40th Anniversary of the Penlee Lifeboat Disaster

On 19 December 1981, the Penlee Lifeboat was lost with all hands while attempting to rescue those aboard the coaster Union Star after its engines failed in heavy seas.

Having been contacted by the Coastguard, Coxswain Trevelyan Richards summoned the lifeboat’s volunteer crew and picked seven men to accompany him in the lifeboat. They were: Second Coxswain/Mechanic Stephen Madron, Assistant Mechanic Nigel Brockman, Emergency Mechanic John Blewett, crew-members Charlie
Greenhaugh, Kevin Smith, Barrie Torrie and Gary Wallis.

The lifeboat launched at 8:12 pm and headed out through the storm to the drifting coaster. The lifeboat was the Solomon Browne, a wooden 47′ (14 m) Watson Class boat built in 1960. After it had made several attempts to get alongside, the lifeboat radioed that “we’ve got four off”, but that was the last ever heard from anyone on either vessel. Sixteen people died, including the eight volunteer lifeboatmen.

The pilot of the rescue helicopter later called it “the greatest act of courage that I have ever seen, and am ever likely to see”, adding that the crew were “truly the bravest eight men I’ve ever seen who were also totally dedicated to upholding the highest standards of the RNLI.”

We are grateful to Janet Madron, Helen Bold and the RNLI for enabling us to honour their memory.