The Invergordon Archive

Smart observation, Brian. This is the west harbour and I wonder if the boat tied up on the left is the Invergordon/Cromarty ferry - the Endeavour?

I think I remember the landing craft. Was it there for some time? What was it used for?

On the subject of landing craft, during WW2 there were two landing craft out at Balantraid Pier (past Saltburn) being used for training for the D-day landings. My Auntie (Jessie Ross, Tommy Ross the Ironmonger's wife) lived at the Pier and was always giving them cups of tea.

Don't remember the landing craft, but the boat on the left is the "Muriel" owned by Hec Macrae; the large navy ship is the HMS Vanguard.

Talk here of the Invergordon Ferry being in this picture. My gr. gr. Grandfather Donald (Daniel) Hogg was a seaman on a ferryboat and lived in Invergordon - I am guessing this one. He drowned 31/1/1889 - he was only 35 years old. Any history around that I could find something on this, thanks, Anna Hogg Verner (Canada)

Anna, that is going back a ways and the picture #325 would be more fitting as later boats were motor boats, maybe someone else could help, maybe the museum? ....or?

The vessel on the left in the harbour is not the Endeavour or Muriel. Although its name escapes me at present, it was a pleasure craft owned by Angie Toochie.
The Endeavour was based at Cromarty, and not left berthed unattended at Invergordon. The Muriel was more usually berthed on the west side of the harbour.

Definitely not the Endeavour. I knew every copper nail in her. Was the Muriel Old Hec McRae's boat? If it was to be one or the other it has to be the Muriel.

Yes Pat, the Muriel was Hec Mcraes boat, it looks like her; but Ronald could be correct, hard to say.

Muriel was a larger vessel with wheelhouse aft giving full standing headroom; there was a cargo hold ahead of the wheelhouse. This vessel has a raised coachroof and no wheelhouse; the hull shape is also very different from the Muriel.
The owner Angie Toochie was more correctly called Mr Angus Ross, who lived on Seabank Road.

Muriels canopy was added late fifties for engine repairs etc. It was very small (least profile for ducks)
Hec told me he had got her from Glasgow and she was an ex-lifeboat. He painted her at the east side
of the harbour. She was normally moored ahead of RAF and ferry boats at west side. I think it is her.

Guess both were similar boats...However when I was on the Muriel with Robert Macrae she didn't have any wheelhouse, just a cowling over the engine (which I used to crank) - the rest of the hull was open. I do remember one time the engine stalling and we were towed back in by one of the RAF fast boats...Hello Bobby Fair

I think there is still some confusion here!
Muriel was NAAFI boat operated by Hec, I think! Another NAAFI boat was called Catterick.
Also, I think Bob describes the boat used by Hec, with his punt for duck shooting. I never recall that boat being called anything other than "Hecs Boat".
Perhaps if I mention a fire on board, it might revive memories of Muriel and Catterick??
Or am I completely confused??

I think you might be right Ronald, about the NAAFI boats. I think he also called his own motor boat the Muriel (maybe after the NAAFI boat?). He also had a daughter called Muriel. Long time now Harry O'

Regarding the boat in the picture belonging to Angus Ross of Seabank Road - her name was 'Caber Feigh'. She lay there for years but was well looked after. The Muriel was a Naffi boat of the MFV type which Hec Mcrae ran - the Chaucer was the other he had. Hec's motor boat never had a name that I knew - it was always "hecs boat".

The wife of the owner of the Cabar Feidh (spg?) features in picture #241.

Has anyone tried to identify the ships at the Admiralty Pier? I wonder, is the inner ship HMS Tyne or perhaps HMS Apollo..both of which were regular visitors and always moored alongside? The outboard ship looks very like a destroyer. Would be very interested to know...

Hard to say there Duncan, picture not clear, but know the Apollo had 3 or 4 funnels, can't make out in this picture....

The inner vessel could be the Apollo - the Apollo if I recall rightly had 3 very regular straight funnels similar to the inner vessel - 2 funnels are clearly visible and the third may be obscured by the building on the pier. I think the Tyne was a larger vessel than the one in this picture.
The thick dark mast and straight cut stern of the outer vessel is similar to the old Daring class destroyers and HMS Daring was a regular visitor although I am not sure if that fits with the timescale of HMS Vanguard. Interestingly the ship launched on the Clyde recently was the first of the new Daring Class Destroyers.

(A larger version of part of the picture has now been provided - hopes this helps with identification - Site Admin.)

The inboard of the two warships in the centre is an Abdiel-class minelayer (APOLLO, ARIADNE or MANXMAN - the other three were lost during the war); the outboard ship I'm reasonably sure is either BATTLEAXE or BROADSWORD ('Weapon' class destroyers - note the twin 4" gun mounting aft). The better the definition that can be achieved the more likely a positive identification of the ships, and the date the photo was taken.

Battelaxe and Broadsword were certainly regular visitors in the 50s. Another regular was the Cadiz.
Minesweeper Welcome was based at Inverg for a long time.

Can anyone remember the large boat that was tied up at the top of the RAF pier (1st pier) - think it was just prior to the second war. It was coloured grey - think the name was Ellen Dhu. Never saw it except being tied up almost in the corner.

Hi duncan, just seen the website of Inver.G and it is really good. It brought back memories of nearly 50 years ago, as if it were yesterday. It's been 50 year or so when I left Invergordon and I have just returned to Scotland to live after being adrift for so long. I now live in Callander, Perthshire, and spend most of my semi-retirement sea & fresh water fishing. It would be nice if us old boys of yesteryears could maybe meet up and have the crack. Talking of boats & ships (which I miss dearly), I saw a programme years ago about a small Para-Handy-type boat and could not believe that it was the VIC 56. It used to supply the Navy in the 50s and is now in private ownership somewhere in south of England. Hope to hear from somebody soon. Regards John Maclaren

Hi john..been a while hasnt it?..the boat in the picture I don't think is the Vic 56 - it looks more like the old Vic 32 which was one of the water lighters..very similar ..but perhaps I'm incorrect..anyway many a hour we spent together down that part of the town..boats I still like ..even do a bit of yachting from time to time..see your nephew Mark now and again hope we will meet up again ...50 years seems a long time...regards Duncan

HMS Apollo had three funnels. I was a POs messman on it in 1957.

The landing craft in this picture, (behind the right hand car) is almost certainly the same vessel as appears in picture #885 of HMS Eagle. The landing craft was loaded with ships stores and can be seen alongside an MFV, just below the funnel of HMS Eagle.

Does anybody have further pictures or stories of the Muriel or the Chaucer? My father, Dick Bailey, was on both during the early part of WW2 when they were NAAFI boats and would be interested.

She could well be Apollo. I too served on her '57-'58 and we called at Invergordon in June '58 (arriving in atrocious weather). Alongside a nearby jetty at the time was a ?tanker Artemis. Artemis was burnt out at sea a few days later. I always thought it ironic that in mythology Apollo and Artemis were brother and sister! They met up just before the end.
I also served in Vanguard briefly in September-November '56 at Devonport. She was acting as Training ship in place of Ocean which had gone off to Suez. Vanguard then went to Portsmouth to be mothballed prior to breaking up.

It could have been '55 or '56. I remember my father taking me out to see Vanguard in the Pilot Boat when I was 4 or 5.

I served in HMS Eagle 1954-1965 as a National Service stoker. I well remember returning from the Med and our first call in the UK was Invergordon. I shall never forget going ashore to telephone my folks from the only phone kiosk in Invergordon - over 2,000 crew members all wanting to make a phone call - no mobiles in those days.

The landing craft was used to supply the ships.

I noticed mention of the Naafi boat "Catterick". This class of boat were all given the name of an army camp. Catterick was disposed of at Rosyth in the early sixties where she was bought by Charlie Brown from Grangemouth who cruised her extensively on the west coast. He moored her outside the Forth and Clyde canal entrance at Grangemouth and then in Charlestown harbour before I seem to remember he sold her to somebody in Alloa. I never saw her on the lower reaches of the Forth after that.

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