Henry 'Shrimp' Davies Former Cromer coxswain (see right) deaths Henry 'Shrimp' Davies Henry Davies was given the nickname 'Shrimp' after his famous uncle, coxswain Henry Blogg, saw him as a tiny baby.

He joined the lifeboat crew as soon as he was old enough. In all he served 44 years on the lifeboat crew, including 29 years as coxswain.

Shrimp spanned the years from rowing lifeboats to the modern fleet. In 1941 he received the Bronze Medal for the service to the SS English Trader. In a full northnorthwesterly gale English Trader went aground and five of her crew drowned.

The Watson class lifeboat HF Bailey launched to find the wreck lying on the sands with its hull nearly underwater.

As coxswain Henry Blogg made a second attempt to approach, a massive sea threw him, out of the boat. They were recovered, but signalman Allen collapsed and died.

With ropes around the propellers, the lifeboat limped to Yarmouth. The Great Yarmouth and Gorleston lifeboat Louise Stephens took her place, but after five attempts to approach, she also returned to the station.

Later Henry Blogg took his boat out again and reached the wreck in better weather. He took off 44 survivors. Of the 12-man crew of the Cromer lifeboat at the English Trader, nine were from the Davies family.

In 1948 Shrimp was coxswain of the lifeboat Henry Blogg for the service to the Francois Tixer, for which he was awarded the French Maritime Medal. He was coxswain of Henry Btogg for its final dramatic service Shrimp was also awarded the Thanks on Vellum five times; the British Empire Medal for services to the RNLI; and the RNLI's public relations awards.

During his lifetime he gave numerous interviews to newspapers and television and was the subject of This is Your Life.

He also appeared on Yesterday's Witness and, until last year, was always available at his beach tent to hire out chairs and windbreaks, and to appear as an ambassador for the RNLI and for his home town of Cromer..