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The Penlee Lifeboat Tragedy


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Posted
  • Location: Camborne
  • Location: Camborne

At 21.25 on the 19th of December 1981, whilst battling against ferocious seas in Boscawen Bay, the Penlee lifeboat, the Solomon Browne, suddenly disappeared. All the crew were lost and also the four people that they had by some miracle rescued from the stricken coaster the Union Star. The small Cornish village of Mousehole was plunged into mourning.

The events that subsequently led to the tragedy had begun about three hours earlier. At approximately 1800 the captain of the Union Star had contacted Falmouth Coastguard saying that her engines had stopped and requested a helicopter to stand by. He gave his position as eight miles east of east of Wolf Rock. As it turned out he was three miles south of where he thought he was. There were seven others on board the Union Star beside the captain; his wife and two stepdaughters and four crew members. The weather at the time reasonable but due to deteriorate rapidly.

At that time there was no imminent danger but it was situation that could change in very short space of time. A Sea King helicopter from RNAS was brought to readiness and the Penlee lifeboat on standby. There was also an ocean-going tug, the Noord Holland, captained by Guy Buurman, on permanent station in Mount’s Bay.

Henry Moreton, the captain of the Union Star, was asked if he would like the salvage tug to come and stand by to which he replied in the affirmative. So the Noord Holland was contacted. But after this the situation went downhill as the two skippers disagreed. Basically Moreton wouldn’t accept a Lloyds Open Form, probably because it would cost thousands if it was simple job to repair to the engines. Despite this Buurman did set sail. Whilst this was going the weather was deteriorating fairly rapidly, the wind at Land’s End was force 8, gusting 10 or 11 although not that much time had elapsed.

Cutting a long story short it was eventually agreed that the tug should proceed and tow the Union Star but by then it was too late as the former was to close to land and thus too dangerous for the tug to carry out the manoeuvre. So finally at 1950 the Sea King was scrambled and the Solomon Browne launched. The former was piloted by Lt. Commander Russell Smith an American on exchange from the US Navy. By this time the weather was appalling with winds gusting up to 80 kts with waves up to 40ft. It’s impossible to exaggerate the skill and bravery of the Sea King crew during the next hour but the conditions were such that there was nothing they could do. It was a miracle that they didn’t perish as well.

By the time the Penlee lifeboat arrived the Union Star was well into the shallows and only 500 yards off shore. The detail of the next twenty or so minutes is hair raising as the lifeboat made repeated attempts to get alongside in 35-40 foot seas and also had to contend with the backlash from the cliffs. The seamanship of Trevelyan Richards the coxswain is unbelievable. On one occasion as they came alongside the lifeboat was lifted by the waves and landed on the Union Star which then rolled and the lifeboat slid off apparently undamaged. She then came around again and incredibly managed to take four men off. It was as she steered out to sea after this, presumably getting ready to return to rescue the remaining four, that she disappeared from sight. At roughly the same time the Union Star crashed against the rocks and the four people still on board also perished.

This is far better expressed by an extract from a letter that Lt. Commander Smith wrote to Commander Cooper of the RNLI.

Throughout the entire rescue evolution the Penlee crew never appeared to hesitate. After each time they were washed, blown or bumped away from the casualty the Penlee immediately commenced another run-in. Their spirit and dedication was amazing considering the horrific hurricane seas and the constant pounding they were taking. The greatest act of courage that I have ever seen , and am likely ever to see, was the penultimate courage and dedication shown by the Penlee when it manoeuvred back alongside the casualty in over 60 foot breakers and rescuing four people shortly after the Penlee had been bashed on top of the casualty’s hatch covers.

They were truly the bravest eight men I’ve ever seen who were also totally dedicated to upholding the highest standards of the RNLI.

The inquiry into the disaster determined that the loss of the Union Star and its crew was because of.

  1. the irreparable failure of the ship's engines due to contamination of fuel by sea water while off a dangerous lee shore
  2. the extreme severity of the weather, wind and sea
  3. the capsize of the vessel on or shortly after stranding

It’s fair to say the findings were somewhat controversial.

The eight brave men who perished.

William Trevelyan Richards

James Stephen Madron

Nigel Brockman

John Robert Blewett

Charles Thomas Greenhaugh

Kevin Smith

Barrie Robertson Torrie

Gary Lee Wallis

Weather charts © Met. Office.

Photo licensed under the creative commons under which it remains.

Penlee_boathouse_from_the_foreshore.jpg

Edited by weather ship
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Posted
  • Location: just south of Doncaster, Sth Yorks
  • Location: just south of Doncaster, Sth Yorks

thanks for that Fred-truly amazing courage by all those trying to rescue others, and especially those in the lifeboat, so many from such a small fishing village.

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Posted
  • Location: Bognor Regis West Sussex
  • Location: Bognor Regis West Sussex

They were truly brave men! I remember the day and the sad news that rescued and rescuers had perished.

Please everyone, next time you go to pass by a lifeboat charity box, remember these men and give generously. It isn't only seamen who are rescued, it could be your child or grandchild on a day trip to the seaside.

To me the saddest thing is that these brave men aren't supported by government funds but only by public charity.

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Posted
  • Location: s yorks
  • Weather Preferences: c'mon thunder
  • Location: s yorks

I was a schoolkid but remember this as relatives told us about it who lived in Helston the summer following when we had holidays down their in 82.

BBC ran a special on it around 3-6 years ago on the anniversary (for choice of a better word?) date,

extremely thought provoking but Mousehole is always very sombre on the 19th of Dec every year when the xmas light are turned off in respect,

Was the youngest only 17 years old?

One of the saddest true storys of courage in the face of doom i`ve ever read but many thanks for posting!

(Without wishing to undermine your blog I find the 2 policeman who were swept of Cliff road, Porthleven by a storm surge wave to their deaths on 13th Dec 1978 equally fascinating?

Here)

(Wonder what the weather charts showed that day?)

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Posted
  • Location: Milton Keynes MK
  • Weather Preferences: anything extreme or intense !
  • Location: Milton Keynes MK

I watched the BBC documentary 'Cruel Sea' about this, I found it really emotional listening to the radio transmissions when it became obvious all lives had been lost.

This is a lovely tribute ...

As coldfingers has said we should all support the Lifeboat charity, even those of us who don't live by the sea can find ourselves needing their help when we are on holiday. I've been on a boat that could quite easily have got into trouble in a rough sea but thankfully it turned around and we got safely back into the harbour.

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Posted
  • Location: West London - ASL 36.85m/120ft
  • Weather Preferences: Cold/stormy
  • Location: West London - ASL 36.85m/120ft

I watched the BBC documentary 'Cruel Sea' about this, I found it really emotional listening to the radio transmissions when it became obvious all lives had been lost.

This is a lovely tribute ...

As coldfingers has said we should all support the Lifeboat charity, even those of us who don't live by the sea can find ourselves needing their help when we are on holiday. I've been on a boat that could quite easily have got into trouble in a rough sea but thankfully it turned around and we got safely back into the harbour.

Thats why i suport them

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Posted
  • Location: Camborne
  • Location: Camborne

I was a schoolkid but remember this as relatives told us about it who lived in Helston the summer following when we had holidays down their in 82.

BBC ran a special on it around 3-6 years ago on the anniversary (for choice of a better word?) date,

extremely thought provoking but Mousehole is always very sombre on the 19th of Dec every year when the xmas light are turned off in respect,

Was the youngest only 17 years old?

One of the saddest true storys of courage in the face of doom i`ve ever read but many thanks for posting!

(Without wishing to undermine your blog I find the 2 policeman who were swept of Cliff road, Porthleven by a storm surge wave to their deaths on 13th Dec 1978 equally fascinating?

Here)

(Wonder what the weather charts showed that day?)

Gary Wallis was the youngest at 23.

Penlee now has a new lifeboat the Mabel Alice donated by David Robinson and named after his wife. It's an 'Arun' class boat so doesn't need a slipway. It can be found moored at Newlyn when not out on a call.

I'm afraid there is a long history of people being washed off of harbour roads and walls. For this reason, after a past fatality when a young lad was swept to his death, the west wall of Portreath is permanently inaccessable. (see thumbnail). As for the chart you mentioned the 1200z shows a deep depression west of Ireland giving SW winds into Porthleven. Not ideal.

Edited by weather ship
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Posted
  • Location: Camborne
  • Location: Camborne

I'm not in any way trying to compare the two but one musn't forget the skill and bravery of the helicopter crew. As the tragic events unfolded at the end the helicopter hovered 100 feet above the wreck so that it's searchlight could be used. This was done in total darkness, with winds gusting to 100mph and knowing they had 300 foot cliffs within yards of their rotors. The tragedy could so easily have been worse than it was if that's possible.

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Posted
  • Location: s yorks
  • Weather Preferences: c'mon thunder
  • Location: s yorks

Gary Wallis was the youngest at 23.

Thanks WS,

I remember what it was now,

he was filmed when he was 17 and an apprentice on one of his first outings before fate struck a few years later,

The later programme feature aired was very sad when it showed the crew years before the tragedy occurred.

As for the chart you mentioned the 1200z shows a deep depression west of Ireland giving SW winds into Porthleven. Not ideal.

thank you for the chart too :good:

may have been that the `bars tightened later in the day to bring the high seas?

then again it don`t take much for high seas in that wonderful part of the country does it?

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Posted
  • Location: Camborne
  • Location: Camborne

Thanks WS,

I remember what it was now,

he was filmed when he was 17 and an apprentice on one of his first outings before fate struck a few years later,

The later programme feature aired was very sad when it showed the crew years before the tragedy occurred.

thank you for the chart too :good:

may have been that the `bars tightened later in the day to bring the high seas?

then again it don`t take much for high seas in that wonderful part of the country does it?

This is the chart for 1800z on the 12th. Remember that a deep depression in this area will generate a very large swell from roughly the SW. It is now known that given certain conditions a combination of the swell and wind waves can generate the odd wave that is considerable higher than the norm. I don't know if that was the case here but it's certainly a possibility.

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  • 7 years later...
Posted
  • Location: Camborne
  • Location: Camborne

Came across this recently H/t Craig Weatherhill

Quote

Mention of the BBC documentary on the Penlee disaster reminded me of this. I wrote the lyrics the morning after it happened as a sort of release to the shock, but did nothing with it until years later, when Cornish bard Jim Wearne in Chicago saw it. "I can put that to music," he said, pulled in his mate Robert Rose, and me playing mellotron (strings and the choir at the end), and this was the result.

https://soundcloud.com/craig-weatherhill/the-boys-of-penlee-wearneweatherhill?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=facebook

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