Summary of the Meetings of the Committee of Management
Friday, 17th November, 1922.
The Right Hon. The EARL WALDEGRAVE, P.O., in the Chair.
Reported the death of Rear-Admiral Hector B. Stewart, a Member of the Committee of Management for many years.
Reported the resignation from the Committee of Management of Sir August B. T.
Cayzer, Bt.
Co-opted Admiral Sir H. M. Jerram, G.C.M.G., K.C.B., a Member of the Committee of Management.
Decided to close the Dover Life-boat Station.
Reported the receipt of the following special contributions:
Click original to view
In connection with the same service the Committee also awarded to Mr. A. D. SHELL, Acting Honorary Secretary of the Gorleston Branch, the Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum and a, Pair of Binoculars; to the steam tug George Jewson, the Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum and an additional monetary reward to her crew ; and to each Life-boatman who took part in the service an additional monetary reward.
Further, it was decided to call the attention of the Admiral Commanding Coast Guard and Reserves to the invaluable assistance rendered by the Caister and Gorleston Coast Guard.(A full account of this service appeared in the issue of The Life-Boot for November, 1922, and an account of the presentation of the Medals is given elsewhere in this issue).
Awarded the Bronze Medal of the Institution, accompanied by a copy of the Vote inscribed on Vellum, to ROBERT CROSS, Coxswain of the Spurn Motor Life-boat, and granted the Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum to F. 8. KENDALL (Second Coxswain), G. W. MARTIN (Bowman), W. A. NEALE (Motor Mechanic), G. M. CRIMLISK, W. J. T. HOOD, C. ROBINSON, W. B. JENKINSON, C. H. HOWES, and W. A, LEWIS, in recognition of their fine efforts to save the crew of an unknown smack, which was wrecked on the rocks during a moderate E. gale with a heavy sea, on the night of the 18th October, 1922. (A full account of this service appeared in the issue of The Life-boat for November, 1922.) Granted pensions to the dependent relatives of GEORGE CROSS, Second Coxswain of the New Brighton Steam Life-boat, who died on 12th October, 1922, as the result of an injury sustained when on service in the Life-boat on 18th December, 1919. Also defrayed the funeral expenses.
Voted £1 10s. to three men for saving the twenty occupants of a motor launch which was in difficulties off Tenby, on the 28th June.
Also granted 5s. for petrol consumed. During a strong N.W. wind the launch broke down off Caldey, and started to drift out to sea. On hearing from anxious relatives what had happened the salvors put off in another motor boat, found the disabled launch, took her in tow, and brought her safely into harbour. Very little risk was incurred, but the action of the men saved a launch of the Life- boat.
Voted 15s. to the Coxswain of the Poole and Bournemouth Life-boat and his son for saving the two occupants of a motor boat, off Poole, on the 25th October. Also granted 5s. for petrol consumed. At 2 a.m. the Coast Guard reported that a boat was in distress off Sandbanks, at the entrance to the harbour. As the weather was moderate, it was not considered necessary to launch the Life-boat, so the Coxswain went out in his own motor boat and took the disabled boat in tow, landing the two occupants safely. Slight risk was incurred by the salvors.
Voted £1 10s. to three men for saving three boys who were adrift in a small boat, off Selsey, on the 8th September. The boys were out sailing on a rough day in a canvas boat with a badly cut sail. The boat could not be handled properly and was blown out to sea.
Seeing the boys' danger the three rescuers put off in a fishing boat and at slight risk saved the boys, whose boat was half full of water and out of control.
Friday, 15th December, 1922.
Sir GODFREY BAKING, Bt., in the Chair.
Reported the resignation from the Committee of Management of Sir T. W. H. Inskip, C.B.E., K.C., M.P Paid £9,450 6s. for sundry charges in connection with the construction of Lifeboats, Life-boat Houses and Slipways, and the maintenance of the various Life-boat establishments.
Voted £148 5s. 3 J. to pay the expenses of the following Life-boat services :
Click to view original
Also voted £209 9s. 9d. to pay the expenses of the following Life-boat launches, assemblies of crews, etc., with a view to assisting persons on vessels in distress: Brixham (Motor), Caister, Dunbar, Easington, Gorleston No. 2, Johnshaven, Lowestoft (Motor), Padstow No.2 and Tug, Palling No. 2, Port St. Mary, Rye Harbour, Ramsgate, and Winterton No. 1.
Voted a compassionate grant to WILLIAM JANE, of Cadgwith, who, after sixty years' connection with the Life-boat, is now, at the age of seventy-five, in ill health and very poor circumstances.
Granted an ex gratia pension to the widow of RICHARD WILLS, who was left in very poor circumstances. WILLS had been Second Coxswain and Coxswain of the Poole and Bournemouth Life-boat during a period of over thirty years.
Granted £10 10s. to men for injury in the Life-boat service at Ifracombe and Skegness.
Granted an additional monetary reward to the crew of the Easington Life-boat in recognition of a useful and strenuous service carried out in severe weather on the 27th November, when seven of the crew of the steam trawler Salaam, of Grimsby, were saved.
Voted £4 15s. to JOHN SWAN, Coxswain of the Lowestoft Life-boat, and seventeen other men for saving, by means of ropes from the pier, the crew of nine men of the steam drifter Accumulator, of Lowestoft, on the 1st November. The vessel stranded on » sand bank at the harbour mouth during a moderate S. gale with a very heavy sea. Coxswain SWAN worked up to his waist in water, and all the men got wet through, but they did not incur much risk.
Voted £3 5*. to JOHN SWAN, Coxswain of the Lowestoft Life-boat, and twelve other men for saving, by means of ropes from the pier, six of the crew of the steam drifter Rubicon, of Buckie, on the 10th November. Slight risk was incurred, but the salvors got very wet in rescuing the men, whose ship had stranded near the North Pier while making for the harbour in a moderate gale with a heavy sea.
The remainder of the crew of the Rubicon, four in number, were saved by the Coast Guard.
Friday, 26th January, 1923.
The Bight Hon. The EARL WALDEORAVE, P.C., in the Chair.
Reported the receipt of the following special contributions :—
Click to view original
The Caister No. 1 Life-boat stood by and assisted the schooner Fred, of Simrishamn; the Easington Life-boat was launched to the assistance of the steam trawler Isernia, of Grimsby; the Palling No. 2 Life-boat assisted to save the steam trawler Lord Cecil, of Grimsby; the St. Abbs (Motor) Life-boat stood by the motor fishing yawl Violet, of St. Abbs; the Selsey (Motor) Life-boat rendered assistance to the obsolete monitor Sir Thomas Picton; and the Spurn (Motor) life-boat saved the schooner Hoaanna, oi Thurso.
Also voted £674 19s. 6d. to pay the expenses of the following Life-boat launches, assemblies of crews, etc., with a view to assisting persons on vessels in distress:—
Angle, Appledore (Motor), Brighton, Brixham (Motor), Cemaes, Caister No. 1, Clovelly, Dunbar, Gorleston No. 1, Hilbre Island, Hunstanton, Ilfracombe, Llandudno, Lowestoft (Motor), New Brighton No. 2 (Steam), Newhaven (Motor), North Deal, Palling No, 2, Poole and Bournemouth, Pwllheii, Ramsgate, Rhoscolyn, Bye Harbour, Shoreham, Spurn (Motor), Walton-on-the- Naze (Motor), Weymouth, and Winterton No. 2.
Granted £227 11s. to men for injury in the Life-boat service at Buckle, Cardigan, Courtown, Douglas, and Rhoscolyn Voted a gratuity of £5 to William Dunnett, who had been a member of the Huna Life- boat crew for forty-six years.
Voted a further sum of £60 for the benefit of the men of the Ramsgate Life-boat, who took part in the rescue of the Indian Chief in 1881.
Voted an additional monetary reward to the crew of the Weymouth Life-boat in recognition of a good service performed during severe weather on the 21st December. Also directed that a Letter of Thanks be addressed to the Honorary Secretary, Mr, W. H. Norris, and that the attention of the Admiral Commanding Coast Guard and Reserves be called to the good work of Commander V. S. Rashleigh, Divisional Officer, and his men.
Directed that a Letter of Appreciation be addressed to Mr. C. H. Gray, Honorary Secretary at Bridlington, and that an additional monetary reward be granted to the Head Launcher, in recognition of their excellent work at a service launch on the 20th December.
Directed that a Letter be addressed to the Brighton Honorary Secretary, commending the action of the Coxswain and crew on the occasion of the wreck of the Rosebud, on the 21st December.
Voted £8 to four men for saving the crew, three in number, of the barge Rosebud, of Harwich, which was totally wrecked on the beach at Brighton on the 21st December.
Also voted £3 to two men who made unsuccessful personal efforts to effect a rescue. The vessel ran ashore after dark during a whole S.S.W. gale with a very heavy sea. Coast Guard STEVENS immediately entered the water with a line and endeavoured to effect communication, but was not successful and was hauled ashore in an exhausted condition. Police Sergt. MORGAN then took his place, but also failed and was hauled ashore. Four men then manned a 14-foot open pulling boat and hauled her out to the wreck by means of a haul-off warp, which happened to lead directly under it, and in this manner were able to save the endangered men..