H 243 SS GAUL

THE MYSTERY

This is the story of the Hull trawler "Gaul" which was lost with the loss of 36 lives at sea in the Barents Sea on 8th February,1974. The mystery which surrounds the sinking of the Gaul has not been satisfactorily explained during the past 26 years.

Trawlers from Hull and other ports were regularly used as "spy ships" because they were usually fishing just outside Russian waters and saw Russian warships entering and leaving the main base of the Northern Fleet.

Because of the very severe weather prevailing at the time the Gaul radioed other ships in the area that she was "dodging and diving" (trying to steer round the worst of the weather) and had stopped fishing. The crew would be below decks apart from those on watch in the wheelhouse, so no one would be on deck.

Peter Nellis, Skipper of the ill-fated Gaul