Those Brave Men

          Those Brave Men (“EDITED”)

      “Should I, or shouldn’t I”? I thought, as I looked out of the front door, “the weather could get worse tomorrow, and if you’re forced to do a double round on Sunday, then that won’t be much fun”, ‘were my thoughts’, as I gazed with both reluctance and disappointment into the threatening grey sky, which also had an accompanying cold northerly wind, that deteriorated, even further, any remaining enthusiasm that I had to venture outside tonight, but the round had to done, and on that Friday evening, which was at the top of the town, whilst I did the lower part of the town on the Sunday morning!

   It was the Friday night on the 19 December 1981, and the weather, and my reluctance to go outside, and into it, had to be ignored, because the job needed to be done! I was feeling very unenthusiastic, but I trudged upstairs to put on my coat nevertheless,(“which had about as much water-repellency as a piece of toilet paper”!) and to put on my shoes, before descending the stairs, and venturing outside again, and the weather, unfortunately, hadn’t miraculously improved within those five minutes, and the droplets of rain immediately darkened my grey cotton coat, which, briefly made it look like it had a dark grey polka dot design!

   The darkening grey sky was eerily menacing, which made me immediately think that “something’s not right”, the evening just didn’t ‘feel right’, but the job had to be done, and as I walked around the corner, and walked into the very strong southerly wind, I was suddenly forced backwards by its strength, which was now ‘armed’ with sea spray, which added to this dampness from the sky, and my walking pace had already increased into that of a steady jog!

   Some people that I knew, were safe and warm in their cars, and as they passed-by, on the ‘now wet’ road, were beeping their car horns to gain my attention, and they were ‘mouthing’ the words “are you alright”, as though I had suddenly lost my mind, or because they had just returned from a westerly direction maybe, and they had seen a greater deterioration in the weather, and they were probably also thinking “are you sure you know what you’re doing”? The truth is,“I didn’t”!  The grand total of my wage, for that outdoor work on that evening, which required me to walk, probably two miles in the pouring rain, in about a warmth factor of a meagre 3 degrees, and for a job which would usually take me two hours to complete, would have seen me earn about £1.50, which in today’s terms, would still mean ‘bugger all’, but, I was a ‘Council House Boy’, and £1.50, ‘back then’, seemed about acceptable, which also proved that I was lacking in education ‘as well’! Although, you can say that I was doing ‘my bit’ for Charity too!

   With regards to ‘those people’ that I knew, who drove past in their cars, then I sometimes wondered how they would have reacted if I had waved them down to a stop, and then said “well, I’m actually soaking wet, and I’m very cold, so would you mind driving me around the town in your nice and dry car, whilst I call on other donators to this charity please”? “I would have probably received a two word reply from ‘some people’, and the second word would have probably been ‘off”!

   I continued with stubborn determination, and with soaking wet clothes clutching onto my extremely cold body, and with soaking wet socks and feet, with an accompanying pair of squelchy shoes, I continued with my round, but the charity leaflets, that I was delivering, were ‘nothing more’ than sodden bits of paper, which many customers didn’t even attempt to read, nor did they show the leaflets worth in trying to dry it, because some people threw it straight into their bin for me to witness! The evening was certainly one to remember, and despite suffering a devastating, and almost fatal brain haemorrhage, ten years later, when most of my memories had, temporarily gone, I can sadly remember this night like ‘it was yesterday’!

   When my round was finally completed, my previously urgent walk/jog around the town, which was very ineffective, was now a mere stroll, and I relaxed, feeling dejected, very wet and very cold, and I returned inside the warmth, and the dryness of our house, to change from my wet clothes, for nice dry and clean ones, and ideally I would have had a shower, but we didn’t have such a luxury, and a hot wash in the bathroom sink, firstly restored some circulation to my face, then a warm flannel was used to revive my cold and sodden skull, and to dry my sopping wet hair, which had previously clung to my skull like seaweed on a rock!

   Before I entered our house, I looked outwards, and into the dense darkness of Mounts Bay, and the darkness prompted me again to say “something’s not right”, “something just didn’t feel right tonight”, and I had to look hard into the sky, in my attempt to see the moon, but it was not seen, and there was no distinction between the dark sea, and the dark sky, which were both a deep and menacing black, and the waves were heard, ferociously ‘slamming’ onto the rocks, and against the cliff face, and the eeriness in this menacing darkness belonged to the Devil on that particular evening!

   My Dad was in the warmth of the kitchen, and he helped to peel off my sodden tops, and then my heavy jeans, to wring them out, before they went into the washing machine, and I went upstairs to get washed, and then changed into some dry, and warm clothing, and I was informed that a hot drink had now been made for me!

   I was warm, and very comfortable now, and I sat by the roaring natural fire, which had recently been lit, because the kindling, that helped the coal to ignite, could be heard cracking, as its bright flames meandered through the rocks of coal, which eventually omitted a steady, and a pleasant heat, that was painfully missed when you vacated the room, because the contrast in temperature was alarming!

   My Father was listening to his, newly acquired radio, that offered him with the opportunity to listen into emergency vehicles’ movements!

Later that evening, when I was about to go to bed, our local television station, announced that the Penlee Lifeboat had been called out to help, and to rescue, a stricken freighter ship named the Union Star, and all of its 8 crew members were still on board, and the ship was apparently on its maiden voyage, and was returning from picking up some fertiliser from Ireland, and then, due to engine failure, it was now drifting towards the rocks off of the nearby north coast, very near Lands End, and despite several attempts to restart the flooded engines, it was drifting perilously close to the jagged rocks, and the lifeboat was called to attempt a rescue!

   An RAF air and sea rescue helicopter was called to assist, but with the stormy winds, and the 60 feet waves, it could offer little help, and it soon had to return to the land!

   The lifeboat managed to get a line across to the vessel, but the sea would win this battle, and sadly all of the 8 crewmen were lost, during their attempt to save the 8 crew members on board of that ship, who also sadly died!

During the following day we went to view this tragic scene, because my Dad was a retired naval man, and he still had a keen interest with shipping movements, and all types of vessels, and the shipwreck site was local;

When we drove down to Lands End, the ship was upturned on the rocks, and the calming tide was behaving like it was in disgrace, and the sea seemed to be caressing the side of the ship!

       This dramatic tragedy is remembered every day, but mostly, for some people, just before Christmas time, when the town of Mousehole has an illuminating selection of lights, that can be seen on the fishermen’s boats in the harbour, but also around the harbour, and the village as well! These illuminations are switched off in respect of those great men’s sacrifice!

“They sacrificed their lives, in their attempts to

save others

and they’ve temporarily left this World, and their

Fathers, and Mothers,

. Will “their thoughtful, kind and brave spirit

return, “we can only hope that this is true,

because this World needs kind and thoughtful

people like you”.!

The waves were very strong, and also very high,

  and the moon gave no comfort, no hope, in this

condemning sky,

The wind was fierce, and the rocks would show

their threat”,

And the ‘two combined’, and the closure of those

poor lives were met”!

I would, firstly hear, and then witness, RAF Rescue Helicopters scouring the Bay, during the following morning, before my Dad informed me of this tragedy that concerned the two vessels during last nights attempted rescue, and the helicopters were now searching for the dead bodies, that might have been washed up on the shore, and also any debris from the two vessels, that left the freighter upturned on the rocks, and the lifeboat in pieces, with some parts being lost without trace!

I was emotionally moved by this event, and some fellow pupils at my secondary school had a family relation, either in this tragedy, or had a connection to this lifeboat, and mostly all of those pupils had lost their Uncle, and they were understandably excused from attending the school. The whole of the area, and the town’s shops were very gloomy and quiet, and with Christmas soon approaching, the usual festivities were cancelled!

Memories and thoughts of that evening, still make me very sad, because many of those men were young, and they had young children-

“Dad, why did you go,

you were someone that I wanted to know”,

“I hear that you were kind and gentle, and a

great Dad to me,

and you sacrificed your life, and I am proud of

thee”

“You shall return a greater man,

which will be your reward in your next

lifespan”,

“You’ll be fit, and you’ll be strong,

“You shall have great intelligence, and know

right from wrong”!

“May God Bless them all”.