He was a famous lifeboatman from Cromer on the north coast of Norfolk, England. He is referred to as "the greatest of the lifeboatmen". From the epic rescue of the crew of the Pyrin and then of half of the crew of the Fernebo in 1917, through to his near drowning in the service to the English Trader in 1941, he would win the gold medal of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution three times and the silver medal four times, the George Cross, the British Empire Medal, and a series of other awards. He first went to sea as a lifeboatman in 1894 in the rowing lifeboat "Benjamin Bond Cabbell" and then served in the "Louisa Heartwell" as second coxswain under Jimmy 'Buttons' Harrison. When coxswain Harrison retired in 1909 due to ill health, he won the vote to take on the leadership role. From one half, about 16 men set out in a ship's boat. As they reached the edge of the breakers onto the beach, their boat was capsized. Teams of men, grasping each others arms, had walked into the water, and they were able to help the men from the boat, and aid them ashore. The ferocity of the sea threw the boat back onto the beach. Recarriage and try again. This happened at least three times. It was not until midnight, under the light of searchlights from the clifftop, that the lifeboat finally reached the stricken half-vessel and took off its crew. He had led his men for nearly 24 hours of heroic effort. He received a Silver Medal from the RNLI in 1932 for rescuing 30 men and a dog from the steamer "Monte Nevoso" aground on the Haisborough Sands. The Canine Defence League awarded him their own Silver Medal. He was awarded the BEM, the Empire Gallantry Medal and the George Cross.
He was a famous lifeboatman from Cromer on the north coast of Norfolk, England. He is referred to as "the greatest of the lifeboatmen". From the epic rescue of the crew of the Pyrin and then of half of the crew of the Fernebo in 1917, through to his near drowning in the service to the English Trader in 1941, he would win the gold medal of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution three times and the silver medal four times, the George Cross, the British Empire Medal, and a series of other awards. He first went to sea as a lifeboatman in 1894 in the rowing lifeboat "Benjamin Bond Cabbell" and then served in the "Louisa Heartwell" as second coxswain under Jimmy 'Buttons' Harrison. When coxswain Harrison retired in 1909 due to ill health, he won the vote to take on the leadership role. From one half, about 16 men set out in a ship's boat. As they reached the edge of the breakers onto the beach, their boat was capsized. Teams of men, grasping each others arms, had walked into the water, and they were able to help the men from the boat, and aid them ashore. The ferocity of the sea threw the boat back onto the beach. Recarriage and try again. This happened at least three times. It was not until midnight, under the light of searchlights from the clifftop, that the lifeboat finally reached the stricken half-vessel and took off its crew. He had led his men for nearly 24 hours of heroic effort. He received a Silver Medal from the RNLI in 1932 for rescuing 30 men and a dog from the steamer "Monte Nevoso" aground on the Haisborough Sands. The Canine Defence League awarded him their own Silver Medal. He was awarded the BEM, the Empire Gallantry Medal and the George Cross.
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