LORD ASHCROFT'S Chief"HERO Skipper OF THE Joseph MONTH" Watt VC ChiefLORD Skipper ASHCROFT'S "HERO VC OF THE MONTH"

the wheelhouse. But Gowanlea was able to limp away under HEROES II her own steam. Novara only Chief Lord Ashcroft KCMG PC is a moved on because she was businessman, philanthropist, author convinced that Gowanlea was and pollster. His sixth book on sinking. gallantry, Victoria Cross Heroes Volume The raid lasted just over an II, was published in November. For more information, please visit: www. hour, during which fourteen victoriacrossheroes2.com Skipper of the forty-seven drifters Lord Ashcroft’s VC and GC collection were sunk and several more is on public display at Imperial damaged. Gowanlea, despite War Museum, London. For more being badly damaged, even information visit: www.iwm.org. joined in the rescue effort and uk/heroes. For details about LORD ASHCROFT'S his VC collection, visit: www. managed to help the wounded "HERO OF Joseph Watt lordashcroftmedals.com from the drifter Floandi before For more information on Lord Ashcroft’s work, visit: www. VC THE MONTH" making for port. lordashcroft.com. Follow him on Twitter: @LordAshcroft Watt’s VC – the only one resulting from this action locally as ‘VC Joe’, died from cancer TOP LEFT: – was announced on 29 at his home in Fraserburgh on 13 Chief Skipper Joseph Watt can LEADERSHIP August 1917. Watt, who was February 1955, aged 67. He was be seen on the far aged 29 at the time, was also buried in Kirktown Cemetery, AGGRESSION • BOLDNESS left in the front side of the barrage. Watt was on rewarded with the Italian Al Valore Fraserburgh, in the same plot as his row of this group INITIATIVE • SACRIFICE board with a crew of eight and their Militare and the French Croix de Guerre. wife and her parents. of naval officers SKILL • ENDURANCE dog. As soon as firing was heard, Watt fell ill shortly after his I bought this wonderful character’s Gowanlea slipped her nets and made VC action and spent six weeks gallantry and service medals at a The many Victoria Crosses and George Crosses in the Lord for the Italian coast. However, recuperating in hospital on . Spink auction in London during Ashcroft Gallery at the Imperial War Museum in London are displayed under one of seven different qualities of bravery. within minutes she ran into Novara, After his release, he was promoted 2012 and feel privileged to be the Chief Skipper Joseph Watt’s award is part of the collection one of the light cruisers taking part to Chief Skipper and allowed to custodian of this famous medal and Lord Ashcroft feels that it falls within the category of in the attack. When the two vessels return home. On learning of the group.  leadership: were only 100 yards apart, Novara news, Fraserburgh town council “Charismatic, strong, inspirational, the natural leader not signalled to Gowanlea – by dipping planned a hero’s welcome but Watt, LEFT: only takes command, but also infuses all those around them Joseph Watt VC with confidence and hope. They exude calm and resolve. her flags and blowing hard on her forever shy of publicity, travelled pictured after the They are a tower of strength.” siren – to abandon ship. Surrender home secretly. His VC was presented war. was not, however, a word in Watt’s to him by King George V at an personal vocabulary and the offer investiture at Buckingham Palace TOP RIGHT: OSEPH WATT was born in the Broadsea, Watt was determined of commandeered steam drifters was refused. Instead, calling for full on 6 April 1918. After the war, Watt The vessel fishing village of , to follow his father’s career and, based in the heel of . As part steam ahead, Watt encouraged his returned to his first love – fishing commanded near Banff, , on 25 after leaving school, he served of the so-called Barrage, crew by shouting: ‘Three cheers, lads, at sea. His VC was kept in a small, by Joseph Watt J during the June 1887. One of five children, an apprenticeship in White Daisy, the task of Gowanlea and her crew and let’s fight to the finish!’ Gowanlea cluttered drawer on his boat. enemy attack he was the son of Joseph Watt, a a fishing boat. Yet, like many was to prevent enemy opened fire with her tiny 6-pounder Watt had two children, a daughter on the Otranto fisherman, and his wife Helen (née fishermen of his generation, Watt operating out of Cattaro, 140 gun, but with menacing accuracy. and a son. During the Second World Barrage – HM Mair), and he was educated locally at never learned to swim. In 1907, he miles to the north, entering the The enemy response was War, he commanded a drifter Drifter Gowanlea. Bracoden School, Gamrie. Sadly, his left home and became part-owner of Mediterranean via the straits predictable: they brought their nine serving with the Home Fleet, with a father died at sea while fishing for Annie, a Dundee-built steam drifter, separating Italy from Albania. No 3.9-inch guns to bear on Gowanlea and crew that included his son, who had haddock, more than twenty miles and he soon earned a reputation as a fewer than 120 drifters maintained a two shells caused significant damage. been invalided home in 1940 after off the coast, when Joseph Jnr was daring fisherman who would go out twenty-four-hour net barrier across Two further shells landed on the being wounded while serving with just ten years old. in the wildest of storms. forty-four miles of water, supported drifter and Watt narrowly escaped the . Although his mother soon After the outbreak of the Great in their task by an Allied fleet of death when one of these shells struck Joseph Watt, who was known remarried and moved to nearby War in the summer of 1914, Watt motor-launches, , cruisers volunteered for the Patrol Service and aircraft. LEFT: RIGHT: Chief Skipper Chief Skipper and was commissioned as a skipper On the night of 14/15 , the Joseph Watt’s Joseph Watt VC, in the Royal Naval Reserve on 11 Austro-Hungarian Navy launched medal group. In RNR. January 1915. After a few months an all-out attack on the Otranto addition to his of patrolling the North Sea, he was Barrage, with the aim of wiping out unique Victoria posted to Italy, one of hundreds of so many Allied vessels that their Cross for the , fishermen who had volunteered for U-boats would be able to access the Joseph Watt was similar services to their King and Mediterranean and Allied shipping also entitled to a country. In the meantime, Watt had lanes. Nine enemy ships, including 1914-15 Star trio; married, on 5 August 1915, to Jessie light cruisers, were confident of however, there is Ann Noble, a fisherman’s daughter. causing massive damage to the no record of him every applying Once in Italy, Watt was appointed Allied flotilla because of their vastly for, or receiving, to the command of HM Drifter superior size and guns. his Great War Gowanlea, an 87-foot wooden The nine ships separated before campaign medals. vessel that had been completed beginning their attack on the the week that the war had begun. barrage at 03.15 hours. At the time, With its crew of nine, and armed forty-seven drifters were stretched with a solitary 6-pounder gun, across the straits in seven groups, Gowanlea was a member of a flotilla with Gowanlea on the far western

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