40 years ago the Penlee Lifeboat set off into mountainous sea on 19 December 1981

Oscar24

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As a kid in the 80's my class got at trip to the RNLI in Poole. In one of the buildings were a few bits of bent metal / prop and what looked like drift wood.
That was all that remained of the Solomon Brown ?
I will never forget seeing that, it made a huge impression on us kids and brought home just how dangerous the sea can be. RIP
 

sarabande

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"Penlee lifeboat, Penlee lifeboat. This is Falmouth Coastguard. Over....

Penlee lifeboat, Penlee lifeboat. This is Falmouth Coastguard. Over..."


There can be few words that would have been more difficult to say, or which make a more bitter memorial for the men who crewed her into everlasting peace on their last shout.





The BBC has a program tomorrow. Spare a few minutes to listen, please.

BBC Radio 4 - Solomon Browne
 
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RivalRedwing

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"Penlee lifeboat, Penlee lifeboat. This is Falmouth Coastguard. Over....

Penlee lifeboat, Penlee lifeboat. This is Falmouth Coastguard. Over..."


There can be few words that would have more difficult to say, or which make a more bitter memorial for the men who crewed her into everlasting peace on their last shout.





The BBC has a program tomorrow. Spare a few minutes to listen, please.

BBC Radio 4 - Solomon Browne

Not tomorrow, Monday, 14.15
 

oldmanofthehills

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Reported, as a [Inappropriate quoted content removed] comment best kept in the Lounge.
Sir, are you going out of your way to be difficult and Colonel Blimpish?

No one should criticise the crews who rescue all, whatever you think of RNLI internal politics
 
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Skylark

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Someone usually posts a reminder of this dreadful event to mark its anniversary and thanks to the OP for doing so.

I’ve seen the original Penlee Lifeboat station just once and recall it being a very moving experience.

Grateful thanks to all RNLI volunteers and their loved ones.
 

Frogmogman

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A good letter in today’s Observer about the Penlee disaster, although I suspect that training may have improved.


Lifeboat heroism

In “If there’s peril, I’ll be there, says UK’s youngest ever female lifeboat helm” (News, last week), it was heartening to read that the RNLI continues to make progress in recruiting women into its crews, although the youngest ever female helm was 18-year-old Elizabeth Hostvedt at Atlantic College in 1969.

More importantly, the article pays tribute to the Penlee lifeboat crew, lost 40 years ago, but says that lifeboat safety has vastly improved with better boats and volunteer training. Better boats, yes; better training, no. The RNLI has always had excellent training and the coxswain of the Penlee lifeboat, Trevelyan Richards, was a Cornish fisherman with over four decades at sea. He had already rescued four people and went in to save the remaining four. The lifeboat was overwhelmed by the savage storm and smashed to pieces. No training could have saved her. The unofficial lifeboat motto is “Never turn back”.

Ray Kipling, former deputy director, RNLI Holt, Dorset
 
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