THE LIFEBOAT. the Journal of the Royal National Life-Boat Institution
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THE LIFEBOAT. The Journal of the Royal National Life-boat Institution. Vol. XXVIII.—No. 312.] NOVEMBER, 1932. [PKICE THE LIFE-BOAT FLEET Motor Life-boats, 109 :: Pulling & Sailing Life-boats, 67 LIVES RESCUED from the foundation of the Institution in 1824 to November 26th, 1932 - 63,058 Silver Medal Service at Cromer. AT four in the morning of Friday, 14th About daylight the tow ropes of two October, a 5,000-ton Italian steamer, of the tugs broke, and a third tug had the Monte Nevoso, of Genoa, on her way to cut her tow as she was in a very from Buenos Ayres to Hull, stranded on dangerous position. By eight o'clock the Haisboro' Sands, some fourteen all the tugs had had to cast off the tow- miles from Cromer. The weather was ropes ; the steamer showed signs of then fine, with a moderate westerly breaking up, and the Life-boat was breeze. The steamer sent out a wireless signalled to take ofi her crew. message at 8.30 in the morning, asking for the help of tugs. The news reached The Rescue. Cromer from the Coastguard at Gorles- Coxswain Blogg weighed anchor, and ton, and at 9.30 the Motor Life-boat getting as near the steamer as he could, was launched. She reached the steamer he anchored again to windward and about noon, to find the tug Noordzee, of veered alongside. In the heavy sea Rotterdam, standing by. A man from running it was a hard and dangerous the tug had gone on board the steamer. task to transfer the steamer's crew Coxswain Blogg, of the Life-boat, also to the Life-boat. It took an hour to get went on board, and it was arranged that them on board her, and one of them, the tug should try to refloat the steamer, misjudging the distance when he the Life-boat standing by. Five more jumped, fell into the sea between the tugs arrived later, and at 4.30 in the steamer and the Life-boat, where he afternoon the attempt to tow off the might have been crushed between the steamer began. The six tugs were all two, but he was hauled aboard unhurt. engaged in the work. At the end of an hour the Life-boat Meanwhile the wind, which had been had rescued the twenty-nine men of the moderate at first, was gradually in- steamer's crew and the man who had creasing, and by five in the morning of gone on board her from the Dutch tug. the Saturday a gale was blowing from The Captain, Mate, Chief Engineer and the North West, making a heavy sea. Wireless Operator refused to leave the Two or three times the Life-boat, which Monte Nevoso, and the Life-boat left, was anchored near the steamer, had to with the thirty rescued men, for weigh anchor and move into deeper Gorleston, twenty-one miles away, where water. she arrived about noon. Here the res- 566 THE LIFEBOAT. [NOVEMBER, 1932. cued men were taken to the Mariners' Cromer, where the Life-boat arrived at Eefuge, a fresh supply of petrol was one in the afternoon, nearly fifty-two taken on board, and some of the Life- hours after she had been launched. She boat's Crew, all of whom were soaked had travelled altogether some seventy through, got dry clothes. They had had miles. no food, except some dry bread, tinned Rewards. meat, and cheese, since they had gone It was an outstanding service, marked out at 9.30 on the morning of the pre- by faultless seamanship on the part of vious day. Nor had they touched the Coxswain Blogg, and great courage, emergency rum ration which all Life- endurance and devotion to duty on the boats carry. But without waiting to part of Coxswain and Crew. The Com- get a hot meal, and declining the offer mittee of Management have made the of the Great Yarmouth and Gorleston following awards:— Life-boat to relieve them, they put out To COXSWAIN HENRY G. BLOGG, the again at two o'clock and returned to the Silver Medal of the Institution, accom- wreck, in the hope of persuading the panied by a Vellum, signed by H.R.H. four men still on board to leave her. The Prince of Wales, K.G., as President The Life-boat reached the wreck at of the Institution. Coxswain Blogg has 4.45 in the afternoon, but the Captain already twice won the Gold Medal for still refused to abandon her. The conspicuous gallantry, and is the only weather was moderating. His wireless man living on whom this, the highest was in order. He would call for help honour of the Life-boat Service, has twice again if it were needed. been conferred. All three awards, it is interesting to note, have been for The First Meal for 35 hours. services to foreign vessels. Coxswain The Life-boat then returned to Blogg won the Gold Medal in 1917 for Gorleston, where the Crew had their the rescue of eleven lives from the first proper meal for thirty-five hours. Swedish steamer Fernebo, sunk by a They were put up at the Mariners' mine, and a Second Service Clasp to his Befuge, close to the Coastguard Station, Gold Medal in 1927 for the rescue so that they were ready to set out at of fifteen lives from the Dutch oil- once if an S.O.S; came. Nothing, how- tanker Georgia, which, like the Monte ever, was heard, and about five o'clock Nevoso, was wrecked on the Haisboro' on the Sunday morning Coxswain Blogg Sands. took the Life-boat out again, accom- To each of the twelve members of the panied by two tugs, and reached the Crew, the Thanks of the Institution wreck at eight o'clock. He found that inscribed on Vellum. she had broken her back, and that the Money awards have also been made four men had abandoned her and got amounting to £8 Os. Qd. each to the away in the steamer's motor-boat. Coxswain and Crew. The total pay- They had, however, left two dogs behind ments for the service, including the them, one a large St. Bernard, so the helpers and shore-attendant, amounted Life-boatmen boarded the wreck to to £106 9s. rescue them.- The St. Bernard they were The Canine Defence League has able to take. pJE;Jjn± the other, a small awarded its Silver Medal to Coxswain dog, would not allow itself to be caught, Blogg for the rescue of the dog. and the Life-boatmen were compelled At a meeting of the Cromer Urban to leave it behind. District Council on 7th November the As there was norsign of the motor-boat Chairman, Mr. Willins, referred to the with the four men on board (they were Institution's awards and said: " "We picked up by a trawler and taken to are sometimes told that Cromer is not Lowestoft), Coxswain Blogg made for sufficiently advertised. These gal- the Haisboro' Light Vessel, to find out lant men have done more to make the if the weather conditions were such as name of Cromcr famous than any work would allow the Life-boat to be taken your Advertising Association can ever up her slipway. He then made for hope to do." NOVEMBER, 1932.] THE LIFEBOAT. 567 By courtesy _of] [Associated Newspapers Ltd, 30 LIVES SAVED. The Italian steamer Monte Neoo$o on the Haisboro* Sands, with the Cromer Motor Life-boat standing by, and on the right a tug (see page 565). By courtesy of} [Daily Sketch- THE CROMER LIFE-BOAT CREW. In the centre, without a life-bell. Coxswain Henry Blogg. 568 THE LIFEBOAT. [NOVEMBER, 1932. Award to the Women Launchers of Dungeness. ON the 8th of October a whole gale was the Life-boat close alongside the barge blowing at Dungeness, Kent, from by means of the breast line ; the three South by East, a very heavy sea was men on board her—all young men— running and it was raining very heavily. jumped at once for the Life-boat, one A London barge, the Shamrock, bound of them with the barge's cat in his arms ; with a cargo to the Isle of Wight, with the line was cast off; and the rescue had three men on board, had anchored in been successfully accomplished without the roadstead off the Newcombe Sands, damage except that the bow-fender about one and a half miles North East of the Life-boat had been displaced. of the Life-boat Station. At 12.30 in It was impossible for the Life-boat to the afternoon she hoisted a signal of return to Dungeness against the gale, distress, as her anchors had started to so the Coxswain laid his course for drag. Folkestone. Meanwhile, the Hythe The No. 2 Pulling and Sailing Life- Life-boat Station had been kept in boat, a 42-feet boat, one of the largest touch with Dungeness, and when it was and heaviest in the Institution's Fleet, learnt that, at the first attempt, the was got out, and the thirty-seven Dungeness Life-boat had been blown launchers, of whom fourteen were off the skids, it was decided to launch women, pushed her down the skids to the Hythe Motor Life-boat. She was the sea. Twelve other women, wives got away a few minutes after the and sisters of the men launchers, also Dungeness Life-boat had been launched, gave their help. the Joint Hon.