Alice of Riga

The Worst Lifeboat Disaster in the History of the United Kingdom

In the early hours of the morning of 15 November 1928 a chain of events started that was to lead to the worst Lifeboat disaster in the history of the United Kingdom.

The steamship Alice of Riga, a collier carrying a load of bricks, and crewed by 14 Latvian seamen, was making her way through ever roughening seas down the Channel. As she rounded Dungeness Point the weather worsened and huge seas began breaking over her bows. She was slow ship and struggled to keep from being blown off her westward course. Visibility was reducing by the minute and her stern lights may have been extinguished by the breaking waves as her crew struggled to fight her through the storm. Continue reading Alice of Riga

Above and Beyond

 

15 November 1928

By Sue Igglesden

The sound of the maroons woke Alfie with a jolt. He knew instantly what it meant, but he also knew that at thirteen he was still too young to man the lifeboat. A fierce storm had blown up overnight and he lay for a while listening as bursts of rain lashed against his window. Continue reading Above and Beyond