WHEN one travels from Norwich, roughly north west, one soon begins to sense that the sea is not far away. The trees on exposed ground have a stunted look caused by the prevailing wind: their limbs are bent in a certain direction.

The flatness of the country suddenly brings one to a fishing village, and then to sand dunes, where on a summer's day the hot sand is whipped up by the wind.

This is the approach I sensed when I wentlast year to Wells, on the Norfolk coast, to learn something of the history of this famous life-boat station.

It was in 1869, because of the frequency with which vessels ran aground on the outlying sands, that the R.N.L.I, established its own station there, the first life-boat being the Penny Readings and Eliza Adams which up to 1881 launched 15 times for 38 lives. But earlier than that—in the 1840s—the Wells Harbour Act decreed an 'efficient and well appointed lifeboat' to be maintained by the Harbour Commissioners.

The detail from the old wreck chart, reproduced on this page, shows how dense were the wrecks on that part of the coast just over 100 years ago—in 1869. Wells, incidentally, was the last station to use horses for launching.

That was in 1934.

On 29th October, 1880, the Wells life-boat capsized when returning to shore after a service.

Eleven out of her crew of 13 were drowned, leaving 10 widows and 27 children.

THE LIFE-BOAT for 1st February, 1881, reported that, in addition to the Wells accident, life-boats at Great Yarmouth and Harwich had also recently been upset with loss of life.

The issue stated: 'The Wells disaster was by far the most fatal accident that had ever befallen a Life-boat belonging to the National Life-boat Institution, the largest number of lives ever before lost, on any one occasion, having been six'.

Today near the old life-boat house on the West Quay there is a memorial to the men who lost their lives in the Wells capsizing of 1880.

The first life-boat house was erected at Wellsin 1869, the cost being £300. In 1880 a slipway was constructed at a cost of £30. Then, because of north winds, a new life-boat house with slipway was built on the beach a mile from Wells in 1895 for £550. Despite the mile run from the town, Lt. David J. Case, R.N.V.R., the honorary secretary, reckons to get the lifeboat away five minutes after the firing of the maroons.

On 14th July, 1942, the late Coxswain Theodor T. L. Neilson of the Wells life-boat carried out a service to a crashed Lancaster bomber which earnt him a vellum. It was at 5.39 a.m. on that day that a message was received that an aeroplane had crashed three miles out. The bomber was found standing onits nose, with its tail and part of its port wing broken. One man in a weak state was found clinging to the aircraft. As there was no sign of the other crew members Coxswain Neilson hoisted himself on to the edge of the wing and, despite the danger of the machine turning over and trapping him, walked along it to the fuselage.

He reached the fuselage but could see no one.

The Wells boat took part in an interesting service on 5th May, 1943, although a motor launch beat the life-boat to the casualty. The R.A.F., many miles to the east, had dropped an airborne life-boat by means of parachutes to a dinghy, the intention being for the survivors to make for the East Coast under their own steam. The craft, however, broke down when still 12 miles from Wells, for which place it was making, and was seen by a motor launch as the local life-boat was heading for the casualty.

This was the first occasion during the war that one of the new airborne life-boats had been used in this way, the survivors having come from a Halifax bomber 50 miles out in the North Sea.

The war had not been over very long before an unusual attempt was made to steal the Wells life-boat. It happened on the night of 7thJanuary, 1946, and the attempt was made by seven German prisoners of war who were waiting to be repatriated. They broke open a window and tried, unsuccessfully, to start theengine of the life-boat. Shortly afterwards they were detained.

In 1955 a vellum was awarded to Coxswain William R. Cox for the rescue of five of the crew from the s.s. Zj r of Istanbul. This service took place on 18th May in a strong northerly gale with squalls of sleet and hail. The £or was loaded with timber and, as each successive sea hit her, baulks of wood fell from her deck into the sea.

Then, in 1963, Second Coxswain Frank R.

Taylor, D.S.M., was awarded the bronze medal for the rescue of two people from the cabin cruiser Seamu, of Frinton, on 18th/19th May.

This rescue took place in a rough sea, and dueto the state of the tide the life-boat tractor and carriage had to negotiate deep water before reaching the launching site.

A year later—on 29th/30th August—Coxswain David Cox was awarded a vellum for the 'determination and courage' he displayed in attempting to carry out a service to the yacht Kiskadee. The yacht was aground on a sandbank about half a mile west of Blakeney Point, lying beam on to a confused sea which was washing over her. Additionally there was a heavy breaking surf and it was a very dark night.

Coxswain Cox made four attempts to reach the vessel. Eventually, with the life-boat standing by, the yacht was towed in by a shore boat.

In a service to the oil rig Sea Gem on 28th December, 1965, the Wells life-boat was at sea for 21 hours in very severe weather conditions.

The Wells life-boat is the Ernest Tom feathercoat —a 37-foot Oakley—which was built in 1965. Coxswain David Cox heads the crew.

Wells has always been in a position to muster more men than needed. The majority are fishermen.

As at other stations there is a considerable family connection with the life-boat service at Wells. The Cox and Grimes families have splendid records of service to the R.N.L.I.

Grandfather George Henry Cox served at Sheringham and Wells over a period of 50 years, and with his four sons and two grandsons, three of whom are still serving, they have between them given 274 years service in lifeboats.

The record is: James R. (Jimmy)—48 years, many as mechanic; Charles McD.

('Loady')—44 years as an assistant mechanic; William R. (Billy)—40 years, several as coxswain of the Cecil Paine; John C. (Jack)—38years, bowman; Alan McD.—28 years, assistant mechanic; David J.—26 years, the present coxswain. The last three are still serving.

The Grimes family between father William Edward and his five sons have given 194 years' service, and this in spite of the fact that some of them left the sea. William Edward served for years, 21 of which were as the coxswain of the Baltic, and his sons Rowley 38 years, many as bowman, Reggie 30 years, 'Patchy' 20 years, George 21 years and Cyril 44 years. When William Edward Grimes was coxswain of the Baltic it was not unusual for 10 members of the crew of 17 to be from the Cox and Grimes families! Today's team are: Second Coxswain Taylor, Motor Mechanic Albert 'Boy' Court, Assistant Motor Mechanic Alan Cox, Crew: Graham Walker, Alan Cooper, John Betts, Samuel Abel, Richard Abel, Anthony Fulford, Jack Cox (a fisherman who is also a marine artist) and Roger Bishop. Mr. George Jay is the head launcher, and the tractor driver is Mr. George Read. The Abel twins, Samuel and Richard, mostly manage the IRB.

Wells seems to be a retirement haven forR.N.L.I, life-boats, once they have left the reserve fleet. When I visited Wells I was told that there were seven ex life-boats there, mostly of the Liverpool type, and that they were generally used for fishing. The Cox family have three, the Spero II, formerly O.N. 797 Howard D, from St. Helier in the Channel Islands, the Anne Wills from Skegness and the Elizabeth Wills Allen from Seaham Harbour. The honorary secretary owns the former W. Ross Macarthur of Glasgow from St. Abbs, now named Viking of Wells.

Wells has a population of 3,000, mostly engaged in agriculture, but in the summer the number increases to 6,000 or more. The Y.L.A.

potential at Wells is, therefore, an aspect which is kept in mind, especially since many privately owned vessels put into the harbour in the summer months. Overland visitors mostly come from the east and south Midlands, including places like Derby, Luton and Bedford.

Wells has a very energetic ladies' life-boat guild. In 1969—the centenary year—they raised £800 for the R.N.L.I. and, said a local official, 'they are a very real part of this station's existence and we cannot speak too highly of their work on our behalf..