found, capsized, on the rocks west of the Tater Du lighthouse. Eventually eight bodies were recovered four of the lifeboat crew and four from the Union Star. It is unknown if the Union Star keeling over on to her damaged the lifeboat. It is possible the Solomon Browne smashed into the surrounding rocks or was overwhelmed by the mountainous seas.

The eight men from Mousehole who died that night were: Coxswain William Trevelyan Richards (aged 56), Second Coxswain/Mechanic James Stephen Madron (aged 35), Assistant Mechanic and local fisherman Nigel Brockman (aged 43), Emergency Mechanic also telephone engineer John Blewett (aged 43), Kevin Smith (aged 23), fisherman Barrie Torrie (aged 33), landlord of the Ship Inn in Mousehole Charles Greenhaugh (aged 46) and Gary Wallis (aged 23). The Union Star had been carrying eight people; five crew along with the Captain's wife and his two teenage stepdaughters.

The tragic events of the 19 December caught the hearts of the British public and a public appeal raised 3 million for the families left behind in Mousehole. The RNLI awarded posthumous medals to every member of the Solomon Browne's crew. A Gold medal, the highest award given by the RNLI, was awarded to Coxswain Trevelyan Richards while the remaining crew were all awarded Bronze medals.

Every year on the 19 of December at 8 pm, the Christmas lights in the village of Mousehole are turned off for one hour in memory of the men they lost. It is a tribute to those who died that immediately after the loss several new volunteers came forward from the village of Mousehole. This ensured the continuation of the lifeboat service in the Mounts Bay area.

The Lifeboat station at Penlee point, which had been in use since 1913, now stands empty remaining a memorial to the Solomon Browne and her crew. A new lifeboat station has been built near by at Newlyn harbour and men from Mousehole still man the lifeboats. The current Coxswain is Neil Brockman who is the son of Nigel Brockman one of the gallant crew who died that night. Newlyn lifeboat station currently houses two lifeboat vessels the larger Severn Class vessel, the Ivan Ellen, and a smaller Atlantic 75 boat, the Paul Alexander, used for inshore rescues amongst the coves and rocks of the area.

An inquiry into the disaster held in 1982 held no one to blame for the loss of the two vessels citing the severe weather as the cause. However, a change to the practices of the coastguard has been made allowing them to call a Mayday alert for a ship in difficulties and authorising the use of a salvage tug if required.

The RNLI is a charity working with the coastguard to save lives around the coast of the United Kingdom. Originally, set up as the National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck in 1824 it became the Royal National Lifeboat Institution in 1854. Trained volunteers summoned to the stations by pager and the firing of maroons when required man most of the lifeboats.

Lifeboat stations had been in existence around the coast of the United Kingdom prior to the forming of the RNLI and the one in the Mounts Bay area was first founded in 1803 in Penzance. In 1908, a further station opened at Newlyn but this closed in 1913 when the Penlee Point station opened.

Reference Sources:

Penlee lifeboat http://www.penlee-lifeboat.ik. com

RNLI http://www.rnli.org.uk

Learn more about this author, Alison Bowler.
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