Wick Coastguard Rescues.

Marshall Ryles - Skipper George Robb

As reported in the Scottish Daily Express - Tuesday 8 December 1959)

Original copy reproduced from
The Scottish Daily Express -
with kind permission

Wind and sea held no terrors for Marshall Ryles (left), 31 year-old skipper of the ill-fated George Robb. Even as the sturdy trawler fought a losing battle with the killer gale, the bold skipper handsome, dashing father of four - called his wife by radio-phone at her home in North Anderson-drive, Aberdeen.

Fours hours before his ship foundered on the rocks, his voice crackled in a cool understatement from the angry Moray Firth. "I'm in for a rough night. The weather's bad." Before she went to bed that night Mrs Ryles was a sea widow - something she had feared always, but never put into words to her bright-eyed, sea-loving husband. And 34 children - the youngest 13 months - lost their fathers as all hands perished.

At 23, Marshall Ryles was a mate - one of a successful crew. A measure of their success was that Marshall was paying super tax at that age. At 24 he became the youngest skipper to sail out of Aberdeen on fishing trawlers. Given a fine, powerful ship in the George Robb, the young skipper handled her with pride. "He liked plenty of power under his feet," said his wife. "He loved to use all the modern sea aids, " said a friend. "He liked to sail as if he were driving a car along a signposted street."

Reports of the George Robb can be read (with picture's) as reported by:	Additional Reports:
the "John O'Groat Journal" newspaper	What Went Wrong?
the "Daily Record" newspaper	Damage To Wick Harbour.
the "Press & Journal" newspaper
the "Scottish Daily Express" newspaper	Back to Wick Rescue's page
the "Bulletin & Scots Pictorial" newspaper

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