Monday April 23rd 2007 will commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the Samtampa and Mumbles Lifeboat tragedy in which all 39 crew of Samtampa were lost after sailing from Middlesbrough on the 19th April for Newport. The 8 man crew of the Mumbles lifeboat, Edward Prince of Wales, which set out to rescue the men as the ship broke into three pieces after coming ashore at Sker Point, Porthcawl also perished.
Two services have been planned, one at Porthcawl on Saturday 21st April at the All Saint's Church in Porthcawl and hopefully depending on the weather a visit to Sker Point where the ship came ashore. The second service is to be held on the Monday 23rd at the All Saint's Church at Mumbles itself. (both church's are named the same) For more details for the service at Mumbles contact Mr. Roy Griffiths (Lifeboat Station Operation Manager) on 01792-363852. For more details for the service at Porthcawl contact Mr. John David (was on duty the night of the tragedy) on 01656-786636. I also have contact with a Mrs Debbie Nixon from Whitby whose relative Robert Weatherill was lost from the Samtampa. Mrs Nixon is hoping to organise a coach trip from the North-East for the service at Mumbles on Monday 23rd April if enough interest can be found. Contact Debbie on 01947-820414.
Twenty five of those lost included eleven men from Middlesbrough, four from Whitby, two each from Stockton-on-Tees, Redcar and Staithes and one each from Skelton, Bishop Auckland, Hartlepool and Thornaby. Brian Lees originally from Skelton, now living in Canada, who I have contact with lost his brother Herbert from the ship and is flying over for the service. I found his brother's family for him last year after a story appeared in the local Evening Gazette. I am hoping to attend at least one of the services, preferably at Sker Point, Porthcawl to lay a Merchant Navy wreath where Samtampa came ashore. (Tide and weather permitting I plan to walk out and leave the wreath on the site of the wreck, if not will drop into the sea) In 2006 (Gazette article Wednesday 29th March 2006) I handed over two brass memorial plaques to the Redcar & Whitby Lifeboat Museums, which I had made naming and commemorating all 47 men lost in this tragic event.
