LIFEBOAT MYSTERY OF WRECK AT BARROW-IN-FURNESS CONTINUES
Speculation about the origins of a wrecked lifeboat at Barrow-In-Furness continues.
A visitor to this website who lives in Cumbria contacted the webmaster, initially with doubts over whether the lifeboat wreck was from the Lancastria. Brian Singleton initially contacted Mark Hirst to say that the boats came from the breaker's Barrow facility in the early 1950s by Thomas Ward the well known shipbreakers. It was thought at first they came from the SS Duke of Lancaster. Brian's brother spoke to the man who bought the second of these boats which he converted to a cabin cruiser which is thought still to be in use.
The lifeboat at North Scale is now showing its age after years of neglect.
The second boat now rests at North Scale and is the one seen in the photographs.
Brian said: "According to the local part time coast guard at Walney, Brian Person, the lifeboat at North Scale did come off a ship broken up at Wards in the early 50s, but the lifeboat itself had originally come from the Lancastria and still carried the name.
"Apparently during the war years it was common practice to fit different ships with additional lifeboats from ships that had been sunk in action. The coastguard also said that a piece of wood from this lifeboat was to sent to Australia to be presented to a survivor of the Lancastria and due to the strict Australian quarantine rules on plant and fruit it had to get special permission to be imported! Due to the historical significance however permission was finally granted.
Lifeboat drill aboard Lancastria. This rare photograph shows Lancastria crewmen preparing for the worst. On the 17th of June 1940 less 10 of Lancastria's 32 lifeboats got away in time according to Captain Sharp. (click on picture to see bigger image)
"The other lifeboat which was converted is no longer in Barrow. It was purchased by a buyer from elsewhere. Its name was the "Largo" and it was bought in the 1980s."
Certainly this does seem to fit with the local news story but the evidence, limited though it is, suggests this lifeboat could indeed be from the Lancastria.
