Grounding of the Norman H289

There had been very little fishing by Hull Trawlers at this time of the year off Cape Farwell but as circumstances in the industry changed vessels were been sent to Greenland, a largly uncharted fishing ground with dangerous cliffs and rocks - icebergs. The foundering of the Norman would see a court case regarding payments to the relatives ensue.

The Hull Trawler Norman left St Andrew's Dock on 17th September 1952 under the command of Skipper Jack Dukes after 19 days fishing off Cape Farewell the Norman headed for home. It was reported: "She was riding the seas at half speed, her bows dipping into them and rising in huge clouds of spray. At about 2am on Saturday 04 Oct 1952 in thick fog she grounded on a submerged reef which would later be known as Norman Rock. The Norman immediately sent out a distress call and attempted to launch the lifeboats of which the port side boat was wrecked by a breaking sea as they tried to launch it, the starboard lifeboat was flooded and overturned. As the Norman took on a list the crew fearing she would slip into deep water and sink abandoned her by jumping into the water. With a strong running tide only nine men managed to reach the temporary safety of nearby rocks and a young deckie learner named Norman Spencer was among the group, and over a period of 11 hours he was washed off the rocks four times on the final occasion managing to reach the safety of land, he later spotted the Norwegian salvage ship Poseidon and had to swim out to her becomming the sole survivor, all his fellow crewmen been washed off the rocks or succumbing to the effects of hypothermia.

Several other vessels answered the distress call some fellow Hull Trawlers but they too where hampered by the weather conditions and could not get close to the wreck, eight bodies in total were recovered from the sea by the Thornella H582 one been that of skipper Jack Dukes. Skipper Charlie O`Neil of the Thornella packed the bodies in ice on the boat deck and brought them to Caithness where they continued on to Hull by train. When the weather abated and the fog lifted it was found that the Norman had remained on the reef and had the crew remained aboard there was a good chance that they would have survived.

The Lord Mayor of Hull, Councillor A. K. Jacobs, issued a statement: "The Lord Mayor and the Lady Mayoress (Mrs F. Russell) convey their deepest sympathy to the dependents and relatives of those gallant men who lost their lives in the cause of their calling as seafaring men. The hearts of all citizens in this Third Port in the country are with those who are left behind to remember their men".