The Lifeboatman Who Saved 873 Lives — But Couldn't Swim
History Lost and Found
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Henry Blogg spent more than half a century launching lifeboats from Cromer into some of the worst seas the North Sea could produce.
During his 53 years with the station, Cromer's lifeboats launched on service 387 times and saved 873 lives. Blogg became the most decorated lifeboatman in Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI) history, receiving three RNLI Gold Medals, four Silver Medals, the George Cross and the British Empire Medal.
And he never learned to swim.
From the extraordinary 1917 rescues of the “Pyrin” and “Fernebo”, through the wrecks of “Georgia”, “Monte Nevoso” and “Mount Ida”, to the Second World War rescue of the “English Trader” — when the 65-year-old Blogg was himself washed out of his lifeboat into the North Sea — this is the story of a quietly remarkable man and the Cromer crews who repeatedly went to sea when everyone else was trying to get ashore.
This is Henry Blogg: fisherman, lifeboat coxswain, George Cross recipient, and one of the greatest lifesavers in British maritime history.
If you enjoy overlooked stories of extraordinary people from history, subscribe to History Lost & Found for more.
Forgotten people. Unforgettable stories.
#MaratimeHistory #HistoryLostAndFound #History #HenryBlogg #History #Lifeboat #RNLI #Norfolk #Cromer #RoyalNationalLifeboatInstitute
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The Lifeboatman Who Saved 873 Lives — But Couldn't Swim
History Lost and Found
932 views
Henry Blogg spent more than half a century launching lifeboats from Cromer into some of the worst seas the North Sea could produce.
During his 53 years with the station, Cromer's lifeboats launched on service 387 times and saved 873 lives. Blogg became the most decorated lifeboatman in Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI) history, receiving three RNLI Gold Medals, four Silver Medals, the George Cross and the British Empire Medal.
And he never learned to swim.
From the extraordinary 1917 rescues of the “Pyrin” and “Fernebo”, through the wrecks of “Georgia”, “Monte Nevoso” and “Mount Ida”, to the Second World War rescue of the “English Trader” — when the 65-year-old Blogg was himself washed out of his lifeboat into the North Sea — this is the story of a quietly remarkable man and the Cromer crews who repeatedly went to sea when everyone else was trying to get ashore.
This is Henry Blogg: fisherman, lifeboat coxswain, George Cross recipient, and one of the greatest lifesavers in British maritime history.
If you enjoy overlooked stories of extraordinary people from history, subscribe to History Lost & Found for more.
Forgotten people. Unforgettable stories.
#MaratimeHistory #HistoryLostAndFound #History #HenryBlogg #History #Lifeboat #RNLI #Norfolk #Cromer #RoyalNationalLifeboatInstitute