A WEE COUNTY man wanted to share a fascinating archive photograph ahead of Merchant Navy Day next month.

Clackmannan reader JP Wright shared his picture, taken in the late 30s, of three cargo ships regularly visiting Alloa Docks. All of the vessels were lost at sea during World War II.

Merchant Navy Day, held each year on September 3 since 2000, honours the brave men and women who kept the island nation afloat during the wars.

It is estimated that around 30,000 merchant seamen lost their lives during World War II and the day also celebrates modern merchant seafarers who are responsible for 95 per cent of the UK's imports.

The three steam ships were all sunk between 1940 and 1943. In the picture (left) is Dutch vessel SS Schokland, which was taken over by Germany after the fall of The Netherlands.

No further details are available, but it is understood she was lost off the Channel Islands in 1943.

In the centre is SS Abbotsford. While on passage from Ghent to Grangemouth with general cargo, the vessel was torpedoed by German submarine U-14 around midnight March 9 into 10 in 1940. It is understood 24 crew were lost at sea.

On the right is SS Moidart, which hit a mine in the North Sea on July 29 1940. Her chief engineer and his engine room greaser were the only survivors; they got washed through the engine room skylight when the ship went down.

Mr Wright said people can note how the Baltic ice has stripped most of the hull paint away from the Moidart.
He also wanted to mention the SS Duncarron, which was another regular visitor to Alloa.

Her chief engineer was a Clackmannan resident, who died along with eight other crew on September 8 1941.

The ship was in a convoy from Southend to Scotland when a torpedo from the German E-boat S-50 hit the engine room.

With a full cargo of cement bags, the ship went down in a matter of minutes just off the Norfolk coast. It is understood four of the crew managed to survive.

In the foreground of the picture is also steam tug Apollo and salvage tug Fresco, both owned by McLeod & Sons at the time. In the background is the harbour master's office and Henderson's cement shed.