LIFEBOAT MAGAZINE ARCHIVE

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Summary of Meetings of the Committee of Management

Thursday, 17th June, 1926.

SIR GODFREY BARING, Bt., in the Chair.

Appointed Mr. F. T. W. WINTER, District Organizing Secretary for the Midlands area, in place of Commander R. W. M. LLOYD, D.S.O., R.N., resigned.

Reported the receipt of the following special contribution:— Anonymous (Donation) £25 —To be thanked, Paid £21,028 15«. Id. for sundry charges in connexion with the construction of Life- boats, Life-boat Houses and Slipways, and the maintenance of the various Life-boat establishments.

Voted £111 the following Life-boat Looe Moelfre Montrose No.

Newbiggin Newburgh .

Is. 6d. to pay the expenses of Life-boat services :— Vessel Lives Rescued Ketch Zarita, of Ply- 4 mouth A rowing boat of Moelfre. Saved boat and rescued .

Fishing boat Mizpah, of Montrose. Stood by boat.

Steam trawler George B. Purdy, of North Shields ....

Ketch Johann Oeorg, of Bmden. Rendered assistance and landed 15 Also voted £182 6a. lOd. to pay the expenses of the following Life-boat launches, assemblies of crews, etc., with a view to assisting persons on vessels in distress:—Aldeburgh No. 2, Caister, Galway, Hope Cove, Margate No. 2 (Motor), Southwold (Motor), Thurso, and Whitby.

Granted £2 2s. Od. to a man for injury in the Life-boat service at Winterton.

Awarded the Bronze Medal of the Institution accompanied by a copy of the Vote inscribed on Vellum and framed, to WILLIAM ROBINSON, Coxswain of the Newbiggin Life-boat, also granted additional monetary rewards to him and to each of the crew and helpers, in recognition of a meritorious service, carried out at considerable risk when the Life-boat rescued the crew, nine in number, of the steam trawler George R. Purdy, of North Shields, which stranded on the rocks at Church Point, Newbiggin, during a dense fog with an E.S.E. breeze and heavy surf, on the 28th April, 1926. (A full account of this service appears on p. 326.) Awarded the Thanks of the Institution, inscribed on Vellum and framed, together with the sum of £10, to ERNEST J. EBBITT, in recognition of his highly meritorious conduct in saving, at considerable personal risk, three of the crew of the steam trawler Rig, of Ramsgate, which stranded at Tolpedn, Penwith, Cornwall, during foggy weather on the night of the 29th September, 1925. (A full account of this service appears on p. 329.) Voted £4 to two men for rescuing the only occupant of the open sailing boat Cvrleu; of Moelfre, which was capsized during a squall while out in a strong S.W. breeze and rough sea, on the 28th May, 1926. Xhe salvors who were on shore noticed that the boat seemed to be a long time coming round Moelfre Island, and thinking that something might be wrong, put off to investigate. They found the occupant clinging to his capsized boat, and picking him up took him ashore.

Later several men endeavoured to salve the boat, but they got into difficulties and were rescued by the Moelfre Life-boat.

Voted £5 12s. 6rf. to nine men who put off from Margate on the 16th May, in the motor boat Thanet Queen, and in a moderate N.N.E. gale with a very heavy sea, rescued, at considerable risk to themselves, a man and a woman from the cockle boat L.O. 239, of Southend-on-Sea, which had stranded on the Margate Sands. The Margate Motor Life-boat first put out to the help of the boat, but was unable to reach her owing to the shallow water, and as there was no sign of anyone on board she went to the Tongue Lightship to make enquiries. In the mean- time the wreck refloated on the rising tide and was driving across the sands with a man was seen to be on board. The motor boat Thanet Queen then put out and rescued the two people on board. The boat became a total wreck.

Voted £2 to four men for putting off in a motor boat to the help of the steamer Jolly Charles, of London, which stranded at New- haven, on the 10th June, and also granted 3s. for petrol consumed. The Life-boat was laid up for overhaul at the time, and the motor boat remained by the vessel until she refloated and reached harbour.

Directed that a Letter of Thanks be sent to Coxswain ROBERT CROSS, who, assisted by four other members of the permanent crew of the Humber Life-boat Station, rescued two boys on the 30th May. Granted also 12*.

to four men who helped to launch the boat.

The boys had put off from Cleethorpes, but being inexperienced, were unable to manage the boat in the strong W.S.W. breeze which was blowing and were carried out to sea.

When they were picked up it was found that both the rudder and the oars of their boat were broken, and that she had shipped a considerable quantity of water.

Thursday, 22nd July, 1926.

HARRY HARGOOD, Esq., O.B.E., in the Chair.

Reported that The LADY FLORENCE PERT had accepted the position of Honorary Secretary of the Ladies' Life-boat Guild.

I Reported the receipt of the following ! special contributions :— j The late Colonel MELLOR, of Radcliffe, I Exors. of (Donation) £75 ! The late Dame F. E. FERMOR-HESKETH, of Roehampton .... (Donation) £50 : White Star Steamers Charity Account (Donation) £50 I Mrs. GEERE (Donation) £50 —To be thanked.

Paid £25,401 10s. 4d. for sundry charges in connexion with the construction of Life- boats, Life-boat Houses and Slipways, and the maintenance of the various Life-boat establishments.

Voted £152 7* Sd. to pay the expenses of the following Life-boat services :— Life-boat. Vessel. Lives rescued.

Arbroath . . Fishing boats of Arbroath and Mon- trose. Stood by boats.

Gourdon . . Fishing boats of Gourdon. Stood by boats.

Hartlepool Coble Elend, of Sunder - (Motor) . land 2 Ilfracombe . S.S. Cambria, of Bristol.

Landed 50.

Johnshaven. . Fishing boats of Mon- trose and Gourdon.

Stood by boats.

Montrose No. 1 Fishing boats of Mon- trose. Stood by boats.

Newbiggin-by- Seven motor fishing the-Sea. . cobles of Newbiggin.

Stood by cobles.

Piel (Barrow) . A small sailing boat of Piel 3 Rhoscolyn . Schooner Uncle Ned, of Faversham. Ren- dered assistance.

Stromness . S.S. Hastings Connty, of (Motor) . Bergen .... 31 Whitby (Motor) Motor fishing boats Pilot Me and Irene, of Whitby. Escorted boats into harbour.

The Caister No. 2 Life-boat rendered assist- ance to the steam trawler Vigilant, of Hull, and the Wexford (Motor) Life-boat rendered assistance to the yacht Nereda, of Cork.

Also voted £270 7*. 4d. to pay the expenses of the following Life-boat launches, assemblies of crews, etc., with a view to assisting persons i: on vessels in distress:—Anstruther, Black - j | rock, Brighton, Caister, Clacton-on-Sea (Motor), I! Easington, Eastbourne (Motor), Holyhead |; No. 1 (Steam), Johnshaven, The Lizard (Motor), Looe, Margate No. 2 (Motor), New Brighton, Nos. 1 and 2, Penlee (Motor), Port Patrick (Motor), Ramsgate (Motor), Rhoscolyn, Scarborough (Motor), Seaham (Motor), and Yealm River.

Granted £14 16s. Od. to persons for injury in the Life-boat service at Boulmer, Cardigan, and Wells.

Voted an additional reward to the crew of the Anstruther Life-boat for an arduous service on the 30th June, -and sent a Letter of Thanks to Mr. W. W. H. McGRADY, who helped by towing the Life-boat with his motor boat.

Directed that a Letter be addressed to Mr. A. BELL, Honorary Secretary, and to the Crew of the Hartlepool Life-boat, complimenting him and them on a smart service on the 6th July.

Voted a pair of Binoculars, and the sum of £3, to Mr. VIVIAN CHAPLIN ; a framed Record of Thanks and £5 to Mr. G. H. ROW- LAND ; and a framed Record of Thanks to Mr. O. ROWNTREE, for rescuing the two occupants of a rowing boat at Colwyn Bay, on the 29th May. During a strong westerly wind, with a moderate sea, the boat was ! seen about 8 P.M. two or three miles from I shore, being driven out to sea. As night was coming on Mr. Chaplin hastily consulted the police, and it was decided that Mr.

Rowland's motor boar Sunbeam was best suited to go to the rescue. Mr. Rowland was found, and accompanied by his son-in-law, Mr. Rowntree, and Mr. Chaplin, immediately put off. After searching for about one and a half hours, they found the boat very nearly waterlogged, with its occupants in an exhausted state. They took the boat in tow and reached shore again at 11.45 P.M. Had it not been for the promptness of all concerned in the rescue, the lives of the occupants of the boat would undoubtedly have been lost.

Voted £1 16s. Od. to the Life-boat Coxswain at Buckhaven, and two other men, for rescuing two men from the motor vessel Active, of Buckhaven, on the 31st May. The Active was seen to be in difficulties, with a disabled engine, about two and a half miles to the E.N.E. She had no sails, and as there was a moderate S.W. breeze with a moderate sea, she was in danger of driving on to a lee shore.

The salvors put off in a motor-boat and taking the disabled boat in tow brought her safely to harbour. No great risk was incurred, but this timely help undoubtedly saved the Active from driving ashore. A sum of 6s. was granted to cover the cost of petrol used.

Voted £1 17s. 6d. to the Life-boat Coxswain at Poolbeg, and four other men, for rescuing, on the 26th June, two boys who were seen to be adrift in a small boat and appeared to be in danger of being carried out to sea. Also allowed 5s. for the use of the boat.

Voted £5 to the Life-boat Coxswain at Moelfre, and four other men, for lauding two persons from the yacht Doris, on the 18th July. Also granted 4s. each to four men who helped to launch the boat. The yacht came to anchor in Moelfre Bay during a thunderstorm with a strong N.E. gale, and the men on board signalled for help as they thought she might be swamped. The salvors took out the Life-boat's boarding boat and brought the men ashore. The yacht rode out the storm, and was able to leave next day.

Voted £ I 10s. Od. to Mr. E. FIELDING for rescuing, with his motor boat, the three occupants of two small boats at Piel (Barrow), on the 6th July, who, during a strong N.E. wind with a rough sea, had got into difficulties outside the harbour.

Thursday, 16th September, 1926.

Sir GODFREY BARING, Bt., in the Chair.

Reported the resignation of Brigadier- General NOEL M. LAKE, C.B., from the Com- mittee of Management.

Decided to close the Drogheda and Kings- down Life-boat Stations and to re-open the Station at Walmer.

Reported the receipt of the following special contributions:— £ ft. d.

Cunard S.S. Co., Ltd., Chari- table Collections Fund—(Sub- scription) . . . . 100 0 0 Ditto. (Donation) . . 100 0 0 Miss B. M. Hammerton (Addi- tional Donation) , . 50 0 0 To be thanked.

Paid £11,730 15s. Id. for sundry charges in connexion with the construction of Life-boats, Life-boat Houses and Slipways, and the main- tenance of the various Life-boat establish- ments.

Voted £253 12s. 2d. to pay the expenses of the following Life-boat services :— Lives Life-boat. Vessel. rescued.

Barry Dock (Motor) Bembridge .

(Motor) Blackpool .

Barmouth . . Pleasure boat Willie, of Barmouth. Ren- dered assistance A bathing party . ." 3 of Motor boat Molly, Portsmouth S.S. Margaret, of Pres- ton. Landed 6.

Blyth . . . Open boat Joyce Fox, (Motor) of Blyth ....

Caister No. 2 . Motor trawler Owalia, of Lowestoft. Stood by vessel.

Folkestone , . g.S. Costard, of Nantes.

Rendered assistance.

Gt. Yarmouth & A bather Gorleston (Motor) The Humber . Yacht Piccolo, of Ows- ' (Motor) ton Ferry. Saved yacht and rescued Hythe . . . S.S. Cassard, of Nantes, Rendered assistance.

Lives Life-boat. Vessel. rescued.

Margate No. 2. . S.S. Citarlus, of Car- (Motor) diff. Stood by vessel Newhaven . . Yacht Black Silly, of (Motor) . . London. Rendered assistance.

Ramsgate . . S.S. Sempre Avardi, of (Motor) . . Catania. Stood by vessel.

Rhoscolyn . . S.S. Kirkwynd, of Glas- gow. Stood fay vessel.

Seaham . . Fishing cobles Nina, (Motor) Two Brothers, and Old Friends, of Sea- ham 12 Sunderland . . Fishing cobles Olive.

(Motor) . . Leaf and Mary, of Sunderland. Saved cobles and rescued 6 Sunderland . . Motor launch Jed and (Motor) . . a small boat, of Sun- derland. Stood by boats.

Teesmouth . . Fishing boat Lord Ro- (Motor) . . berts, of Redcar.

Saved boat.

Tenby . . . Schooner Etincelle, of (Motor) Quimper. Saved vessel and rescued . 7 Weymouth . . Motor yacht Sonita, of (Motor) Teignmouth. Ren- dered assistance.

Whitby No. 2 . Fishing coble Elsie, of Whitby. Landed one unconscious man.

Whitby No. 2 . Six fishing cobles, of Whitby. Stood by cobles and landed 3.

The Wexford (Motor) Life-boat rescued nineteen persons from the fishing boat Avon- more and a shore boat; she also stood by the schooner Village Belle, of Dublin, an'd rescued six persons from the ketch Paddy and two rowing boats belonging to Wexford.

The Rhoscolyn Life-boat rendered assistance to the S.S. Kirhvynd, of Glasgow, and the Wexford (Motor) Life-boat saved the fishing boat Avvnmffre,, of Cape Clear.

Also voted £311 19s. Id. to pay the expenses of the following Life-boat launches, assemblies of crews, etc., with a view to assisting persons on vessels in distress: Caister, Donaghadee (Motor), Douglas, Dungeness No. 1, Folke- stone, Fowey, Great Yarmouth and Gorleston (Motor), Hartlepool (Motor), Holyhead (Steam), Hope Cove, Johnshaven, Lowestoft (Motor), Margate No. 2 (Motor), Maryport, Moelfre, New Brighton No. 2 (Motor), Newhaven (Motor), Rhoscolyn, Rhyl, St. David's (Motor), Teesmouth (Motor), Weston-super-Mare, and Wick (Motor).

Granted £17 11s. to men for injury in the Life-boat Service at Bembridge, Blakeney, Hope Cove, and Winterton.

Granted pensions for the benefit of the j orphan children, a girl and a boy, of HARRY HENDY, Bowman, of the Eastbourne Life-boat, whose death was partly doe to exposure while on service with the Life-boat. Also granted £6 towards the cost of the funeral expenses.

Granted £5 towards the funeral expenses of C. MOON, the late Second Coxswain of the Hastings Life-boat, who died in poor circum- stances.

Granted an additional reward to the crew of the Seaham Motor Life-boat for an arduous service on 21st August.

Voted the Bronze Medal of the Institution, together with a copy of the Vote inscribed on Vellum and framed, to C. J. SKINNER, in recognition of his gallant conduct in rushing into the sea and, at considerable risk, rescuing one of the occupants of the yacht fidelity, which was totally wrecked near Newhaven Harbour during a strong S.W. gale, with a very heavy sea, on 21st July. (An account of this service appears on p. 327.) Voted the Bronze Medal of the Institution, together with a copy of the Vote, inscribed on Vellum and framed, to GEOFFREY W. JAGGER and to ARNOLD MILLLAR, in recognition of their gallant conduct in putting off in a surf-boat and rescuing the two occupants of a small boat which was capsized during a strong westerly gale with a rough sea near the Trow Rocks, South Shields, on 25th July. (An account of this service appears on p. 327.) Presented an Aneroid Barometer to Com- mander H. LINKLATER, of the yacht Theodora, and a pair of Binoculars to Mr. W. B. MONCAS, Pier Superintendent, Rosslare, together with the sum of £2 each to two members of the Theodora's crew, three pier employees, and five of the crew of the Great Western Railway steamer St. Patrick, in recognition of their services in manning a boat and going to the help of the fishing boat Avonmore, of Cape Clear, on 2nd September. In a strong N.E.

wind and rough sea the Awmmore struck the Splough Rock. She was seen by Commander Linklater, who called for volunteers and went out to the help of the Avonmore. He suc- ceeded in taking off her crew, seven in number, but then found very great difficulty in getting back to Rosslare Harbour owing to the wind, tide, and rough sea. In the meantime informa- tion had reached Wexford and the Motor Life- boat put out. She found Commander Link- later's boat struggling to get back, took on board both the rescuers and rescued—nineteen in all—and brought them and the boat back to Rosslare Pier.

Voted £2 and addressed a Letter of Thanks to Mr. T. CUDDINGTON for rescuing two boys, at Littlehampton, on the night of 11th July.

The boys' boat was run down by a motor boat and they were thrown into the water. Mr.

Cuddington, Master of the yacht Daydream, heard their cries and immediately launched his dinghy. When he rescued the boys, one of them was unconscious, and he applied first aid—learnt whilst a member of the Shoreham Life-boat crew—before taking him to hospital.

Voted £1 IOs. to four men for rescuing five boys at Wicklow, on 28th July. During a strong W.N.W. breeze with a choppy sea the boys were seen to be drifting out to sea, and the salvors manned a boat and brought (hem in. No risk was incurred, but the action of the men obviated the launch of the Life-boat.

Voted £1 17s. 6d. to five men for rescuing the five men of the motor fishing-boat Lord Koberts, of Bedcar, which was in distress off Coatham, on 20th August. Also allowed 2s.

for petrol used. The boat was seen to be flying a distress signal, and in response the motor boat Mayflower put off and rescued the crew before the arrival of the Teesmouth Motor Life-boat, which was farther from the scene. A strong westerly wind was blowing, but only slight risk was incurred by the salvors, for whom a small collection was made by eye- witnesses.

Voted £5 for division amongst eleven men who launched and manned a boat—the late Bull Bay Life-boat converted into a motor boa£—and rescued the three hands of the motor vessel Reciprocity, of Liverpool, which caught fire off Bull Bay while bound from Holyhead to Fleetwood on 26th August. Also granted £1 to cover the damage sustained by the rescuing boat. Only slight risk was incurred by the salvors, as the weather was fine, but the Reciprocity had to be abandoned.

Voted 10*. to the Second Coxswain of the New Brighton Life-boat and another life-boat- man, who, together with the Motor Mechanic, put off in the Life-boat's motor boarding-boat on 5th September, when some children were reported to be in a dangerous position on a sand bank. On reaching the scene they found that the children had already been rescued.

Voted £2 for division amongst four men who rescued the two occupants of a motor boat off Douglas, on 30th August. Also granted Ifts, to cover the use of the salvors' boat and the fuel used. The motor boat Qeisha, was dis- abled by engine trouble in a nasty sea, -with a, strong south-easterly breeze. When informa- tion of the boat's need was received the Cox- swain of the Life-boat, together with three other men, put off in a motor boat and picked up the Geisha, which was in danger of being dashed on to the rocks. No risk was incurred, but the prompt action saved the lives of the endangered men.

Voted £1 to Mr. WILLIAM JONES for rescuing three persons and saving an open sailing boat at Tenby, on 12th September. While he was at sea with a pleasure party he saw that the other boat was in distress and in danger of being blown out to sea. He at once went to her help, took her in tow and brought her into Voted £2 to two men for saving the fishing- boat Boy Vic and rescuing her two occupants off Tenby, on 13th September. Also granted 5s. for fuel consumed. The salvors, who were on the trawler Pansy, saw the Boy Vic in distress and found on reaching her that she had lost her rudder and was driving ashore. In spite of the strong S.W. wind and heavy sea the disabled boat was towed into safety.

Voted £9 10s. to sixteen men for rescuing the three occupants of the coble Minerva, off Scarborough, on 25th July. Also granted £1 2«. 6d. to cover stores used. Two cobles which had been loading gravel at Cayton Bay, to the south of Scarborough, and were on their way to Scarborough, were in some danger of foundering owing to the heavy sea and strong wind. Both boats were picked up by the motor boat Pelican, but she found that she could not make headway with both in tow and she returned to Cayton Bay where she left one of them. The other, the Minerva, she then started to tow to Scarborough. The Minerva, however, broke adrift, and was then picked up by the motor boat Morning Star, which, with the help of the Pelican, took her in tow. These operations were being watched by the Life- boat Coxswain at Scarborough, who, deciding that further help was needed, put out with eight other men in a larger, decked motor boat.

This boat took the Minerva over from the Morning Star and the Pelican, and brought her into harbour..