Seaham :- Remember the Heroes
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This is a small cache in memory of the bravery of the five lifeboat men who lost their lives when, in the stormy seas on November 17th 1962, the Seaham lifeboat George Elmy capsized with the loss of it's crew.
"PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO READ THE FULL HISTORY BELOW"
This is a high muggles area therefore great stealth is required, also please remember your pen
On November 17th 1962, the Seaham lifeboat George Elmy capsized with the loss of it's crew:-
JOHN T. MILLER (coxswain)
FRED GIPPERT (second coxswain)
ARTHUR BROWN
LEONARD BROWN
JAMES FARRINGTON
and all but one of the crew of the fishing cobble Economy, to whose aid the courageous men had gone:
GORDON BURRELL
GEORGE FIRTH
JOSEPH KENNEDY
DAVID BURRELL (aged 9)
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his.
Seaham Lifeboat Disaster The Alarm At 4:10 p.m. on Saturday the17th of November 1962,the Seaham lifeboat, George Elmy, was activated to search for the missing fishing coble, (Economy). Within minutes of receiving the alert, George Elmy and her crew of five, disappeared down the slipway into the darkness, never to return. The Disaster The lifeboat had put to sea in appalling weather conditions but at about 4:30 p.m. they pulled alongside the coble and miraculously rescued four men and a nine-year-old boy. The lifeboat and it's courageous crew battled against mountainous seas in an attempt to get back to the safety of the port, but at 5:20 p.m., just yards from the harbour entrance, she was struck by a gigantic wave and capsized, with the loss of her entire crew and all but one of the people they had rescued from the coble. After the capsize, the lifeboat was washed up on the Chemical beach with one survivor who had been clinging to the upturned boat but there was no other signs of life. The Search Lifeboats from Sunderland and Hartlepool were called out to search the stormy seas for any more survivors. An Avro Shackleton search plane was scrambled from R.A.F. Coastal Command at Kinloss to widen the search area but their efforts were in vain. The deafening roar of it’s engines could be heard as it circled the area over and over again dropping flares that briefly turned the night sky into day. Throughout the night, emergency services and local people worked side by side in the hope of finding more survivors, sadly, their search was in vain. The next morning in the cold light of day, the true horror of what had taken place was there for all to see. Washed up on the shore, just a few hundred yards south of the harbour, lay the bruised and battered wreck of the vanquished George Elmy. The Aftermath Following the events of the previous day, efforts were made to right the lifeboat and the full extent of the damage began to emerge. She had been savaged by the relentless storm and had suffered extensive damage. She was a pitiful sight to behold.
As efforts to find survivors continued, work was underway to remove the boat from the scene of the tragedy. She was salvaged and taken to the R.N.L.I. depot at Boreham Wood, Herts., for examination by accident investigators. Most of the people of Seaham thought that was the end of the boat and she slipped into quiet obscurity.
Then approx four years ago, she was located via the Internet in Holywell, where she had been converted into a fishing boat and in need of major repairs. It was at this point that "East Durham Heritage Group" began fund raising events to purchase and fully restore her and bring her "HOME".
After full restoration was complete "GEORGE ELMY" finally sailed into "Seaham Marina" on the 23rd of June 2013 under her own power, to a rapturous welcome of the people of Seaham, where she is now housed in the fully refurbished old Life Boat house which closed in 1979, which stands adjacent to a brand new "Heritage Centre" which will be used to exhibit not only life boat memorabilia but also the history of the towns social and industrial heritage.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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