Lifeboat Disaster

Rowana

Rowana

Two steps lower than the ships' cat
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If I remember correctly (as I said, I was only 12 at the time), John Grieve & John J Grieve were Father and Son.
 
puddock said:
Sobering thoughts indeed.
God bless them and all who follow.
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A reminder that we all have an absolute and solemn duty to make sure, to the very best of our endeavours, that we don't use the services of the RNLI. To ask these people to risk their lives because of a lack of planning, preparation or maintenance on our part is inexcusable.

I was in St Ives this autumn, Two boards on the lifeboat house record the clutch of medals given to the crew for an astonishingly brave rescue in 1938 or so ... and the deaths of almost those rewarded less than a year later.
 
And of course Penlee, in 1981 (relevant to me for no other reason than recalling watching it on BBC news and feeling utter sadness at such a young age).

And also, your own "home port now" Peterhead has suffered similar fate in the past. http://www.peterheadlifeboat.co.uk/geddesplaque.htm

Maybe, if nothing else, it will give us cause to "lob an extra 50P in the tin" when we pass it next time - and give a minutes thought when we are out there next time.
 
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puddock said:
And of course Penlee, in 1981 (relevant to me for no other reason than recalling watching it on BBC news and feeling utter sadness at such a young age).

And also, your own "home port now" Peterhead has suffered similar fate in the past. http://www.peterheadlifeboat.co.uk/geddesplaque.htm

Maybe, if nothing else, it will give us cause to "lob an extra 50P in the tin" when we pass it next time - and give a minutes thought when we are out there next time.
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Add to the roll of honour
Longhope
Fraserburgh
Arbroath
Penlee

All within MY living memory
 
Perhaps this thread is a suitable prompt to remind all those who go to sea that they should support the RNLI financially by becoming members. Call it what you will - moral obligation, indirect insurance, recognition, show of solidarity - they rely on voluntary subscriptions.

"Offshore" membership is the more appropriate level for yachties and is not particularly expensive alongside the other, routine costs of sailing. I am always embarrassed by the low level of membership amongst the sailing community.
 
footsoldier said:
Perhaps this thread is a suitable prompt to remind all those who go to sea that they should support the RNLI financially by becoming members. Call it what you will - moral obligation, indirect insurance, recognition, show of solidarity - they rely on voluntary subscriptions.

"Offshore" membership is the more appropriate level for yachties and is not particularly expensive alongside the other, routine costs of sailing. I am always embarrassed by the low level of membership amongst the sailing community.
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Absolutely. And of course everyone will be digging deep on the RNLI's fund raising day on the 29th January.
 
1928 - almost within my lifetime in the very small village of Rye Harbour and they never saw the recall signal. Must have wiped a very substantial part of the male population

1928 On 15 November the worst disaster for many years occurred when the lifeboat capsized and the whole crew of 17 drowned. The lifeboat launched in a gale and heavy seas to the vessel Alice. News was received that the crew of the Alice had been rescued by another vessel and although the recall signal was fired three times the lifeboat crew had not seen it. As the lifeboat was coming into harbour she capsized and the whole crew lost their lives – Coxswain Herbert Head, and two sons James and John; Second Coxswain J Stonham, Bowman H Cutting and his two brothers, Robert and Albert; Charles, Robert and Alexander Pope (three brothers); William and Leslie Clark (brothers); Maurice and Arthur Downey (cousins); H Smith, W Igglesden and C Southerden.

In times gone by there were very great sacrifices by men who had very few of this world's goods - and imagine the lives of their erstwhile dependants.
 
Very sad to see what's likely to have been whole families of brothers wiped out in some of these disasters.

Iirc, the coxswain of the Penlee Lifeboat left one of the crew behind because his brother was already onboard and, on such a night, he didn't want to risk the lives of two members of the same family.

To be thinking such thoughts, whilst still being prepared to put to sea to help others, speaks volumes.
 
jhr said:
Very sad to see what's likely to have been whole families of brothers wiped out in some of these disasters.

Iirc, the coxswain of the Penlee Lifeboat left one of the crew behind because his brother was already onboard and, on such a night, he didn't want to risk the lives of two members of the same family.

To be thinking such thoughts, whilst still being prepared to put to sea to help others, speaks volumes.
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I remember watching a tv programme about the Longhope lifeboat disaster in Orkney. It may not have been shown in England.

When the Lifeboat official went to break the news that the boat had been lost with all hands, the first question asked by all the bereaved families was, "Were the men they went out to rescue saved?"

Speakes volumes of lifeboat men's families too.


.
 
Rowana said:
I remember watching a tv programme about the Longhope lifeboat disaster in Orkney. It may not have been shown in England.

When the Lifeboat official went to break the news that the boat had been lost with all hands, the first question asked by all the bereaved families was, "Were the men they went out to rescue saved?"

Speakes volumes of lifeboat men's families too.


.
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I lost 3 members of my family in the Longhope disaster.
 
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