THE LOSS OF SOLOMON BROWNE AND HER CREW, DECEMBER 19, 1981PENLEE LIFEBOAT, the 47ft Watson class Solomon Browne, with her coxswain, Trevelyan Richards, and all on board, was lost on the night of Saturday December 19 during a service to the 1,400 ton coaster Union Star, registered in Dublin.

Solomon Browne had launched in a violent storm to go to the aid of Union Star which had reported engine failure when eight miles east of Wolf Rock Lighthouse and which was drifting rapidly on to the cliffs four miles south west of Penlee lifeboat station; there were eight people on board, including one woman and two teenage girls. The weather was atrocious. The wind, blowing from south by east, increased to hurricane force 12, gusting to 90 knots; there was a heavy ground swell and the mountainous seas were reported to be 60ft high; in driving rain, visibility was very poor. So bad were the conditions that in spite of many attempts a Royal Navy Sea King helicopter, piloted by Lt-Cdr Russell L. Smith, USN, was unable to lift off any of the coaster's crew.

Coxswain Richards repeatedly took his lifeboat alongside the coaster in these appalling conditions to try to rescue the eight people on board. Latterly on at least two occasions the lifeboat was lifted by a huge wave on to the deck of Union Star, then sliding stern first back into the sea. Subsequently Coxswain Richards drove her alongside once more and four people on the deck jumped into the lifeboat. The Solomon Browne was observed to have slammed hard against the coaster's side but was seen moving away, apparently still under control.

The last radio message from the lifeboat confirmed that four people had been rescued and before returning to their base the helicopter crew saw Solomon Browne, then only about 50 yards off the steep-to rocky shore, turn, possibly to make another approach. There was no further radio contact with the lifeboat, but her lights were seen to disappear some ten minutes later, at about the same time that Union Star was overwhelmed and laid on her side to the west of Tater-du Lighthouse.

Despite many hours search through the night and the following day by the St Mary's, Isles of Scilly, 52ft Arun lifeboat Robert Edgar under the command of Coxswain Matthew Lethbridge, by The Lizard-Cadgwith 52ft Barnett lifeboat The Duke of Cornwall (Civil Service No 33) under the command of Coxswain/Mechanic Peter Mitchell, by helicopters, by HM Coastguard coast rescue teams and by fishing vessels, no survivors were recovered from either Solomon Browne or Union Star. The relief 37ft Oakley lifeboat The Vincent Nesfield, temporarily on station at Sennen Cove, also launched to search very early on December 20 under the command of Coxswain/Mechanic Maurice Hutchens but, heading into the full force of the storm and with wind against tide increasing the ferocity of the already tremendous seas, she was unable to round Land's End and had to return to station; she launched again to help in the later stages of the search.

Awards for gallantry have been made to the coxswain and crew of Solomon Browne for the rescue of four people from Union Star, despite the tragic endto their efforts. The gold medal for outstanding gallantry was awarded to Coxswain William Trevelyan Richards and the bronze medal for gallantry was awarded to each member of the lifeboat's crew: Second Coxswain/ Mechanic James Stephen Madron, Assistant Mechanic Nigel Brockman, Emergency Mechanic John Robert Blewett, Crew Member Charles Thomas Greenhaugh, Crew Member Kevin Smith, Crew Member Barrie Robertson Torrie and Crew Member Gary Lee Wallis. A gold medal service plaque was awarded to the station.

In the tragedy which followed their successful endeavours all eight men gave their lives. Those in Union Star who also perished were the captain, his wife and two step-daughters, and four crew members.

For the part they played in the subsequent search, letters of appreciation signed by Rear Admiral W. J. Graham, director of the Institution, were sent to Coxswain Matthew Lethbridge and his crew of St Mary's, Isles of Scilly, to Coxswain/Mechanic Peter Mitchell and his crew of The Lizard-Cadgwith, and to Coxswain/Mechanic Maurice Hutchens and his crew of Sennen Cove. Letters signed by Rear Admiral Graham were also sent to Rear Admiral E. R.

Anson, Flag Officer Naval Air Command, Yeovil, and Captain R. C. Dimmock, RN, the commanding officer of RNAS Culdrose, expressing the Institution's thanks to Lt-Cdr Russell L.

Smith, USN, and the other helicopter pilots and crews who had taken part in the attempted rescue and the search which followed..