On 16th January 1942 the 'A. HAWKSWOOD' ran aground three miles south of Hartlepool. An easterly gale was blowing and the sea was very rough with heavy snow squalls. The stricken vessel had broken in two, abaft of the bridge, 23 crew members were aboard, stranded on both sections of the vessel. The ' PRINCESS ROYAL' was despatched to the scene, after great deliberation it was decided to return at high water: The stem of the 'A. HAWKWOOD' was still in too shallow water for the lifeboat to go alongside, however with great skill the lifeboat was manoeuvred alongside the fore part of the vessel and 5 crew rescued, landed and taken to hospital. The lifeboat returned for a third time, and again attempts were made to rescue the crew. With the use of oil, anchor and cable attempts were made to float a line to the stranded vessel. This failed. Coxswain Bennison was just starting out for a fourth attempt to rescue the crew when a message was received saying that all the crew had all been rescued by BREECHES BOY, from shore.
For this service the R.N.L.I. made the following awards :
| M. BENNISON | COXSWAIN | GOLD MEDAL |
| MECHANIC | SILVER MEDAL | |
| 6 CREW | BRONZE MEDALS |
Relief crew members received the Institutions thanks inscribed on Vellum.
'THE PRINCESS ROYAL' continued to provide sterling service until 28th April 1968, when she left Hartlepool amid some considerable controversy.
The R.N.L.I. decided that Hartlepool no longer required a lifeboat of' the Princess Royal's class and that it would be replaced by an inshore rescue craft. The inshore Rescue Craft was crewed by Policemen, Yachtsmen and even Canoeists, to form a new breed of lifeboatmen. For most of the 1970's Hartlepool was without a traditional lifeboat although the R.N.L.I's decision was exonerated by the number of lives saved by the Inshore Rescue Boat.
In June 1972 a new class of lifeboat the 'ATLANTIC 21 CLASS' was stationed at Hartlepool.
The 'B 503' was the first lifeboat of its class to go on station.
The B503 was replaced in 1974 by another 'ATLANTIC 21 CLASS' , named the GUIDE FRIENDSHIP III' funds being provided by the Girl Guide Organisation.
This boat's first major rescue proved to be one of the most dramatic since the end of the war. The major incident, involving a ship that had had an explosion and serious fire in the engine room, whilst out in the Tees Bay, may have played a vital part in the decision to provide Hartlepool with an Offshore Boat nine years after the Princess Royal was withdrawn. Once again the youth of the country was called upon to raise funds, this time it was the Scouting Association who provided funds totalling £100,000 towards the cost of a Waveny Class Lifeboat aptly named 'THE SCOUT'.
Her Majesty The Queen named the lifeboat at Hartlepool on 14th July 1977, the first time a monarch has named a lifeboat at it's station.
Copyright © 1997-2002 John Gruson