Lillian Bilocca

Lillian Bilocca (née Marshall; 26 May 1929 – 3 August 1988) was a British fisheries worker and campaigner for improved safety in the fishing fleet as leader of the "headscarf revolutionaries" – a group of fishermen's family members.

Spurred into action by the Hull triple trawler tragedy of 1968 which claimed 58 lives, she led a direct action campaign to prevent undermanned trawlers from putting to sea and gathered 10,000 signatures for a petition (the Fishermen's Charter) to Harold Wilson's government to strengthen safety legislation.

She married Carmelo [Charlie] Bilocca (1902–1981), a Maltese sailor who worked with the Hull-based Ellerman-Wilson Line, and later as a trawlerman.

[12][6] The result was described as one of the biggest and most successful civil actions of the 20th century and Denness stated at the time that "we have achieved more in six weeks than the politicians and trade unions have in years".

[6] The action made the headlines of British national newspapers, pushing the Vietnam War off the front page.

[5] Bilocca received death threats from some of the trawler owners and telegrams telling her not to interfere in men's work.

[13] A mural on Hull's Anlaby Road painted by Mark Ervine and Kev Largey depicts Bilocca and her connections with the "headscarf revolutionaries" and the triple trawler tragedy.

[2] Lavery's book in turn inspired singer-songwriter Reg Meuross to write a song cycle titled 12 Silk Handkerchiefs, released as an album in December 2018.

The song cycle was performed as a multimedia show in Hull Minster for the first time on 8 November 2018, in collaboration with local musicians Sam Martyn and Mick McGarry, with Lavery narrating and presenting a slideshow of seldom-seen images.

Maxine Peake has written a play entitled The Last Testament of Lillian Bilocca which opened in Hull in November 2017.

[4] The BBC broadcast a documentary entitled "Hull's Headscarf Heroes" in February 2018, to mark fifty years since the loss of the three trawlers.

[15] On 22 January 2022 a blue plaque was unveiled on Lillian Biloca's former home, in Coltman Street, off Hessle Road in Hull.