Mo Morrison never knew her grandad.
But Harry Swankie’s name is seared deep into the memory of the Arbroath 77-year-old.
And with it the stark, tragic image of the upturned hull of RNLB Robert Lindsay lying on the harbour bar on an bitter, black morning in 1953.
Locals lined the harbour wall, shattered by the sight of the stricken vessel.
The Robert Lindsay capsized within sight of home in a tragedy that claimed all but one volunteer crewman.
Grandfather was lifeboat mechanic
Harry, a lifeboatman of more than three decades, was its mechanic and perished in the disaster.
Mo was just a young lass on her daddy’s shoulders looking out on the calm October aftermath of Mother Nature’s North Sea fury.
But that bleak scene launched her desire to raise funds for the Arbroath lifeboat.
And as president of the local Lifeboat Guild, it remains a driving force in her determination to fight the charity’s planned downgrade of the 220-year-old station.
Arbroath is due to lose its all-weather capability when the current RNLB Inchape is retired, to be replaced by an Atlantic 85 inshore RIB.
This year Mo is due to step down from the fundraising crew’s figurehead role.
She has been a guild member for around 40 years, almost 35 of those on the committee and the last seven as president.
But she vows: “I’ll not be stopping my work for the RNLI.
“And I’ll not give up this fight until we get them to change their mind about taking our big boat away.”
On Tuesday she shared the stage with lifeboat operations manager Alex Smith and management group chairman Ian Ballantyne at a protest meeting attended by 200 people.
Reduced to tears by Arbroath lifeboat plan
It came just days after the hammer blow delivered by RNLI Scotland chief Jill Hepburn reduced Mo to tears in the ops room of the town station.
“We feared the outcome, but it was just such a shock to hear it,” she said.
She still recalls the scene of October 27 1953 and townsfolk woke to the horror of losing its lifeboat heroes.
“Family circumstances meant I never knew my grandad,” said Mo.
“But on the morning of the disaster I was on my dad’s shoulders and saw the lifeboat lying there.
“That was something that stuck with me.”
She gave her first helping hand in the kitchen at the fundraising Caledonian market.
“In those days you had to be asked to be on the Lifeboat Guild.
“It was a great honour when that request came.
“Times have changed and we are now happy to see as many people offering to help as we can, but it is still a privilege to raise funds for the RNLI.
“2019, before the pandemic struck, was one of our best years ever – the total was £42,337.”
Reserved fund questions
It’s cash which goes to a reserve fund held by RNLI HQ in Poole.
So Arbroath wants answers over what they believe is almost £4 million in the local coffers – more than enough to fund the previously promised £2.5m Shannon.
Mo was one a band of RNLI stalwarts who received RNLI long service medals a few years ago in recognition of their commitment to the station.
“The lifeboat means so much to Arbroath,” she said.
“I think they got a fright when they saw the crew and guild packed in to the station when they came here on Friday.
“We have just been overwhelmed by the response from people over this decision.
“This is all to do with money and politics and nothing to do with what is best for Arbroath.
“I think they can see that we’re not having it.”
Conversation