THREE minutes before two in the morn- ing of 23rd January. 1939, the honorary secretary of the St. Ives life-boat station was rung up by the district officer of coastguard, who told him that a vessel was in a dangerous position two miles N.N.E. of Cape Cornwall.

Cape Cornwall is eleven miles along the coast from St. Ives in the direction of Lands End. A W.N.W. gale of exceptional violence was blowing, with a very heavy sea. The life-boat would have to travel the eleven miles against the gale.

Five minutes later the district officer again rang up suggesting that the life- boat should not be launched until it was learned if the Sennen Cove life-boat, which was six miles on the other side of Cape Cornwall, could put out.

Sennen Cove cannot be launched during the two hours on either side of low water. The tide was low, and the answer came back from Sennen Co e that the launch was impossible. At that the coxswain said at once, "We're off," and at 2.30 he fired the assembly signal. Twenty minutes later the life- boat had been launched. Over eighty helpers took part in the launch.

"More Help Needed." At 4.20 the coastguard at Clodgy Point saw red flares a mile out at sea.

They meant, "More help needed." The coastguard rocket life-saving appliances at St. Ives were ordered out and sent right round St. Ives Bay to Godrevy Point, on the leeward side of the bay. The Porthreath appliances, from the other side of Godrevy Head, were also summoned. At the same time a message was sent to the Penlee life-boat station, on the south coast of Cornwall, nearly thirty miles away, calling out the life-boat. She was launched at 5 A.M.

St. Ives waited for nearly three hours more, and then, just after seven o'clock in the morning, came the message that the life-boat had been wrecked on the rocks near Godrevy lighthouse and that, of her crew of eight men. only one was alive.

What had happened during those four hours since the life-boat had put out we know from the survivor, William Freeman.

The First Capsize.

As she left the shelter of St. Ives Head she met a very heavy sea.

She kept well clear of the headland to avoid the heavier seas and strong flood tide closer in. and turned westward.

She was then running almost in the teeth of the gale. When about one and a half miles N.N.E. of Clodgy Point, the boat sheered as she came down a sea. The next struck her on her starboard bow, and she capsized.

She was a self-righting life-boat, and she righted herself in a few seconds.

When she righted herself, four of the eight men on board were missing, Coxswain Thomas Cocking, the acting bowman, William Barber, the signal- man, John Thomas, and one oi; the crew, Edgar Bassett. William Free- man, who was forward, was in the water before he knew what had happened, but he kept hold of the gunwale and two of the other men dragged him on board again.

Propeller Fouled.

The engine had shut off when the life-boat capsized, as it is designed to do. Before the motor mechanic re- started it and any attempt could be made to pick up the missing men, some of the boat's gear, which had been washed partly out of her, was cut away for fear that it would foul the propeller.The mechanic then restarted the engine without difficulty, but when he put in the gear, the engine stalled. He re- started it again. Again it stalled.

The engine was working, but the propeller must have been fouled. The astern gear was then put in; attempts were made to clear the propeller, and the ahead gear was once more put in.

Again the engine stalled.

The four men then dropped the anchor and veered out all the cable. They then attempted to step the mizzen mast and, with the help of the mizzensail, to keep the life-boat head to wind and sea, but with half the crew gone it was beyond their power.

While they were at anchor they burned the red flares, "More help needed," which were seen by the coast-guard. They also switched on the searchlight, and burned a white flare.

They saw the coastguard's answering rocket.

Meanwhile, the life-boat was sheering about. A great strain was put on the cable. It was a new one; it had not previously been used; but the strainwas so great that it parted, and the life-boat drifted to leeward across the mouth of the bay.

The Second Capsize.

As she drifted, the mechanic again started the engine. It stalled again.

Again he started it, but again it stalled. The boat continued to drift.

When she was two-thirds of the way across the bay, a great sea struck her as she was beam on to it, and capsized her a second time. When she righted herself, the motor mechanic, Richard Stevens, who was forward, was missing.

William Freeman, who was under the canopy above the engine controls had jammed one hand in the railing below the canopy. With the other he had grasped the starting handle. When the boat capsized, the pressure of the air trapped under the canopy was sufficient to keep the water out. Even when he was upside down, with the keel of the boat above him, his face was not under water.

The Third Capsize.

There were now only three men aboard, and the life-boat continued to drift towards Godrevy. The men were all aft. As she came close to the rocks, Matthew Barber, the bowman, who was acting as second coxswain, shouted, "Look out, a big sea coming." For the third time she was capsized. When she righted herself only William Free- man was on board. Matthew Barber and the assistant mechanic, John Cocking, had gone. He felt them go past him, but he never saw them again.

Three minutes later the life-boat struck the rocks near Godrevy. She was thrown on a fairly level ledge, her stern towards the shore. As the sea receded, William Freeman crawled out and made his way on all fours along the rocks. A sea overtook him, but it did not knock him over. He scrambled up a gap in the cliff, took off his water-logged boots, and made his way to Godrevy Farm. There he was taken in by Mr, and Mrs. Delbridge and put to bed. He was cut and much bruised. Mr. Delbridge then cycled to Hayle. From there he telephoned to Camborne for a doctor, and then tele- phoned the news of the disaster to the coastguard at St. Ives. It was from the coastguard that the life-boat station learned, at five minutes past seven, four and a quarter hours after the boat had put out, that she was smashed on the Godrevy rocks with only one of her crew alive.

As soon as the coastguard received the news they started to search the coast for the bodies of the seven other men. The Penlee life-boat was off Lands End, twelve miles from her station at 7.20. There she was sig- nalled by the coastguard to return as her services were no longer needed.

At the Scene of the Disaster.

Immediately the news of the disaster reached the headquarters of the In- stitution, Captain R. L. Hamer, R.N., the deputy chief inspector of life- boats, went down to St. Ives with the inspector of machinery and the chief draftsman (hull) and there met the southern district inspector, Lieut.- Commander H. L. Wheeler, R.N.

Lieut.-Col. C. R. Satterthwaite, O.B.E., secretary of the Institution, went down the same day, provided with funds to relieve any immediate necessities among the families of the men who had lost their lives.

The wrecked life-boat was at once placed under guard and was examined the next day. She was on one of the reefs of rock immediately to the south of Godrevy Island. She had been driven through a narrow gulley and left well above high-water mark. From.

the marks on the rocks and the damage to the boat it was evident that she had, at one time, been keel up on the rocks. From the place where she lay it was impossible to remove her by land or by sea, and she had been so severely damaged that she was beyond econ- omical repair.

The engine was not damaged. It was started without difficulty. The propeller was dented, but nothing was found foul of it. The engine was removed, and later the remains of the hull were burned.

The Inquest.

Four of the bodies had come ashore, almost at once, Coxswain Thomas Cocking, his son, John Bassett Cocking, Matthew Barber and William Barber. The inquest onthem was held on 25th January and was attended by the secretary, the deputy chief inspector of life-boats and the district inspector of life-boats.

The verdict was "Death by misadven- ture ". The funerals were held next day, the secretary, the deputy chief inspector of life-boats and the district inspector of life-boats, representing the Institution. Nearly all the men of St. Ives were present, and life-boatmen and fishermen from all round the Cornish coast.

In the end all the bodies were given up by the sea, the last of the seven on the 10th February.

The Men.

The seven men who lost their lives were: THOMAS COCKING, aged 65, the coxswain; MATTHEW STEVENS BARBER, aged 32, bowman and acting second coxswain; WILLIAM BRYANT BARBER, aged 37, acting bowman, the brother of Matthew; RICHARD QUICK STEVENS, aged 36, the motor mechanic; JOHN BASSETT COCKING, aged 38.

assistant motor mechanic, son of the coxswain; JOHN THOMAS, aged 42, signalman; EDGAR BASSETT, aged 29.

Coxswain Cocking had been a member of the crew for many years. He was appointed bowman in 1919, second coxswain a year or two later, and coxswain in 1928. On the 31st January, 1938, he won the Institution's silver medal for gallantry for rescuing the crew of the steamer Alba, of Panama. He was a coxswain of long experience, and all who knew him at St. Ives described him as a natural leader, a man who did not know what fear was. No man, they said, could have stopped him taking his boat to sea, and his crew would follow him, as they did, to death.

Of the other six men who were drowned, four, Matthew Barber, William Barber, John Bassett Cocking and John Thomas also took part in the service to the Alba, were awarded the Institution's bronze medals for gallantry, and came to London with Coxswain Cocking in 1938, to receive their medals from the Duke of Kent.

The survivor, William Freeman, aged 36, is a fisherman. He had not beeu out in the life-boat on service before.

He came down to the launch on the morning of 23rd January and insisted on taking the place of a regular member of the crew who was preparing to go out although he was ill.

Messages of Sympathy.

The Duke of Kent, K.G., president of the Institution, sent the following telegram of sympathy to Mr. E. L.

Guppy, the honorary secretary of the station: " Deeply regret to hear of disaster to St. Ives life-boat resulting in loss of seven lives. Please convey my deepest sympathy to relatives of those who gave their lives in the performance of their duty." Many other messages of sympathy were received—from other branches of the Institution, from foreign life-boat services, and one from the wife of the captain of the s.s. Alba, in Hungary.

The Mystery of the Ship in Distress.

What ship it was that was in distress off Cape Cornwall will never be certainly known. It is possible that she got out of danger and went on her way. Or she may have been the 3,000-ton Glasgow steamer Wilston, with a crew of over 30 men. The Wilston had left Newport. Monmouthshire, on the even- ing of 21st January, bound for the Mediterranean. Two days after the wreck of the life-boat, wreckage began to come ashore at Wicca Cove, some six miles to the east of Cape Cornwall, a life-buoy with the Wilston's name on it, and bodies of men who were identified as members of her crew.

Pensions.

The seven men were all married, and besides the seven widows there are eight children, and one of the widows is expecting a child. On the day of the disaster it was announced that, as from that day, the Institution would give pensions, and allowances for the children, on the same scale as if the men had been sailors, soldiers or airmen killed in action. It has also given pensions and allowances to other dependent relatives who would not, under the pension scheme for thearmed forces of the Crown, be entitled to receive them.

The pensions will amount to over £600 a year.

The Institution has paid all funeral expenses, and has given to the widows the money awards for the launch.

These amount to £4 14s. a man. In addition to this reward on the standard scale, the Institution has given a special reward of £10 to William Freeman. The total rewards to crew and launchers amount to £88 2s.

Bronze Medals.

The Institution has also awarded its bronze medal for gallantry to William Freeman, and bronze medals post- humously to the seven other men.

Freeman's medal is accompanied by a copy of the vote inscribed on vellum, and special certificates have been awarded to the widows, recording that their husbands died on service. The vellum and certificates have been signed by H.R.H. the Duke of Kent, K.G., President of the Institution.

Special letters of thanks have been sent to Mr. E. Leigh Guppy, the honorary secretary of the station, to the coastguard, the police, the St.

John Ambulance Association, Mr. and Mrs. Delbridge, who took in William Freeman, and others who helped.

The Mayor of St. Ives' Fund.

The Mayor of St. Ives opened a fund to supplement the pensions given by the Institution, and the Western Morning News, of Plymouth, also opened a fund.

The response was immediate and very generous. Though it was intended that the appeal should be confined to the West Country, contributions have come from all over Great Britain and a few from Ireland. There have been many gifts of £30, £40 and £50 each.

An old age pensioner sent a three- penny bit. Cornish towns have con- tributed very generously, Leeds, through its Lord Mayor, has sent £100, and many Ladies' Life-boat Guilds have also contributed. The outstanding gift has been £511 raised by ladies of the Ladies' Life-boat Guild of Falmouth.

The total response is about £9,500.

Gifts to the Institution.

The Institution has received gifts amounting to over £100 for the de- pendents of the men who lost their lives, and these havebeen sent on to the Mayor of St. Ives. It has also received gifts amounting to nearly £200 to its own funds in sympathy for the disaster. The largest of these gifts to the Institution was £52 10s. from the Civil Service Life-boat Fund. Another came from Wells Cathedral, and several came from schools.

The Record of the Station.

A life-boat was established at St.

Ives in 1840. Its life-boats have been launched on service 129 times. They have rescued 434 lives. Until 23rd January, 1939, not a life had been lost from among its crews.

The Last Disaster.

The last life-boat disaster was just over ten years ago, when, on the 15th November, 1928, the Rye Harbour life-boat, returning from service, cap- sized in the surf and all the 17 men of her crew were drowned. In the ten years between these two disasters— from the beginning of 1929 to the end of 1938—life-boats have been launched on service 3,613 times. Over 30,000 life- boatmen have been out in them. They have rescued 3,503 lives, and during that time only one life-boatman has lost his life, and his death was not due to any accident to the life-boat. The man was Coxswain Robert Patton, of Runswick, who, in attempting to help a crippled man from the wreck into the life-boat, was dragged overboard and crushed between the life-boat and the wreck. Since 1850 one life has been lost for approximately 170 lives rescued.

During the past ten years one life has been lost—and that through no mishap but by deliberate self-sacrifice—for 3,503 lives rescued.

Memorial Services.

On the Sunday following the disaster, 29th January, a memorial service was held in St. Ives Parish Church, and the sermon was preached by the Bishop of Truro (Dr. J. W. Hunkin, O.B.E..

M.C.).

Three days later a memorial service was held in the Wesley Methodist Church, St. Ives. The service was con- ducted by the Rev. J. Opie Urmson, and the singing was led by the combined choirs of the Methodist Churches of St.jves. Among those present were the Mayor of St. Ives, the Mayor of Penzance, the vicar of St. Ives, an adjutant of the Salvation Army, representatives of the St. Ives life-boat station, the St. Ives Ladies' Life-boat Guild, the Ship- wrecked Fishermen and Mariners' Royal Benevolent Society, and many St. Ives societies. The Institution itself was represented by its deputy- chairman, the Hon. George Colville.

Addresses were given by the Rev J. Opie Urmson, the Mayor of St. Ives, the Mayor of Penzance, and Mr. Colville..