From an unknown news source

It is fifty years ago since the Fleetwood trawler Michael Griffith was lost. Thirteen men lost their lives when the vessel went down near Barra in the Outer Hebrides on January 30th 1953, in what has been described as “The worst storm in living memory.”

As with all tragedies of this kind the loss cut across the fishing community and left 11 widows and 20 children fatherless.

Michael Griffith was owned by Clifton Steam Trawlers Ltd. She sailed from Fleetwood under Skipper Charles Singleton whose son, John Wilson, was bosun,on January 30. Hours after leaving th port she ran into hurricane force winds that put numerous other vessels in peril.

Two other Fleetwood vessels atempted to reach her after picking up a brief radio message saying that she had lost steam. Wyre General and Velia attempted to batter their way to her aid but Michael Griffith was never heard from or seen again.

A subsequent search of the area by aircraft, naval destroyers and trawlers found nothing. The only remnants discovered, lifebuoys, were washed up on the Northern Irish coast a few days later.