The memorial service for the Mary Stanford Lifeboat took place on Sunday, November 19 and it was a very special one for RNLI Rye Harbour. It is 95 years since the tragedy in which we lost 17 brave men from the village who were following our founder’s vision of saving lives at sea, giving their lives to do so. RNLI Rye Harbour paid their respects alongside their flank stations RNLI Dungeness and RNLI Hastings and our ALM Jason Carroll.
The service was attended by Councillor Andi Rivett, mayor of Rye, Councillor Rebekah Gilbert, The mayor and mayoress of Winchelsea, David and Sandra Merrifield, and Councillor Jacqueline Stanford of Icklesham Parish Council.
Rev Paul White took the poignant service with Linda Estrada. Paul’s sermon summed up the emotions that everyone was feeling on the day. “This is the 95th anniversary of the disaster but the memory of this event is not fading from Rye Harbour.”
As always, it was a moving service, especially the lighting of the 17 candles and the singing of the Mary Stanford Shanty by Rye Harbour Herrings.
Image Credits: Kt bruce .