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Quiet hero of Fraserburgh lifeboat disaster remembered 63 years later

Nathan Whyte remembers his grandfather.
Nathan Whyte remembers his grandfather.

He was the unsung hero of a north-east lifeboat disaster whose selfless bravery stayed a secret until just days before his death.

But now Dennis Morrice’s grandson has decided to tell his story on the eve of the anniversary of a tragedy which shocked the whole of Scotland more than six decades ago.

Nathan Whyte’s decision to join his local RNLI crew prompted Mr Morrice to open his heart about the day the Fraserburgh lifeboat John and Charles Kennedy capsized outside the town’s harbour.

It had been launched to escort small fishing vessels to safety and was making its way back to port when it was hit by a huge wave.

Only one of the lifeboat’s seven crew survived.

Horrified locals watched from the shore as the disaster unfolded.

Mr Morrice jumped into the icy waters of Fraserburgh Bay to join the rescue effort.

And Mr Whyte believes the town should never forget the heroics of those who risked their own lives to try to rescue the crew and help recover their bodies on Monday, February 9, 1953.

Mr Morrice kept his own role in the rescue attempts secret from his family for most of his life, before confiding in his grandson when he told him he wanted to join the lifeboat crew.

Mr Morrice, who was aged 19 when the disaster happened, died aged 80 in March 2014 following a car crash.

Mr Whyte, 29, said: “He never spoke about it. He never thought he did anything to warrant recognition, because the boy he rescued didn’t make it.

“He didn’t think he did anything. He just kept quiet and went up the road afterwards.

“The next the family knew about it was that there was police at the door looking for a statement.”

Mr Morrice, known as Denny to pals, received a certificate from the Royal Humane Society for his part in the rescue effort.

It was found after his death among his personal effects, along with a letter from Fraserburgh Town Council describing its pride in his bravery.

Mr Whyte, who is a sales manager with a local seafood firm, added: “Over the years, it was never really spoken about.

“Then I spoke to him, just before he died, and I told him I was thinking about joining the lifeboat. That’s when he spoke about it – that was the first he’d ever spoken about it.

“That encouraged me to join, and I’ve been here for 17 months now. It’s always a bit of a shock when people hear of his story, because it has never really been talked about in the town.”