Mary Stanford (lifeboat)

[john sefton]

These stamps depict a lifeboat service that lasted 76'/2 hours.
On Monday, February 10, 1936, the worst hurricane known by any living inhabitant of Ballycotton, Southern Ireland, caused the coxswain to run ropes from the 51ft. Barnett cabin motor-lifeboat, Mary Stanford, to prevent her from striking the breakwater at Ballycotton. The storm lasted several days.
On the Tuesday morning the Daunt Rock lightship, with eight men aboard, broke from her moorings 12 miles from Ballycotton, and was drifting. The Mary Stanford put out without a maroon having to be fired. Coxswain Patrick Sliney made for the usual position of the lightship but could not find her in the hurricane. He ran into Queenstown for information and was given the lightship's position. Just after mid-day he found her. She had an anchor down and was 1/4mile S.W. of Daunt Rock, and 1/2mile from the shore.
A destroyer, H.M.S. Tenedos, and the cross-channel ship Innisfallen were standing by her. When the lifeboat arrived the Innisfallen proceeded on her voyage. The crew of the lightship did not want to leave her but asked the lifeboat to stand by. This she did, slowly cruising and drifting. By nightfall the lifeboat coxswain decided to put in at Queenstown as his men had had no food since the previous night, and the destroyer was going to stand by all night.
Early the following morning she put to sea again. The destroyer left when the Mary Stanford arrived. All that day and night the lifeboat stood by the lightship but, her petrol running low, she had to return to Queenstown. She had been out in the gale for 25 hours, with heavy seas continually breaking over her. The men were in need of hot food. As soon as the petrol was aboard she was off again. By this time the Isolde, a vessel of the Irish Lights Service had reached the lightship and was standing by. The weather had deteriorated,one of the lightship's masts had gone and it became necessary to take off her crew. Towing attempts by the Isolde had proved impossible. The lifeboat's coxswain went within hailing distance and told the crew of the lightvessel to prepare to jump as the boat came alongside in quick runs—a difficult task in view of the fact that the lightship was plunging on her cable.
Six runs had to be made before the eight Lightshipmen were taken off their vessel. The lifeboat took them to Queenstown and then returned to Ballycotton. Her crew had been away from their homes 76'/2 hours and were suffering from exposure .In addition the coxswain had a poisoned arm.
In the 63 hours from the time when the Ballycotton boat put out of harbour until it returned to Queenstown, the lifeboat's crew had had only three hours' sleep. The men were all decorated for this service, R.N.L.I. coxswain Patrick Sliney being awarded the Gold Medal, his men receiving silver or bronze medals.

Sea Breezes Aug 1952and June 1974.
Ireland SG336

[aukepalmhof]

Other rescues
MARY STANFORD had many other rescues to her credit. The years of the Emergency (as World War II was known) were difficult. There was a serious risk from drifting mines. On 27 January 1941 a mine exploded on the Ballycotton shore, demolishing the curate’s house and smashing the windows in the church.
Rescues which merited medals were:
• On 30 January 1941, there was a strong wind, thick fog and drifting mines. The eight man crew of the SS PRIMROSE of Liverpool were rescued just as she was sinking. Bronze medal awarded.
• On 23 December 1943, the IRISH ASH was in difficulties. This rescue took 30 hours. They managed to bring the ship to safety in Cobh. One silver and two bronze medals were awarded.
Some rescues involved the Cliff Rescue Team. On 1 February 1947, the IRISH PLANE was driven onto rocks below cliffs, west of Ballyshane. The MARY STANFORD was called out. Attempts to pull the IRISH PLANE off the rocks failed as she had been holed and started to breakup. As the lifeboat couldn't get close enough, because of the rocks, the crew of the IRISH PLANE were rescued by the Cliff Rescue Team.
Epilogue
MARY STANFORD retired and on 16 September 1959 she was replaced by ETHEL MARY Lifesaving continues at Balycotton, there have been many callouts, including the 1979 Fastnet race. Two Gold, seven Silver, and eight Bronze medals have been awarded to Ballycotton lifeboatmen. Since March 1998, Ballycotton has been served by Trent Class lifeboat Austin Lidbury.
The Daunt Lightship COMET survived. After she was sold, she became Radio Scotland, a Pirate radio station.
Coxswain Patsy Sliney retired in 1950, he had taken part in the rescue of 114 lives and was awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals .
MARY STANFORD was a reserve lifeboat from 1959 until 1969 when she was sold to the Limerick Harbour Commissioners, where she served as a harbour pilot launched until the mid-1980s. An organisation called the "Dublin Nautical Trust" announced plans to establish a floating museum in Grand Canal Dock. The were given a number of historic craft on the understanding that they would be preserved. Without funding the work was abandoned. Now the dockmaster refuses to admit boats to the dock unless he is assured that they intended to continue. MARY STANFORD now lies in the backwater of Grand Canal Dock. Beside her is the NAOMH ÉANNA, which served the Aran Islands.
Ireland 1974 5p sg336, scott338.
Source: Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RNLB_Mary_Stanford