My father was signalman on the lifeboat – there was no radio, they had to rely on signals, semaphore and morse. His boots were kept just inside the door so if the maroon went he could be gone straight away. On one occasion when the lifeboat went out, I can remember my mother asking Mrs Cotton, the Coxswain’s wife where they’d gone, but they never knew, of course, when they’d be back. Walter Cotton, the Coxswain had come from Brighstone. My father said if Walter was moved, he’d go with him, he was such a good coxswain. Eileen Smith b 1921

Lifeboat crew 1920s

Back row from left: Harry White, Jim Hobbs, Charlie Lansdowne,( signalman) Harold Hayles. Capt. Cottrell,
Front row: Fred Wadham, Albert Hayward( engineer) , Walter Cotton ( coxswain), Stan Smith (2nd cox)