In one tragic disaster a south coast town has lost four of its most popular and best-known fishermen. A fishing boat, with its crew of four, was at sea on Monday when there was an explosion. The crew, all of whom are believed to be dead, are: Frederick WEATHERHEAD, Senr., of 2 Harbour Street; Frederick Owen WEATHERHEAD, Junr., 13 The Stade; William FOAD, 27 North Street; Richard CORNISH, 14 The Stade.
The body of Mr. WEATHERHEAD, junr. was washed up on the coast later the same day, as were parts of the wreckage of the boat.
When I went to the Fishmarket on Tuesday morning, writes a �Sun� representative, I found dotted here and there small groups of fisher folk talking in little more than whispers about the tragedy. The four missing men had all been fishermen since their young days, and these other hardy toilers of the sea had lost real chums and comrades. All the flags in the area were at half-mast in silent tribute.
When I saw Mrs. CORNISH she was bearing up bravely under the crushing blow. �Yes,� she said in answer to my query, �my husband has been a fisherman ever since he was a young man.� She pointed proudly to the certificate of service of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution which had been awarded to Mr. CORNISH. He was second-coxswain of the lifeboat for four years, and was previously a member of the crew for thirty-two years, during which time the boat rescued twenty-six people. A grand record!
Mrs. CORNISH began to tell me of his life, but her voice broke. Choking back her sobs, she said: �Little did I think when he left in the morning I should never see him again. I left the widow with her grief.
Passing the house of Mr. FOAD, another member of the ill-fated crew, I saw one of his friends leave ...ively wiping a tear from his eye. The Rev. W. H. PICKTHORN(?), the Vicar, was an early caller to offer his sincere condolences. Mr. FOAD was only 48 years of age. Like his colleagues, he had been a fisherman practically all his life, and during the last war served with the Merchant Service.
The pretty little home of the WEATHERHEADS on the Stade was a house of mourning, for here both father and son had lost their lives.
Another tragic figure (was) Mrs. MAY, of North Street, the (owner) of the boat. She herself lost (her) husband some three months ago. Frederick Owen WEATHERHEAD was her nephew. She showed me a photograph pf him which he had given her as a birthday present. �I told him to be careful,� she said, �and he turned to me and replied: �Don�t you worry, Auntie, I can jump and I can swim.� He was a fine fellow, and how we shall miss him.
As I left the market � with Skipper OLDMAN� Fishermen�s Bethel. To him fell the unhappy task of telling the relatives of their sad loss.
Fishermen protest
Fishermen who attended the inquest on Wednesday on the body of Mr. Frederick Owen WEATHERHEAD, aged 41, whose body was the only one of the four recovered, protested against the sinking, by the Admiralty, of unexploded mines. The Coroner (Mr. ? FLOWER said that he would certainly forward their remarks to the Admiralty.
The Coroner, who recorded that death was due to war operations, spoke with regret of the death of �such a courageous man.� �Mr. WEATHERHEAD,� he said, �was a fine, almost perfect physical specimen of manhood.� It was a very sad case.
Hardy fishermen who attended the inquiry told the Coroner that drifting mines were often sunk by rifle bullets, which penetrated the air chambers but did not explode the mines. Their protest against this practice was embodied in the evidence of Charles William OILLER, who is coxswain of a lifeboat. Sinking mines, he said, protected vessels on the surface, but the mines remained a constant danger to fishermen, who could pick them up in their trawls.
William HALL, a fisherman stated that his boat and that of which WEATHERHEAD was the skipper left harbour together at about 5 a.m. on Monday. Both boats (headed) west, south-west. At about 6.50(?) a.m. witness� boat and that of deceased parted company, WEATHERHEAD�s boat proceeding on her course. It was dark, and witness soon lost sight of the other boat..
Boat Shattered to Pieces
�At 7.15 a.m.,� said witness, �I and other members of the crew heard a very loud explosion. We did not, however, attribute it, at that time, to any mishap to the other boat.�
In reply to the Coroner: There would be nothing on board that would cause such an explosion.
The Coroner: Could it have been the motor?
Witness: Impossible. I have seen some of the wreckage, and the boat must have been shattered to pieces. It would be impossible for that to happen from an explosion on board.
Witness stated that the Admiralty had given notice of a mine-field. WEATHERHEAD�s boat, when witness last saw it, would be about two miles from the field. It was quite possible that deceased�s boat went into the mine-field. Deceased would take his direction from the depth of the water. He would know to a certain extent where he was by this method.
Body Floating Among Wreckage
Charles Edward RICHARDSON, a fisherman, testified to finding the body floating in the sea amid wreckage from the boat. He stated that his brother saw wreckage floating on the water and called him. Together they put out in their boat, and on examining the wreckage, found the body. They brought it ashore and informed the police.
The wreckage, said witness, was all splinters, bits and pieces. There were boxes, one or two oilskins and a piece of wood which bore (the) identification letters and (numbers) of the boat. Such wreckage (could) only have been caused by � explosion.
In reply to the Coroner, (witness) said that he and his brother (heard) an explosion at about � morning.
Witness said he knew (about) the mine-field, and thought (it) possible that � into it, or that �picked up, in � which had been � The mines sank � was penetrated �
Dinner-
Witness added � note to his evidence when he stated in reply to a question, that among the wreckage were two or three dinner-baskets.
Charles William OILLER, who is coxswain of a lifeboat, produced wreckage from the boat. It included small pieces of shattered wood which, he explained, came from the bulwarks and the decks. There was also a piece of a fish-box plainly marked with the vessel�s identification numbers.
Mr. OILLER said that he heard a terrific explosion at about 7.20 that morning, but they heard so many explosions now that they took little notice of it.
Replying to the Coroner, witness said that floating mines were often seen, and there had, in fact, been four ashore that (Wednesday) morning.
Lifeboat Cox Protests
�I would like to make a protest,� said Mr. OILLER, �against these mines being fired at by rifles and sunk by bullets penetrating that air-chambers. I should like to see the mines blown up - not sent to the bottom. It will not only be during the war, but after the war, that fishermen will be in danger if this practice goes on. If a man gets one in his net and heaves it up, he will be gone before you can say �knife�.
�A Danger to Fishermen�
�These mines are sunk to protect vessels on the surface. My complaint is that when they fire at them and only pierce the air-chamber, they are a constant source of danger to fishermen - a proper pest to fishermen.�
The Coroner: You want me to write to the Admiralty and ask that all floating mines be exploded? You all seem to be agreed on that point, and I will certainly do that.
Dr. Rupert PALMER told a tragic story of the injuries suffered by WEATHERHEAD, who, he said, was a very fine specimen - a man of great physical development. There were a number of wounds and fractures - altogether there (were) nine injuries. In his opinion (death) was due to shock following multiple injuries and immersion (in the) sea. The force of the explosion had �shattered everything.�
The Coroner, wishing to spare (Mrs.) WEATHERHEAD from listening to the details of the injuries, had invited her to leave before the doctor gave his evidence. Before she did so he expressed to her his deepest sympathy. �This is a very sad case,� he said. �This man was such a fine physical specimen and such a courageous man.�
Town Council�s Tribute
Before the commencement of the business at the Town Council on Wednesday the Mayor made reference to the disaster. He said that he had been informed � morning that one of the fishing-boats (had been) lost. �I am sure that you � me to express on behalf of the town (our) sincere sympathy with the relatives (of) the crew.� The Mayor said he understood that four men had �gone under.� The members of the council stood in � an expression of sympathy.�
Richard Cornish 1873 - 1940 was the brother of Amos William Cornish, grandfather of the contributor David Cornish