Page Two of Two

On the 15th November 1929 Coxswain Loose, while coming back from Hunstanton in his fishing boat 'Amity', saved two local fishermen whose fishing boat had struck a submerged obstacle in thick fog and sank.  The obstacle was believed to be an old wrecked vessel, the 'Carrington'.  Coxswain Loose was presented with a clock by the local lifeboat committee for his part in this rescue.

As the sand scouring around the boathouse had badly undermined it and made it dangerous to launch and re-house the lifeboat, the RNLI ordered it to be pulled down in 1933, the lifeboat and launching tractor being kept on the Brancaster Golf Course.   In 1935 the RNLI decided to place a motor lifeboat at Wells and to close the Brancaster and Blakeney lifeboat stations.  Hunstanton station was closed in 1931.   The lifeboat and her carriage were sold locally and the RNLI took the tractor away.   An inspector of the RNLI took the tractor by road to Hunstanton railway station and while attempting to load it onto a railway truck fell and broke his leg, the tractor finally being loaded by Mr. T. Everitt who had accompanied him.

At the close of the Brancaster lifeboat station, long service certificates were awarded to Coxswain William H. Loose, second coxswain William T. Softley, bowman Robert Loose and crew members William Howell senior, Alfred Large and Horace Billing. 

In the 61 years of the Brancaster lifeboat station, its lifeboats were launched on service on 32 occasions and saved 34 lives and helped to save 5 vessels.

Winlaton under sail -  watched by young swimmers off Brancaster Beach