60th Anniversary

Of the saving of Officers and Crew of

HMCS Chebogue

By the Crew and Coxswain of The Mumbles Lifeboat

42 Men Saved

11th October 1944

Attached are letters from Canadian High Commission and

HRH Duke of Kent St James's Palace and Family Members of Lt Cdr McPhee.

The history of this rescue according to many official sources has been the highest point of achievement during the long history of the Mumbles Lifeboat station.  The RNLI awarded Coxswain William Gammon with the Gold Medal for his achievement in rescuing 6 Officers and 36 Crew of the strickened River Frigate HMCS Chebogue.  Following a torpedo attack on 4th October 1944 HMCS Chebogue found herself trapped in a storm off Port Talbot Bar. 

When the lifeboat arrived she could not anchor and veer onto the vessel, instead Coxswain William Gammon's only chance to rescue the crew was to go down sea and swing back into the storm and make a pass alongside to allow crew to jump onto the lifeboat.  This courageous act was not done once but 12 times allowing only a handful of men each time the opportunity to jump into pitch darkness. 

All 42 crew were able to jump ship during these runs, however one Officer Lt Cdr Ian McPhee was with no doubt the luckiest man aboard.  As he jumped ship to the safety of the lifeboat, he fell between both ships and would have been crushed to death had the lashing waves forced both boats together.  Cox Gammon, already injured by a falling survivor threw his hand overboard and pulled McPhee to the safety of the lifeboat.

Ladened with a full crew of 8 "Veteran" and 42 survivors, with a battered boat, Coxswain Gammon, returned to calmer waters at Mumbles, however, the damage sustained to the Mumbles Lifeboat meant she could not be re-housed at her station.  Instead the lifeboat headed to Swansea to allow her survivors to make safety on land.

This was not the only rescue that night, whilst survivors were leaving the lifeboat, Cox and Crew returned to sea to carry out another rescue.  In all the crew all aged over 40, of which 2 were in the 60's and two in their 70's were at sea for over 10 hours. 

Undoubtedly the finest moment for the Mumbles Crew.