SHE WAS PART OF OUR FAMILY

The chap standing 3rd from left is Frank Vacher. Frank was the wood machinest at Bannisters Builders; the machine shop was directly below the joiners shop and the whine of the machines would stop as soon as the maroon went up. We would see Frank shoot out of the yard on his bike as the 3rd one went off. Great man - Frank had time for everyone. I think he was chief engineer, and coxwain, can't be sure.

Frank was the full time mechanic for the RNLB Kathleen Mary whereas Edgar Moore, the coxswain, was a retained volunteer. This all changed with the arrival of the Waveney class "Louis Marchesi of Round Table" in 1976 when the full time position of coxswain/mechanic was established and taken up by my father Len. From the left you have Len Patten who was the Kathleen Marys signalman, Bob Holden - Head Launcher, Frank Vacher - full time mechanic, Derek Payne & Tom Guy - crewmen, Martin Hills and & Michael Moore - assistant launchers, Edgar Moore - coxswain, Johnny Allen - second coxswain, Bob Tichner & 'Paddy' Boyle - crewmen. Johnny Allen was all set to be the coxswain/mechanic of the new waveney but unfortunately he failed the eyeset test for colour blindness and as no-one else wanted the job (apart from the Shoreham Coxswain) Len Patten reluctantly took the position and oversaw the building and trials of our new boat at Appledore in North Devon (built by Bideford Shipyards). Sadly Johnny Allen subsequently drowned (I believe in Dieppe) but Edgar Moore had one final hurrah when, with the station lifeboat already at sea on service, he coxswained the relief lifeboat 'Tynesider' during the search for survivors from an overturned fishing vessel off the harbour entrance in December 1981. I know, it was my first 'shout' as a crewman and it was bitterly cold.