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Lord Templewood's Tribute

At the funeral service held in Cromer Parish Church on the 17th of June more than 1,400 people crowded into the church, and many hundreds more stood on the pavements outside. The life-boat coxswains of Sheringham, Wells, Caister and Gorleston carried the coffin. In his address the vicar, the Rev. E. T. Dick, described Cox- swain Blogg as "Cromer's greatest son," and Viscount Templewood, President of the Cromer branch of the Institution, said: "We are here to pay the last tribute to a very gallant man of simple tastes, great courage and strong character. His exploits are known to the whole nation. . . . We in the neighbourhood of Cromer are especially proud of him. We knew him to be one of the bravest men who ever lived." At the Cromer Magistrates' Court and at a meeting of the Sheringham Urban District Council proceedings were delayed until tributes had been paid to the late coxswain. The Chair- man of the Cromer Magistrates' Court, Mr. R. W. Ketton-Cremer, said: "His extraordinary skill and courage and the number of lives that were saved by the brave men whom he com- manded became a matter of not only local but also of national history." The Chairman of the Sheringham Urban District Council, Mr. H. G.

Johnson, said: "I knew Henry Blogg as a very modest gentleman, yet whenever I heard his name mentioned I always thought of the many hundreds of seamen who in dire distress were cheered by the words 'Blogg is coming'." Chief Inspector's Broadcast Tributes to the late Coxswain Blogg were also paid in a programme broad- cast by the B.B.C. on the 21st of July, in which Commander T. G. Michel- more, Chief Inspector of Life-boats, said: "Coxswain Henry Blogg, whose death recently occurred, was coxswain of the Cromer life-boats for 38 years until he retired in 1947 at the age of 71. Altogether, he served 53 years in the Cromer life-boats, during which period they rescued 873 lives. For his part in this great achievement he was decorated with the George Cross and the British Empire Medal, and was three times awarded the R.N.L.I.

gold medal for most conspicuous gallantry and four times their silver medal. A record unlikely to be equalled.

"It has been my privilege not only to have been associated with Henry Blogg for a number of years but to have known him and to have enjoyed his friendship.

"He was a big man in every sense of the word, a kindly genial man of exemplary character and possessing a youthful spirit; a magnificent seaman of very few words with the courage of a lion; a man of quick decisions and resolute action, sparing neither him- self, his crew, nor the life-boat, in taking grave risks to rescue unfortun- ate seamen faced with disaster. He always succeeded and always beat the fury of the gale.

Church Bells Ringing "On his return to Cromer after one particularly gallant rescue, and hearing the church bells ringing to welcome him and his crew he asked: 'What's all this fuss about ?' " That was Henry Blogg, a man who belittled his own gallant actions and a man who disliked intensely any form of publicity, in which he would take no part unless he could be assured that in doing so he would further the interests of the R.N.L.I., to whose ideals he was intensely loyal.

"To those of us who have to design new life-boats, his views, opinions and vast experience were of very great value.

"This outstanding man of our time, this very gallant gentleman, whose name has become legendary, is no longer with us, but his spirit is em- bodied in the Cromer No. 1 life-boat which bears his name—Henry Blogg— and which is so ably commanded bv his nephew.".