Historical Data

    Joseph Reuben Riches 1933-1959  fourth child of  Thomas Riches and Annie Gillett born in St Mathew Street Hull, Yorkshire in 1933. Like his father and grandfather before him he became a fisherman sailing out of the port of Fleetwood.  Like Reuben namesakes before him he was to loose his life tragically.

     Sailing as a Deckhand aboard the 449 ton fishing trawler 'Red Falcon' . The trawler had been launched in 1936, originally named 'Davy'.

During WW11 war years the ship served as a minesweeper number FY147. After the war she was sold and renamed numerous times, but eventually finished up 'Red Falcon' London registration LO 4

Photo courtesy of Fred W Hobbs

     Whilst passing through dangerous seas in an area known as 'South Minch' close to the west coast of Scotland on 14th of December 1959, returning from Iceland after a 20 day Deep Sea fishing trip, the vessel came up against 40 foot waves, generated by a violent storm.   

     The fishing trawler 'Red Falcon' was due home at its home port of Fleetwood.   It never arrived and the berth in Fleetwood's Wyre Dock remained empty.  The vessel was declared, 'Missing'.   

     On the 16th December 1959 the villagers of Scarinish on Tiree, in the Inner Hebrides, discovered some wreckage.   Lifejackets which were stamped with the name 'Red Falcon" had been found. The trawler was lost, assumed to have been overwhelmed by a tidal wave.  Nineteen good men lost their lives.  Joseph Reuben Riches, 1933-1959, was a deckhand aboard this ill-fated ship.   He was just 21 years old.

Roll of Honour  

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