ANNE MILES 1906 - 1926
(Supplied by money gifted to RNLI by Miss Anne Miles of London)
Number of Launches:- 7
Number of Lives Saved:- 8
This was the first to be launched down the slipway on this shed. The boat was
built by ‘Thames Ironworks’ and was a Watson class, non-self-righting
boat measuring 43 feet by 12 feet 6 inches at a cost of £1,759. A new
shed with a roller slipway had to be constructed at a cost of £2,975-1-9d.
The new boat arrived in March 1906 though it was 1912 before her first service
call, to the Imuiden trawler ‘Dubbleman’ though no effective service
was carried out.
Her first effective service was carried out in October 1916 when she was called
to the aid of the Marstal schooner ‘Fulton’ which had been having
difficulties in heavy seas during a northerly gale in the Pentland Firth. On
reaching the vessel they found that she was in tow by a Patrol boat. The Lifeboat
escorted both vessels to safety.
On of her most noted service was to the Helsingsborg steamer SS ‘Citos’
on the 12th September 1923, the boat was lying on her side on the west side
of Stroma. A destroyer was standing by and had rescued 9 of 15 crew who had
taken to the ships boats, 6 were lost in the heavy seas. The Anne Miles then
rescued the remaining 8 crew from the ship and landing them at Holm (St Mary’s
Village) before returning to the station at Brims.
Her last service was to a call from the Hamburg registered SS ‘Curslack’.
On arrival at the scene she was not required and returned to her home station.
Although she does not have many lives saved to her credit she will be a legend told by Longhope folk as long as men tell yarns of the Pentland Firth. She was a superb seaboat and very fast, two trawler skippers were to tell of her doing between 15 and 17 knots going to the aid of the "Citos" in a westerly gale on Sept. 12th. 1923.