A GREAT WAR GROUP OF THREE TO DECK HAND J. COWRIE, ROYAL NAVAL RESERVE

 James Cowrie was a twenty-two year old Scottish deckhand on board Frigate Bird, a herring fishing boat which was requisitioned by the Royal Navy and sent with its crew who became Royal Naval Reserves, to act as a submarine net boat in the Adriatic.

Frigate Bird, and three other drifters acting as a patrol group, were attacked by the Austro-Hungarian Light Cruiser Novaro and three torpedo boats while they were manning the Otranto Barrage. Three of the drifters were sunk and Frigate Bird was hit and several of her crew were killed or seriously injured. James Cowrie was amongst the casualties and died of his wounds the day after the attack on the 9th July 1916. He is commemorated at Buckie New Cemetery, Scotland, although he is buried at Brindisi Cimitero Communai in Italy.