown and district. The view was expressed that a donation of £5 a head should be given.

    I humbly record that our members unanimously agreed to subscribe £600.

    In addition, we organised another regatta and sports' meeting in 1945, the proceeds of which, amounting to £57 5s.  3d., was also handed over to the Provost's War Relief Fund.

    Not to be outdone, the young fishermen organized a whist drive and dance in 1944, proudly handing over a cheque for £60 to the Provost for the "Welcome Home" Fund.

    Included in the financial statement is the proceeds of two concerts held under the auspices of the Entertainments Committee of the "Welcome Home" Fund, organised and conducted by a fishermen's committee. All the artistes taking part belonged to the fishing fraternity. From the combined efforts of these two concerts the sum of £60 was raised.

    Another very important feature of the war-time activities of our Branch, although having no direct bearing on the war, was the organising and conducting of a Campbeltown Fishermen's Benevolent Fund.

    The fishermen, being exempt from the National Unemployment Act, the necessity of such a scheme had always been apparent; but it was not until January, 1942, with further levy on our members' earnings and a committee appointed to control and conduct it, that this fund was actually mooted.

    In this respect we have spent to date £1,500.

    A special word of praise is due to the members of our Branch who acted as members of this committee for the service they rendered.

APPRECIATION

    Having prepared this record, it is at once realised that without assistance and co-operation nothing could have been achieved. I should, therefore, like to close with a special word of thanks to Mrs. Mitchell, Seafield, who kept me informed regarding the P.O.W. from Campbeltown and district; Thomas Jackson, with regard to the P.O.W. from Tarbert and district; A.M. Black, Esq. and .A.I.B. Stewart, Esq., treasurer and secretary respectively of the Provost's War Relief Fund; Mr. D. Robertson, jun., secretary and treasurer of the C.F.W.R.F; Charles McKinven, Esq., secretary of the Campbeltown Branch (C.F.A.); and to Denis McKay, Esq., who gave so ungrudgingly of his time and energies.

    I should also like to thank the Actuary and staff of the Trustee Savings Bank; the staff of the Commercial Bank; and the Naval Authorities, who from time to time gave valuable assistance.

    And, finally, I thank most sincerely all members of the Branch, without whose loyal support and co-operation, this grand record of work would have been unaccomplished.
 
 

Wee Drams

Page  2:    Janet and Marie Morrison's 1999 Trip to Scotland - Part Three

Page  3:    A Series of e-mails from Heather McFarlane

Page  4:    An American Lady in Southend, 1878 - Part Two

Page  5:    The Heather McFarlane Page

Page  6:    The War-Time Record of the Campbeltown Fishermen

Page  7:    The Press Gang

Page  8:    By Hill and Shore - Part Two

The A.I.B. Stewart Page