80th anniversary of Fleetwood's Stella Marie sea rescue mission

Fleetwood RNLI has marked the 80th anniversary of one of the service’s most famous rescue missions.
The crew of Fleetwood Lifeboat were lauded by the RNLI HQ and Fleetwood's mayor after their herioic rescue mission involving motor schooner Stella Marie in August 1941. Photo: RNLI archivesThe crew of Fleetwood Lifeboat were lauded by the RNLI HQ and Fleetwood's mayor after their herioic rescue mission involving motor schooner Stella Marie in August 1941. Photo: RNLI archives
The crew of Fleetwood Lifeboat were lauded by the RNLI HQ and Fleetwood's mayor after their herioic rescue mission involving motor schooner Stella Marie in August 1941. Photo: RNLI archives

It was back on August 4 1941 that the main Fleetwood lifeboat vessel at that time, Ann Letitia Russell, was called out to rescue a motorised fishing schooner in treacherous gale conditions.

With the sea raging, the vessel Stella Marie and her crew were in real trouble by the King Scar sandbank off Fleetwood.

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But thanks to the bravery and expertise of the Fleetwood RNLI volunteers, the men were saved.

The stranded motor schooner, Stella Marie. Photo: RNLI archivesThe stranded motor schooner, Stella Marie. Photo: RNLI archives
The stranded motor schooner, Stella Marie. Photo: RNLI archives

With the Second World War already into its second year, the good news story made national headlines and the RNLI crew were hailed as heroes.

As the for the Ann Letitia Russell, which was involved in more rescues than any other boat in the history of Fleetwood RNLI, there was also an unexpected twist to her story.

Some six years ago the vessel was rescued from a marina in Lowestoft in poor condition, brought back to Fleetwood and is currently being restored.

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Stella Marie, meanwhile, was left stranded and became a landmark wreck off Fleetwood, hgradually breaking up.

Fleetwood Lifeboat Ann Letitia Russell. Photo: RNLI archivesFleetwood Lifeboat Ann Letitia Russell. Photo: RNLI archives
Fleetwood Lifeboat Ann Letitia Russell. Photo: RNLI archives

Fleetwood Lifeboat spokesman Ken Harcombe said: “Even now the Stella Marie rescue is an inspirational story and one that is not lost on the current team at Fleetwood.

“We are proud to remind people of this 80th milestone, it is part of our heritage and something that is celebrated at the Fleetwood RNLI station.”

It was at approximately 12.50pm on August 4 that Ann Letitia Russell was launched in to a strong NNW gale after reports that Stella Marie, a 300 ton three-masted motor schooner registered at Thorshaven, Faroe Islands, was in difficulties with a crew of eight on-board.

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With Stella Marie’ hard aground on the King Scar sandbank with heavy seas breaking over her, Jeffery Wright knew he only had moments to rescue the eight crew members.

He drove the lifeboat through the breaking waves up alongside the casualty and as the lifeboat was being swamped at one end it was being lifted out of the water at the other.

Suddenly, a huge wave smashed in the lifeboat forcing her to spin round and driving her stern first in to the side of the casualty causing great damage to the steering gear of the lifeboat.

The lifeboat’s steel rudder post was severely bent and the rudder was forced up the post and jammed, rendering the rudder to be useless and the lifeboat to have no proper steering.

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After a great deal of manoeuvring using the engines to steer the lifeboat, coxswain Wright managed to bring the ‘Ann Letitia Russell’ alongside the casualty.

In the meantime, motor mechanic Sydney Hill worked at the controls of the lifeboat’s engines whilst he was up to his neck in water most of the time, in the flooded engine compartment.

Coxswain Wright and Sydney Hill managed to hold the lifeboat alongside just long enough for the eight crew from the stricken vessel, to jump aboard the lifeboat’s rolling deck, assisted by the other four lifeboat Crew members.

Now with all the crew of the stranded schooner aboard the lifeboat, coxswain Wright took the lifeboat out in to the deeper and calmer water ready to make their way back to Fleetwood.

After a great deal of difficulty, manoeuvring the lifeboat in the heavy seas, only using the engines and tide as steering, the lifeboat arrived safely home to Fleetwood at approximately 2pm.

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