Today 19 December we remember our valiant crew of the Penlee lifeboat Solomon Browne, courageous men who freely gave their lives in a bid to save others in hurricane force 12 winds on 19 December 1981.
Coxswain William Trevelyan Richards, Second Coxswain/Mechanic Stephen Madron, Assistant Mechanic Nigel Brockman, Emergency Mechanic John Blewett, Crew member Charles Greenhaugh, Crew member Kevin Smith, Crew member Barrie Torrie, Crew member Gary Wallis.
Lieutenant Commander Russell Smith, the pilot of the Sea King helicopter, who watched the rescue attempt from above, recounted:
‘The greatest act of courage that I have ever seen, and am ever likely to see, was the penultimate courage and dedication shown by the Penlee crew. They were truly the bravest eight men I've ever seen, who were also totally dedicated to upholding the highest standards of the RNLI.’
Tonight, the Christmas lights at Mousehole will be dimmed between 8 and 9pm in memory of those who lost their lives, leaving just the Cross and Angels shining down across the village and out to sea.
Our thoughts today lie with the families and friends of the 16 who perished that dreadful night aboard the Solomon Browne and the Union Star.
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