Mousehole - Remembering The Crew of the Solomon Browne
by Terri Waters
Title
Mousehole - Remembering The Crew of the Solomon Browne
Artist
Terri Waters
Medium
Photograph
Description
It is 40 years since the tragic events of 19th December 1981.
I felt compelled to visit the fishing village of Mousehole near Penzance in Cornwall where the ill fated rescue mission of the Union Star by the Solomon Browne lifeboat resulted in so many lost lives.
It was near hurricane conditions when the crew of the Solomon Brown left the shelter of Penlee Lifeboat Station to rescue the Union Star after its engines failed. The risks were known to be high so no two members from the same family were allowed to crew the lifeboat that night.
They battled against hurricane force winds and 50-foot waves to get alongside the Union Star and made run after run to try to rescue the crew but all eight people on board the Union Star, which was being swept towards the Cornish coast, lost their lives as did all member of the Solomon Browne.
The brave lifeboat crew who left Penlee Point that night were coxswain Trevelyan Richards, 56; mechanic Stephen Madron, 35; assistant mechanic Nigel Brockman, 43; crewmen John Blewett, 43; Charlie Greenhaugh, 46; Barrie Torrie, 33; Kevin Smith, 23; and Gary Wallis, 22.
Within 48 hours enough volunteers had come forward to form a new lifeboat crew
Respect!
Uploaded
December 19th, 2021
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