French trawler THE FRENCH TRAWLER Floralie, 30 miles off Trevose Head on a bearing of 287°, reported in the early hours of Friday October 17, 1980, that she had a serious leak and needed immediate assistance. HMS Pollington, 40 miles north of Land's End and within about ten minutes steaming of Floralie, set course for the casualty and at 0200 Padstow lifeboat, the 48ft 6in Oakley James and Catherine Macfarlane, was launched to help, the nearest port of refuge being Padstow; she was under the command of Coxswain Trevor England.

HMS Pollington rendezvoused with Floralie at 0127, but the trawler's skipper indicated that he would not abandon his vessel and intended to steam to Newlyn. With a force 8 gale blowing from north north west and seas up to 15 to 18 feet high, it was impossible to transfer men or pumps from the warship to the fishing boat. Pollington agreed to escort Floralie to Newlyn but asked for lifeboat help so that the fishing boat's crew could be taken off should she be in danger of sinking.

At 0231 Land's End Coastguard asked that St Ives lifeboat should be launched to escort the fishing boat, and when it became obvious that, with Floralie and Pollington steaming south at 8 knots for Newlyn, Padstow lifeboat would be involved in a stern chase and would probably not be able to catch up with the casualty, she was recalled.

She was back on station and once again ready for service at 0600.

In view of the severe conditions at St Ives the honorary secretary and Coxswain Thomas Cocking made a very careful inspection of all the launchinggear, boat, carriage and tractor and all personal equipment of the crew before launching began.

The gale had now gone round to the north east. With only one hour to low water St Ives' lifeboat, the 37ft Oakley Frank Pen/old Marshall, was drawn from her boathouse by tractor. Having crossed the harbour bottom, the boat was turned towards the sea and pushed across the beach, out beyond the pier and to the sea. There is a shallow bank clear of St Ives Harbour running south east, in line with the shore. At this stage of tide it is necessary to push the boat and carriage out to this bank so that the boat is launched over it into deep water. The sea was very rough with a heavy onshore swell.

As soon as the boat, carriage and tractor entered the water the crew and launchers alike were soaked with flying spray. While pushing the lifeboat through the relatively deep water, with a depth of about four feet, Head Launcher Jimmy Benney and Tractor Driver John Tanner had to withstand seas breaking over them, several of which could have washed them out of the tractor. By the time they reached the launching position, both men were soaked to the skin and extremely cold.

Carefully choosing the best wave formation, Coxswain Cocking gave the order to launch, the retaining chains to the carriage were released, the engine engaged ahead and the tractor backed towards the shore, thereby drawing the boat off the carriage. Despite all preparations, the unforeseen happened; one track on the tractor locked, the tractor slewed to starboard while the carriage and boat slewed to port.

The boat did not launch. Released from her carriage, she was lifted by a wave and set back on to her carriage out of line, landing with her keel between the carriage keelway and the bilge support. With great presence of mind, Coxswain Cocking put his engines to neutral, knowing that the propellers would be touching the wooden bilge keel supports. And with even greater presence of mind, Head Launcher Benney and Tractor Driver Tanner, although they would have been in great danger had the lifeboat been washed on top of the tractor, engaged ahead gear, straightened up the tractor and carriage and managed to hold everything straight while the lifeboat launched into the next trough.

At 0301 St Ives lifeboat set out on service and she rendezvoused with Floralie and Pollington at 0409, some eight miles north west by west of Pendeen Light and escorted them around Cape Cornwall.

At 0430, Sennen Cove lifeboat, the 37ft 6in Rother Diana White, which had launched under the command of Coxswain Maurice Hutchens at 0305, came up with the three vessels and, while St Ives lifeboat returned to station, together with the warship, she took over the escort of the trawler roundGwennap Head and well into the lee of the land.

Floralie, with HMS Pollington still in company, entered Newlyn Harbour at 0743, where pumps were used to pump her out. Diana White returned to Sennen Cove at 0720 and was rehoused and ready for service at 0800, and Frank Pen/old Marshall returned to St Ives at 0715 and was rehoused and ready for service an hour later.

For this service, framed letters of thanks signed by the Duke of Atholl, chairman of the Institution, were presented to Head Launcher Jimmy Benney and Tractor Driver John L. Tanner of St Ives, and a letter of appreciation signed by Rear Admiral W. J. Graham, director of the Institution, was sent to Coxswain Thomas Cocking..