It was one of the most historic prizes of its kind in seafaring.
And now, marine enthusiasts compiling a book on the vessels and crews that won the famous Prunier Herring Trophy are appealing for information from fishermen across the north of Scotland.
Members of the Port of Lowestoft Research Society have been piecing together images and details about the boats and fishermen who won the trophy.
It was awarded most years between 1936 and 1966 to the drifter which landed the largest single catch of herring between early October and the end of November at the ports of Great Yarmouth or Lowestoft.
Bob Dickson, Peter Page and Stan Earl plan to produce a book about the trophy and its past, but have found locating pictures and crew members a thorny challenge.
Since issuing pleas in England, responses have trickled in to help them fill some of the gaps. But they are now appealing to fishing communities across the north-east of Scotland in the quest for fresh information.
Mr Dickson said: “In the case of the first winner of this trophy, the 1936 winner BF 592 Boy Andrew under skipper Joseph Mair, we have one image of the boat and an informal photo of the skipper, but we could really do with photos of the winning crew and a list of the crew’s names to complete our set.
“Our other main gap is at the other end of the Prunier Trophy period and concerns two of the three Fraserburgh winners of this famous trophy.
“While we have complete details for the 1956 winner, the FR 156 Stephens, we lack essentially all the details we need for the other two Fraserburgh winners – the 1960 winner FR 178 Silver Harvest under skipper James Cardno and the FR 346 Tea Rose that won the last of the trophies in 1966 for skipper Charles Duthie.
“In these cases, we still need photos of the boat, the skipper, the crew and the crew’s names to complete our record.
“And from the middle of this period, we could certainly do with a better image of the 1954 winning boat itself, the LK 509 Jessie Sinclair from Lerwick.”
Anybody connected with these four Scottish drifters would now be a considerable age. But Mr Dickson is hoping that family members might have cherished items from these trophy-winning accolades for the north-east crews.
He said: “These men were heroes then and, to the fishing community, they are heroes still, but it may not be many years before information about them passes beyond recall.
“The small book that we intend to produce once complete will keep this information together permanently.
“Somewhere in area served by the Press and Journal, we live in hopes that photos of these boats and their crews still exist, and even better that someone still remembers the names of the heroes who won the Prunier Weathervane in those years.”
To pass on any information or images, contact Peter Page, deputy chairman of the PLRS on 01502 511438 or write to Maritime Museum, Sparrows Nest, Whapload Road, Lowestoft NR32 1XG where the three men work as guides.
