Flamborough coble tragedy of 1909 marked at sombre ceremony

Wreaths were laid at the Fishermen's Monument on Chapel Street by Councillor Trudi Traves on behalf of the Flamborough Parish Council and Stuart Cross on behalf of the memorial group.

The small, self-funded memorial group consists of a dozen individuals who have got together locally to commemorate both the 1909 coble tragedy and the 1984 fishing boat disaster.

On that fateful day, 12 cobles had put out from North Landing at 4.30am for the inshore fishing grounds.

At around 8am a south westerly wind quickly veered round northerly and dramatically increased in strength until a full gale had developed.

Almost home and approaching the West Scar the coble Gleaner was overwhelmed by the mountainous waves and she was knocked down by powerful successive seas and filled. John (Buckie) Cross (44) and his two sons Robert (19) and Richard (17) were seen to be struggling, the boat full of water and in amongst the breakers.

In an act of true heroism, and with no thought for themselves, Melchior Chadwick (37), George Gibbon (34) and Thomas Leng Major (18) in Two Brothers selflessly turned their coble to render assistance.

They successfully clicked hold of the three and dragged them into their coble.

Sadly in the severe conditions that prevailed, and almost in an instance, she too was hit by huge seas that lifted her up and threw her over.

All six men were cast into that boiling cauldron of turbulent water and drowned.

All but one of the bodies were recovered in the days after the tragedy and laid to rest in St Oswald's churchyard with identical headstones. Sadly the body of Robert Cross was never given up by the sea.

Councillor Trudi Traves and Stuart Cross who laid the wreaths are direct descendants of John Cross, he was their great grandfather. Trudi is a parish councillor and Stuart is helmsman of the current Flamborough Lifeboat.