Whilst the Gratitude BK47 was at sea in August 1911, Thomas Craig fell overboard.
GALLANT RESCUE FROM A BERWICK BOAT.
One of the crew of the large fishing boat, Gratitude, BK 47, fell overboard while engaged at the herring fishing about thirty miles north of St Abbs Head. The mishap was observed by the skipper, who made an effort to catch hold of the man, but failed. Instantly another of the crew, named Robert Aitchison, who, it may be mentioned, is motor man of the St Abbs Lifeboat, dived into the sea, and caught hold of the drowning man by the jersey. The rescue was all the more difficult as Craig did not rise to the surface in the usual way, and some difficulty was experienced in locating him. Craig was in an exhausted state when got on board the fishing boat again.
The Berwick Advertiser – Friday 25 August 1911
Robert Aitchison was given a Royal Humane Society award for his bravery.
Recognition of Gallantry at St Abbs
At an entertainment given to the St Abbs motor lifeboatmen in the St Abbs Public Hall yesterday, the medal of the Royal Humane Society was presented to Mr Robert Aitchison, the motorman of the lifeboat, for having rescued from drowning one of the crew of a fishing boat under most difficult circumstances, as both wore fully clad in sea-boots and oilskins. The rescued man (Mr Thomas Craig) presented the medal and diploma to Mr Aitchison.
The Scotsman, Saturday 30 December 1911
NB This boat is not BK47 Star Divine, which was not launched until 1955 and features in the well known Herring Queen festival postcard by Robbie Nisbet.