ONE of the large stones holding plaques to commemorate the Salcombe Lifeboat Disaster is on display in Whitestrand car park.

The plaques, carved by local stone sculptor Jim Martins, are set into two massive lumps of stone that will be placed on the South West Coast Path overlooking the bar and the site of the disaster in 1916 that claimed the lives of thirteen of Salcombe’s lifeboatmen.

The plaques feature an image of a lifeboatman of the time throwing a line next to the words: ‘Sacrifice supreme they offered, Every soul save two, Men who simply did their duty, Yet were heroes true’. The stone will be on display in the car park until the end of September.

They have been placed in Whitestrand to allow anyone unable to make the trip up to the coast path to be able to see them.

Salcombe RNLI are planning a series of events to mark the centenary of the disaster, culminating on October 27, one hundred years to the day that the lifeboat the ‘William and Emma’ capsized trying to cross the bar in a storm.

Local stonemason Adrian Munday has voluntarily cleaned the headstones in Shadycombe Cemetery of the men who lost their lives that day. The white marble stones are now easily picked out among the other graves and Salcombe RNLI have placed information cards next to each one with a photo of the men.

Other events organised to mark the date include creating a ‘lifeboat corner’ in Holy Trinity Church, a service of commemoration on October 27, followed by a wreath-laying at sea.

You can find out more about the Salcombe Lifeboat Disaster and Salcombe RNLI on the website: www.salcombelifeboat.co.uk/lifeboat-disaster-centenary/

We will follow the run-up to the commemorations as they go along so keep an eye out.