What Is the Gaul Tragedy?
The Gaul trawler tragedy was a maritime disaster that occurred in February 1974 in the Barents Sea off the coast of Norway. With a crew of 36 men, the deep-sea factory ship set sail from Hull, England, on January 22.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Sometime between the night of February 8-9, the Gaul sank during a storm. No distress signal was sent, and those on shore didn’t recognize the loss until February 10 when the ship failed to report twice.
The Gaul Is the Worst Single-Trawler Tragedy
After the Gaul failed to report, authorities launched an extensive search operation. All that remained of the ship’s existence was a lifebuoy that was recovered three months later.
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With 36 crew members reported missing and deceased, this became the worst single-trawler tragedy in history. But what caused this tragedy is still a mystery.
A Glimmer of Hope
However, this tragedy was dashed by a glimmer of hope when a representative of the Mission of Seamen shared the news with the working men’s club, The Phoenix Club, that all of the men had been found safe and well (via Mirror).
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Unfortunately, authorities exposed the man as a fraudster after the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy, and Norwegian air and sea forces announced that they found no trace of the missing vessel or its crew.
The Gaul’s Skipper Avoided Death’s Calling
The late Ernie Suddaby had been the skipper of the Gaul for a year. Fortunately, he chose not to embark on the Gaul’s last voyage. Suddaby’s last voyage had been a challenge due to the terrible weather. Opting out of the voyage, Suddaby’s friend Peter Nellist took charge.
Source: Jerry Thompson/Facebook
“I have always had the sense it could have been me,” Suddaby said before his death (via Mirror). “I knew most of the crew, and I always think about them. A day never goes by when I don’t think about the Gaul and the men on board.”
The Gaul Is a Perfect Storm for Conspiracy Theories
Like any good ship-based mystery, conspiracies about what happened on those seas started to sprout. “A perfect storm for decades of conspiracy theories was created almost immediately. Some were credible, some crazy,” Dr. Brian Lavery, author of “The Headscarf Revolutionaries and The Luckiest Thirteen,” said (via Mirror).
Source: Wreck Wrak
Lavery continues: “They included the crew being captured by the Soviet Navy while spying, nets being dragged under by a submarine, and the vessel being sunk by the Russians after hitting an undersea ‘listening cable.’”
Was the Gaul a British Spy Ship?
One theory that persists suggests that the ship became caught in the crosshairs of the now-dissolved Soviet Union and Britain during the height of the Cold War. The tension of the Cold War led many to believe that the Gaul collided with a submarine.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
While there is no concrete evidence to support this claim, the United Kingdom allied with the United States, a dominant power facing off against the Soviet Union during the era.
The Media Latched Onto This Theory
This theory became popular as the media latched onto the story, selling the story that the Gaul was on a spy mission. Far-fetched theories about a submarine sinking the Gaul or taking the crew to Siberian Gulag populated articles, films, and books.
Source: Jerry Thompson/Facebook
However, Suddaby didn’t believe the media frenzy over Gaul’s disappearance. According to HackWriters, Suddaby did not believe that the Gaul was involved in any spying and that the ship’s loss could be explained.
Caught in the NATO Cables
Another theory suggests that the Gaul became entangled with underwater cables used by NATO for detecting Soviet submarine movements. This entanglement could have caused the damage that would lead to the sinking of the ship.
Source: Store norske leksikon
Some even speculate that other Western vessels mistook the entanglement for sabotage, leading to an attack on the Gaul.
The Discovery of the Gaul
Eventually, the Gaul was located in 1997 after filmmaker Norman Fenton commissioned a crew to search the Barents Sea for an independent documentary. The discovery prompted the government to look into the demise of the ship and its crew.
Source: Mirror
In 2002, an examination of the wreckage found two hatches secured in an open position on the right side of the factory deck. In 2004, researchers concluded that stormy weather exacerbated by the open hatches caused the sinking of the Gaul. They dismissed any notion of deliberate sabotage.
Unanswered Questions After the Gaul’s Discovery
Despite this answer, the public believes there is more to the story. “Why did the three-day, 177,000 square mile air-sea search find nothing when it included aircraft that could spot a periscope from a mile above?” Lavery asked.
Source: NZDF/Agenzia Nova
“How could this modern vessel, with automatic Mayday distress signals, disappear without an SOS?” Lavery pressed. “Many people refused to believe that the Gaul could have disappeared with neither trace nor communication. The gossip mill spun in Hull’s fishing community and beyond.”
What Really Happened to the Gaul
Many of the friends and family familiar with the crew on the Gaul do not believe in the speculation that the Gaul was a misfortune consequence of the Cold War. Rather, they believe it was the cruel conditions of the sea that sent the ship down to Davy Jones.
Source: Pok Rie/Pexels
There are still questions lingering around the Gaul’s sinking and the government’s lack of involvement in finding the remains of the ship. Was there something more sinister below the ocean waters? Let us know what you think in the comments!