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Friday 1 April 2011

The Duke of Northumberland


Whipping the foam - white off the water
Swamping the
Harold - caught near the rocks
Pushing the men - the men in the lifeboat
Pushing them on - too close to the rocks


The Duke of Northumberland
The finest steam lifeboat in the land
22nd of February 1908
The Duke of Northumberland
Saving the Bencroy hand-over-hand
From being aground in the storm - and went home to wait
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The steamship Harold on course -
Between North and South Stacks - for the rocks
Driven in by mountainous seas and a force 10 gale
The steamship Harold on course
Anchored - in breaking seas - near the rocks
And Coxswain Owen fought to reach her Refused to fail..fail
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Hours beaten in the wave
And risking disaster on the shore
Then throwing a line - throwing a line to help men out
Hours beaten in the wave
Hauling seven men through the seas' roar
When the great wave came - picking up and hurling the boat
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As she touched the Harold's side
Desperately the coxswain fought to save
Two last men were hauled aboard from Harold's heaving deck
As she touched the Harold's side
Battened stokers - beaten - still they gave
Power and strength to clear the Harold's side - leaving a wreck
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Steaming into deeper sea
Twelve men saved the lives of nine that day
And their greatest reward was fighting courageously
Steaming into deeper sea
Back to Holyhead - safe from affray
To medals - for saving the men - ingeniously

(I Gold and 11 Silver Medals - Presented by the President of the RNLI - The Prince of Wales)

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