• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

Her Majesty's Coastguard

WOW................I am getting to like these pics that the BAR men are experimenting with ;)
 
:angel: Smashing Postie.

Colin's family come from a long line of Seafaring stock. They have been members of the Hartlepool Coastguards and Lifeguards for generations.

From a commemorative book 'Hartlepool Lifeboats 1803-2003' (Family: Pounder & Corner)
(COXSWAINS A.Pounder 1813, T.Pounder 1857, T.Pounder 1918, J.Pounder 1966)
 
Last edited:
:) A Salute to THE Bravest men of the Sea :) Generations of these bravest of men risk their lives saving others,

They go out willingly,, even knowing there is no-one near to go out for them If ,,, ?

Bless them & All who sail safely home with them O0

John Y :)
 
Very smart you look too Postie, and I salute you and all the brave lifeboat crews. Any stories you could post for us?

Chris - a wonderful picture of lifeboat men of long ago. Col must be very proud of his brave ancestors.
 
I had nothing to do with sea rescues as these are left to the Life boat crews.
I spent my years on cliff rescue, i.e. dangling over a cliff on a piece of rope. My patch was the St Austell Bay area in Cornwall. I enjoyed my time with them, including being called out in the early hours of the morning or night.
Some incidents didn't always have a happy ending, but luckily most of them did.
 
Is it true, that if a dead body is found at sea........it has to be handed over to the custody of the coastguard?
 
Every morning we listern to the dulcit tones of the Coastguards from Falmouth.

I am sure you would have sounded the same Postie  O0

Brave men (and Gorgous uniform  :smitten:)
 
No greater sacrifice Postie, putting your life on the line to save others. Good for you. O0
 
I once said to the coxswain of the Foye lifeboat, that you wouldn't get me going out to sea in a storm.
His reply was that you wouldn't get him hanging over a cliff on a piece of string. ;)
 
And the same could be said for most of us, which is what makes men like you so special.
 
My first descent down a cliff was on a very hot Sunday afternoon. My instructions were very clear, abseil down the cliff; detach rope from harness, make way back to the rescue vehicle via beach and cliff path. I was told my progress would be monitored all the way.
Down I went, paying attention to every detail. When I got to the bottom I released the rope and a big round of applause and clapping broke out. I turned around and there must have been between 50 to 100 people on the beach who had been sunbathing.
Every single one of them was naked as the day they were born. I had been lowered down onto the middle of a nudist beach. I kept my head down and made my way along the beach towards the cliff path. People kept patting me on the back and saying what a good job we did.
When I got back to the rescue vehicle, my colleagues were dancing around singing “ The bare necessities of life”
 
Last edited:
We were called out to rescue some people cut off by the tide on a beach near Mevagissey. Being among the first on scene I got kitted up in the rescue harness and after various safety checks I was lowered over the cliff. The casualties were two French students aged about 20 years old. The easiest method of rescue using the harness is to hook them up to a safety line and lay the casualty across your body; this enables you to “walk” up the cliff face when being winched up. I radioed the cliff top team and told them I was ready to start bringing up the casualty and they began winching.
When I reached the cliff top and they saw that the casualty was a bikini clad young lady, there were gasps all round and a rush to take her off me. She thanked me and kissed me on the cheek, which made my day.
I was about to go back for the other student when one of the younger coastguard asked me if could fetch the other one up instead. The section officer said it would be ok, so we swapped places.
The youngster disappeared over the cliff with a huge grin on his face.
I suppose I should have mentioned to him that the other student was the hulking great boyfriend of the young lady, but you don’t think, do you.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top