Lifeboat - Janet - Port Eynon, Swansea, Wales.
N 51° 32.778 W 004° 12.727
30U E 415950 N 5711274
A Marble lifesize sculpture of a Lifeboat Crewman set in the wall of St Catwg's church, a memorial dedicated to the members of the crew of lifeboat 'Janet' & those who lost their lives on New Years Day 1916. Located in Port Eynon, South Wales.
Waymark Code: WMQDC6
Location: South Wales, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 02/09/2016
Views: 3
In the St Cattwg's churchyard stands the memorial to the lifeboat disaster of 1916. Of those who died only the bodies of William Eynon and George Harry were recovered and they are buried in the churchyard.
The Sculpture stands on a plinth engraved with the Historical facts of the disaster on New years day, First of January 1916. It tells the story of the crewmen buried in this churchyard & the Coxwain William (Billy) Gibbs, whose body was never recovered & has no grave but the Sea.
"On 1 January 1916 after standing by the Glasgow steamer Dunvegan which had gone ashore at Oxwich, Gower, the Port Eynon Lifeboat, Janet, returning to port, was struck by heavy seas and capsized twice. Most of the lifeboat men were thrown into the sea but clung to lifelines and managed to get back aboard. However the Cox William Gibbs, 2nd Cox William Eynon and lifeboatman George Harry were found to be missing. Although the lifeboat searched for the missing men they were not found. William Gibbs was a bachelor but a fund was raised for the dependants of the other two men, and a memorial was built at Port Eynon Church. The loss of the three men resulted in a decision to close the Port Eynon Lifeboat station." Source: (
visit link)