RNLI Services 1945
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Services by the Life-boats of the Institution, by Shore-boats and by Auxiliary Rescue- boats during 1945 During the year life-boats were launched 497 times. Of these launches 118 were to vessels and aeroplanes in distress through attack by the enemy or from other causes due to the war. The Record Month by Month Vessels Lives Number Lives which Lives Rescued of Rescued Life-boats Rescued by 1945 Life-boat by Saved or by Auxiliary Launches Life-boats Helped Shore-boats Rescue- to Save boats January . 63 100 6 4 - February . 53 22 6 5 - March . 43 45 5 10 - April . 41 56 18 1 7 May* . 26 25 2 4 - June . 28 80 3 26 - July . 40 24 6 14 - August . 39 13 7 - - September . 36 49 6 30 - October . 50 116 4 10 - November . 28 - - 22 - December . 50 23 2 1 - Totals . 497 553 65 127 7 * The war ended on the last minute of the eighth of May I Three Medals for Gallantry ANGLE, PEMBROKESHIRE On the 16th July, 1945, the Angle life-boat rescued nine of the crew of the S.S. Walter L. M. Russ. COXSWAIN JAMES WATKINS was awarded a clasp to his bronze medal. ST. IVES, CORNWALL On the 24th October, 1945, the St. Ives life-boat rescued two persons from the ketch Minnie Flossie, of Bideford. COXSWAIN WILLIAM PETERS was awarded the silver medal. WALTON AND FRINTON, ESSEX On the 21st December, 1945, the Walton and Frinton life-boat rescued the crew of five naval ratings of the motor fishing vessel No. 96, and the crew of six naval ratings of the motor fishing vessel No. 611. COXSWAIN THOMAS H. BLOOM was awarded a clasp to his bronze medal. Summary of the Year’s Work Launches of Life-boats. Including those in which no service was rendered. Launches before the end of war on 8th May - - - - - - - 204 Launches after the end of war - - - - - - - - - - - 293 Total of launches of life-boats - - - - - - - 497 Of the 204 launches before the end of war 118 were to vessels and aeroplanes in distress through attack by the enemy or on account of the war, and 86 were to vessels in distress from other causes Lives rescued. Lives rescued by life-boats before the end of war - - - - - 223 Lives rescued by life-boats after the end of war - - - - - 330 Total of lives rescued by life-boats - - - - - 553 Lives rescued by shore-boats, auxiliary rescue-boats and in other ways, for whose rescue the Institution gave rewards - - - 134 Total of lives rescued - - - - - - - - - - 687 Of the 223 lives rescued before the end of war 137 were from vessels and aeroplanes in distress through attack by the enemy, or on account of the war, and 86 were from vessels in distress from other causes. Persons landed. Persons landed who had been, or might have been, in danger or distress - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 234 Vessels and boats helped. Vessels and boats which life-boats saved or helped to save from destruction - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 65 Vessels or boats which life-boats stood by, escorted to safety or helped - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 210 9 Accounts of Services by Life-boats JANUARY vessel Oregon I ashore on the rocks close in- shore. She had a crew of forty-two. They Launches 63 Lives rescued 100 would not leave her, and she was being JANUARY 2ND. - SOUTHEND - ON - SEA, carried farther inshore. The life-boat stood ESSEX. At 12.10 in the afternoon the naval by. When the steamer had been carried in control told the coxswain that two ships had so far that her crew would be able to get been in collision between No. 1 and No. 2 Sea ashore without much difficulty, her captain Reach Buoys. There was a thick fog, with a said that the life-boat would no longer be light westerly breeze and a slight sea. The needed and she returned to her station, motor life-boat J. B. Proudfoot, on temporary arriving at 11.30 that morning. Later it was duty at the station, was launched at 12.30. learned that the steamer had broken her She found first the Liberty ship Fort St. Paul, back, and that her crew had got ashore. with her stem badly damaged, but not making - Rewards, £6 19s. water. As the other vessel was reported to be sinking the life-boat set out to search for JANUARY 4TH. - TEESMOUTH, YORK- her. She was the Admiralty vessel Ben My SHIRE. At 9.15 in the morning the port Chree, and the life-boat found her at anchor war signal station telephoned that a steamer half a mile west of Chapman Head Light- was ashore on the North Gare Breakwater. house. She was badly holed amidships and A strong and increasing north-north-east making a lot of water. The life-boat stood wind was blowing, with a rough sea. The by her for two hours. During that time the motor life-boat J. W. Archer was launched water was got under control and two tugs at 10.15 and found the S.S. Empire Prospero, arrived. As the life-boat was no longer of 6,766 tons gross. Her sternpost, rudder needed she returned to her station, arriving at and propeller were missing. At the master’s 5.5. - Rewards, £10 10s. request, the life-boat stood by until two o’clock and then returned to her station, ready JANUARY 3RD. - WALMER, KENT. At to go out again if needed. The master had 5.49 in the evening the Deal coastguard ordered tugs and a pilot for 4.30, but as the reported red flares east-by-north about four pilot cutter was unable to get near the miles distant. A south-west gale was steamer, the life-boat put out again at 4.15 blowing, with a rough sea, and squalls of rain with a pilot, and put him on board the and sleet. The motor life-boat Charles steamer. The life-boat stood by until high Dibdin (Civil Service No. 2), was launched water. It was then found that the tugs at 6.10 and near North West Goodwin Buoy could not get near, and the life-boat left for saw H.M.S. Balsom. At her request she went Middlesbrough Docks, where she remained to the help of eight men in a ship’s boat. until the 6th of January. The Tees Pilotage They had left the American steamer George Authority and the master of the Empire M. Verity during the afternoon to obtain Prospero expressed their thanks. - Rewards, supplies from another ship, but their engine £33 0s. 2d. had failed and they had been carried out towards the Goodwin Sands. As darkness JANUARY 5TH. - BARMOUTH, MERIO- approached and they were unable to regain NETHSHIRE. At 12.15 in the afternoon their ship they burnt red flares. The life- the coastguard reported a vessel apparently boat took on board the eight men and took in distress. A fresh north-west wind was the boat in tow. She intended to make for blowing, with a choppy sea and showers of Walmer, but learning that the George M. Verity sleet. The motor life-boat Lawrence Ardern was due to leave the Downs at eleven that Stockport, was launched at 12.42, and an hour night, she searched for her among the ships later found S.S. Vic 33 near St. Patrick’s at anchor in the Downs. During this search Causeway. She had a crew of five, and was the ship’s boat became water-logged, broke bound in ballast from Holyhead to Ports- adrift, and was lost. At 8.30 the life-boat mouth. She had lost her propeller and was found the steamer and put the men on board drifting, short of food and of fuel for lights. her. Her master handed a letter of apprecia- The life-boat brought ashore her first officer tion to the coxswain, and the life-boat at three o’clock to get food and other stores returned to her station, arriving at 9.45.- and took him out again to the steamer. It Rewards, £31 4s. was then six o’clock. As the Vic 33 was helpless, and the weather was threatening, JANUARY 4TH. - DONAGHADEE, CO. the life-boat stood by throughout the night. DOWN. At 8.10 in the morning the Bangor In the morning H.M.S. Loch Tulla arrived at coastguard telephoned that a vessel was nine o’clock and made preparations to take ashore at Wilson Point, Belfast Lough. A the Vic 33 in tow. The life-boat passed the northerly gale was blowing, with a very rough hawser. At 10.25 the Loch Tulla and the sea. The motor life-boat Civil Service No. 5 Vic 33 started on their way to Fishguard and left her moorings at 8.45, reached the position the life-boat returned to Barmouth. She within an hour, and found the Dutch motor arrived at 12.15 in the afternoon, just twenty- 10 SERVICES 1945 11 four hours after the Vic 33 had been reported Buoy, and lead her into the Tees. The in distress. - Rewards : first service, £10 18s. ; motor life-boat J. W. Archer was launched at second service, property salvage case. 12.15 and went to Hartlepool, but the pilot did not turn up, so she went without him to JANUARY 7TH. - HOWTH, CO. DUBLIN. the position appointed. As there was no At ten o’clock in the morning a telephone sign of the ship by two o’clock the life-boat message was received from Rush that the returned and after consulting the senior naval motor fishing boat Guiding Light, with a crew officer launched again at 2.10.