On the night of December 19, 1981, eight volunteers put to sea in horrendous conditions determined to save the lives of eight people, including a pregnant mother and her two children, on board the foundering coaster the Union Star.
The men, all from Mousehole, all volunteers, didn't hesitate in their dedication to the RNLI and the Penlee lifeboat, the Solomon Browne, was launched at 8.12pm.
A little over an hour later she was lost with all hands.
Search and rescue crews set off and worked through the night in a vain attempt to find the lifeboat, her crew and those on board the Union Star.
Sennen lifeboat launched but was unable to make any headway in the horrendous conditions.
With no thought of the personal danger, the crews of St Mary's lifeboat and the Lizard lifeboat joined in the search and rescue mission, which continued throughout the subsequent days with the help of helicopter crews of RNAS Culdrose and a small fleet of fishing boats.
Just before 1am the first wreckage washed up in Lamorna Cove and when it was identified as having come from the Solomon Browne it became clear that the unthinkable had happened. The lifeboat had gone down, taking her crew with her.
They were: coxswain Trevelyan Richards, second coxswain/mechanic Stephen Madron, assistant mechanic Nigel Brockman, emergency mechanic John Robert Blewett and crew members Charles Thomas Greenhaugh, Kevin Smith, Barrie Robertson Torrie and Gary Lee Wallis.
The coaster was also lost with all hands
The men, all from Mousehole, all volunteers, didn't hesitate in their dedication to the RNLI and the Penlee lifeboat, the Solomon Browne, was launched at 8.12pm.
A little over an hour later she was lost with all hands.
Search and rescue crews set off and worked through the night in a vain attempt to find the lifeboat, her crew and those on board the Union Star.
Sennen lifeboat launched but was unable to make any headway in the horrendous conditions.
With no thought of the personal danger, the crews of St Mary's lifeboat and the Lizard lifeboat joined in the search and rescue mission, which continued throughout the subsequent days with the help of helicopter crews of RNAS Culdrose and a small fleet of fishing boats.
Just before 1am the first wreckage washed up in Lamorna Cove and when it was identified as having come from the Solomon Browne it became clear that the unthinkable had happened. The lifeboat had gone down, taking her crew with her.
They were: coxswain Trevelyan Richards, second coxswain/mechanic Stephen Madron, assistant mechanic Nigel Brockman, emergency mechanic John Robert Blewett and crew members Charles Thomas Greenhaugh, Kevin Smith, Barrie Robertson Torrie and Gary Lee Wallis.
The coaster was also lost with all hands
On the night of December 19, 1981, eight volunteers put to sea in horrendous conditions determined to save the lives of eight people, including a pregnant mother and her two children, on board the foundering coaster the Union Star.
The men, all from Mousehole, all volunteers, didn't hesitate in their dedication to the RNLI and the Penlee lifeboat, the Solomon Browne, was launched at 8.12pm.
A little over an hour later she was lost with all hands.
Search and rescue crews set off and worked through the night in a vain attempt to find the lifeboat, her crew and those on board the Union Star.
Sennen lifeboat launched but was unable to make any headway in the horrendous conditions.
With no thought of the personal danger, the crews of St Mary's lifeboat and the Lizard lifeboat joined in the search and rescue mission, which continued throughout the subsequent days with the help of helicopter crews of RNAS Culdrose and a small fleet of fishing boats.
Just before 1am the first wreckage washed up in Lamorna Cove and when it was identified as having come from the Solomon Browne it became clear that the unthinkable had happened. The lifeboat had gone down, taking her crew with her.
They were: coxswain Trevelyan Richards, second coxswain/mechanic Stephen Madron, assistant mechanic Nigel Brockman, emergency mechanic John Robert Blewett and crew members Charles Thomas Greenhaugh, Kevin Smith, Barrie Robertson Torrie and Gary Lee Wallis.
The coaster was also lost with all hands
The men, all from Mousehole, all volunteers, didn't hesitate in their dedication to the RNLI and the Penlee lifeboat, the Solomon Browne, was launched at 8.12pm.
A little over an hour later she was lost with all hands.
Search and rescue crews set off and worked through the night in a vain attempt to find the lifeboat, her crew and those on board the Union Star.
Sennen lifeboat launched but was unable to make any headway in the horrendous conditions.
With no thought of the personal danger, the crews of St Mary's lifeboat and the Lizard lifeboat joined in the search and rescue mission, which continued throughout the subsequent days with the help of helicopter crews of RNAS Culdrose and a small fleet of fishing boats.
Just before 1am the first wreckage washed up in Lamorna Cove and when it was identified as having come from the Solomon Browne it became clear that the unthinkable had happened. The lifeboat had gone down, taking her crew with her.
They were: coxswain Trevelyan Richards, second coxswain/mechanic Stephen Madron, assistant mechanic Nigel Brockman, emergency mechanic John Robert Blewett and crew members Charles Thomas Greenhaugh, Kevin Smith, Barrie Robertson Torrie and Gary Lee Wallis.
The coaster was also lost with all hands
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