A special tribute ramble in celebration of the 200th anniversary of the founding of the RNLI was held earlier this month, named after a prominent figure in the local history of saving lives at sea.
Caroline Peel, President of the Bembridge Guild and Vice Chair of the RNLI Isle of Wight Board, supported by local ex-Coxswain of Bembridge RNLI Martin Woodward, organised ‘Joey’s Walk’ on Saturday 5th October, raising £500 for the Isle of Wight Lifeboat Board.
Bembridge has been a lifeboat village for over 150 years and the Attrill family has been a significant part of the lifeboat community, in an unbroken line, through 6 generations.
Edmund Charles ‘Joey’ Attrill was born in March 1844, he was in the rescue boat that saved the crew of the coaster Egbert which grounded on Bembridge Ledge in 1867. He became a key crew member of the new lifeboat City of Worcester, becoming second coxswain and then Coxswain in 1878. He died in March 1931 at the age of 87 having served in the Bembridge boat for 38 years.
In March 1888 the Sirenia ran aground on Atherfield Ledge at the ‘Back of the Wight’. The 2 local rowing lifeboats from Brook and Brighstone had been having a desperate struggle to save the crew in very difficult sea conditions. They made 2 successful trips to the ship, rescuing 17 people, but the lifeboats had been capsized or washed ashore in the surf several times and 3 crew members and 2 passengers from the ship had drowned.
Apparently there was a rudimentary telegraph system linking Lifeboat Stations and the news of the disaster reached Joey Attrill in Bembridge and he decided to go and assist. He and his 2nd Coxswain, James Baker, set off in their oilskins and sea boots to walk the 15 or so miles to Atherfield. When they reached Atherfield they found the exhausted and shocked remains of the Brighstone and Brook lifeboat crews and only 1 serviceable lifeboat. They had been at sea for 15 hours.
William ‘Rufus’ Cotton of the Brighstone crew took command, the Coxswain and 2nd Coxswain had been lost at sea, and with the help of Joey and James they reached the wreck and saved the last 13 members of the crew from the Sirenia. On completion, Joey and James then walked back to Bembridge!
So on 5th October, 29 walkers aged 9 to 85 – including Teddy Attrill, Joey’s great-great-great-grandson – set off from Bembridge Lifeboat Station to hike the 15 miles to Atherfield to replicate the journey taken in 1888. Some hung up their boots at the Chequers Inn lunch stop, but others continued on to Military Road.
Coincidently, as the final group of walkers reached Atherfield, Bembridge RNLI’s Tamar All-Weather Lifeboat (RNLB Alfred Albert Williams 16-17) launched at the request of Solent Coastguard to assist a 7m yacht with 5 crew onboard located to the north of Bembridge that had lost her steering.
Having towed the yacht safely to Gunwharf Marina, the Alfred Albert Williams returned to Bembridge and was recovered by 19:00.
Should be ashamed of themselves supporting the ruining of our country with their free taxiing service.