Disaster to the Rye Life-boat.

The Whole Crew Drowned.

THE worst disaster which has fallen on the Life-boat Service for many years occurred on 15th November. It fell with crushing weight on the gallant Life-boat Crew of the little village of Rye Harbour, sweeping away practically the whole adult male fishing population.

At 6.15 in the morning of that day the Rye Life-boat, which is a Pulling and Sailing Life-boat of the Liverpool Type, was launched with a Crew of seventeen in response to a message that a steamer (a Latvian vessel, Alice) was leaking and in danger, drifting eight miles from Dungeness. A south-westerly gale was blowing, with very heavy rain squalls, and a heavy sea. The tide was at low water. Five minutes after the Life-boat was launched another message came that the crew of the Alice had been rescued by another steamer, with which she had been in collision. The recall signal was fired three times, but no answer came from the Life-boat.

Apparently the Crew had not seen it.

Capsized.

At 10.30 the Life-boat was seen returning under sail. The wind had increased, and there were heavy squalls. As she appeared to be coming in to the harbour mouth with a following sea she was seen to capsize. As quickly as possible helpers gathered on the beach, and every effort was made to help the Crew as they were washed in, but without avail. Six of them were recovered at the same time that the Life-boat was driven ashore, but all were dead. The whole crew had perished.

As soon as the nsws reached the Headquarters of the Institution the Deputy-Chief Inspector of Life-boats was sent down to Rye with nstructions to make immediate provision for the needs of the families of the Crew, and the Institution, according to its invariable practice, will pension the widows, dependent children and other dependent relatives of the Crew, according to the principle of the Pension Scheme adopted in 1917, namely, that the widows and dependents of Life boatmen who may lose their li«es on ser.ice should be treated in the sams way as the widows of man of corresponding rank in the Naval and Military Forces of the Crown who may be killed in action. In the present case the Committee of Management will take the scale in force in the Navy and Army under the current Royal Warrant as a minimum. The Coxswain will rank as a Chief Petty Officer or Colour Sergeant, the Second Coxswain as a First Class Petty Officer or Sergeant, the Bowman as a Second Class Petty Officer or Corporal, and the Life-boatmen as Seamen or Privates.

In addition, the Mayo: of Rye (Captain Leopold A. Vidler), who is also the Honorary Secretary of the Station, opened a Fund to which such an immediate and generous response was made that within a fortnight nearly £30,000 had been contiibnted, and the tund was closed. This response and the many messages of sympathy which have been received have shown how deeply the public have been moved by this tragedy.

Messages of Sympathy.

One of the first messages to be received was from H.M. the King, our Patron, who telegraphed: " As Patron of the Royal National Life-boat Institution, I offer you very sincere sympathy in the tragic loss of the Rye Life-boat with all hands.

" GEORGE, R.I."The Prince of Wales, our President, who is in Africa, sent the following message : " I am deeply moved by news of terrible disaster to Rye Life-boat with loss of the whole of her gallant Crew. My heartfelt sympathy is with the Institution and with the relatives of our heroic Life-boatmen.

" EDWARD, P., " President, Royal National Life-boat Institution." Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll, Patron of the Ladies' Life-boat Guild, wrote: " I have heard with deep grief of the terrible tragedy that has befallen the Rye Life-boat, which has involved the loss of the whole of her gallant crew.

" As Patron of the Ladies' Lifeboat Guild, I wish to express my heartfelt sympathy with the Institution, and above all with the sorrowing mothers, widows, children, relatives and other dependents of these heroic men.

" This fresh proof of devotion and sacrifice of the Life-boat Crews ought indeed to inspire the women of Britain, and those who are Members of the Ladies' Life-boat Guild, to renew, d efforts in their work for this splendid cause." Many messages of sympathy have also been received from foreign Life-boat societies.

At the funeral, five days later, of the fifteen members of the Crew whose bodies had been recovered, the Institution was represented by the Hon. George Colville, Deputy-Chairman of the Committee of Management, Captain the Viscount Curzon, C.B.E., V.D., A.D.C., R.N.V.R., M.P., Mr. George F. Shee, M.A., Secretary of the Institution, Captain Howard F. J. Rowley, C.B.E., R.D., Chief Inspector of Life-boats, Commander Edward D. Drury, O.B.E., R.D., R.N.R., Deputy-Chief Inspector of Life-boats, Captain G. H. Bevan, O.B.E., R.N., Deputy Chief Inspector for Stores, and Commander R. L. Hamer, R.N., Inspector of Life-boats for tlie Southern District. The Lat ian Minister and Consul-General were also p esent, and H.M. Coastguard were represented by Captain A. L. Strange, Inspector of Coastguard at Hoie.

As suggestions were made at the inquest that the life-belts used by the Crew were not in sound condition, the Institution at once asked the Board of Trade to hold an Inquiry. We shall hope to publish a full account of the disaster and the report of the Inquiry in the m-xt issue of The Lijebnnl. All we would say now of the men who have died is that they have perished gloriously, with no less honour than the sailor or soldier who gives Ids life in defence of his country. Indeed, theirs is the hightst courage of all, for it is inspired solely by the wish to bring succour to those in peril, whoever they may be..