# Girl Pat



## wully farquhar (Aug 4, 2005)

Did anyone hear the programme on Radio Scotland last saturday about the voyage of the Girl Pat,I did not hear the whole prog. but what i heard was very interesting,I have read the book but what i heard on the radio seemed to be a bit of a different sort of story (Read) (Thumb)


----------



## grahamtowa (May 27, 2006)

Didn't hear the radio programme, but have read the book "Voyage of the Girl Pat" by Dod Orsbourne. Is that the same one that you read? i think that he wrote three or four books. He seems to have been a bit of a "character". I have a leaflet which advertises after dinner talks, which he did in America, and it lists him as a sea captain, whaler, secret agent, pearl prospector, big game hunter, and a commando beachmaster. I don't know if he wrote his own publicity! I think that I'm inclined to take his tales with a pinch of salt. The basis of the stories will be true enough, but I've a feeling that his book "embellished" on the facts, to make it more glamourous. What are your thoughts. (*))


----------



## Clem (Apr 27, 2006)

wully farquhar said:


> Did anyone hear the programme on Radio Scotland last saturday about the voyage of the Girl Pat,I did not hear the whole prog. but what i heard was very interesting,I have read the book but what i heard on the radio seemed to be a bit of a different sort of story (Read) (Thumb)


Hi Wully,

This link features an article on the story of the Girl Pat. I don't know if it was the one you are talking about.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/history/making_history/making_history_winter2002.shtml

Just scroll down to listen to the article.

*PROGRAMME 4: 22 October 2002*
* Whalebone and corsets. The industry that changed the shape of the body.
** The Girl Pat. The Grimsby fishing boat that vanished*
* The Huddersfield Workhouse scandal.
* The Benin expedition of 1897. A sorry chapter in British imperial history


As I said, in a comment on a photo of the Girl Pat (posted earlier on this site), an uncle of mine knew 'Dod' Orsborne's son (also called George).

They met up in Scotland around 1948/49. My uncle was in the R.A.F. (national service) at Dalcross civilian aerodrome, as there was accomodation there for personnel based at R.A.F. Raigmore. George Orsborne was at that time serving with the Black Watch, he was based at Fort George on the peninsular in the Moray Firth.

The pair of them, both coming from Grimsby and having connections with fishing, became great friends and used to go into Inverness together chatting up the girls.

Regards

Clem


----------



## wully farquhar (Aug 4, 2005)

*girl pat*

Aye Aye Lads,yes i would say the same but as you say Graham the basis is very true,he must have been a character.I did'nt know that there was more than one book,that was the one that i read Graham,but i see that Clem has other ones,still was an interesting yarn.The picture of the Girl Pat that i have on my gallery was taken in Scrabster,the story that i heard was that the Admirality took her round the coast on a tour after she was brought back to the UK.
cHEERS,------------Wully. (Read) (Thumb)


----------



## backsplice (May 23, 2005)

*Girl Jean*

I never heard of that one before but when I was a lad at school in Arbroath a young lad (who,ll remain nameless) stole the ''GIRL JEAN'' out of the harbour and if he had,nt run out of fuel he,d have made Norway they say ....anyhow the magistrate gave him the option of clink or the army he chose the latter and did a lot of years in khaki .....I met him when we worked together with a transport co .......it was a standing joke among us .............backsplice (Thumb)


----------

