Taken from “The Story of the Dover Lifeboats” by Jeff Morris available from the Fundraising Branch's shop.

The Second World War brought many additional hazards for our lifeboat-men, not the least of them being the ever present hidden danger from mines. But, on November 26th. 1939, the Dover lifeboat-men were faced with the terrifying prospect of having to sail right into a minefield, to rescue the crew of a vessel.

That morning, while HM Trawler "Blackburn Rovers", with 16 men on board, was on anti-submarine patrol near Dover, in rough seas and a south-westerly gale, a wire fouled her propeller and her crew dropped anchor. But this failed to hold and the boat began to drift towards a mine-field. The Dover lifeboat-men were summoned and the "Sir William Hillary" slipped her moorings at 10-00am., taking with her Lt. Richard Walker, RNR, the Assistant King's Harbour Master, who had with him, a chart showing the mine-fields in the area. In heavy seas, it took nearly 75 minutes for the lifeboat to reach the disabled trawler, by which time she was right on the edge of a deep mine-field. Although the boat itself could drift across this minefield without touching a mine, there was a very real danger that her drifting anchor cable would come into contact with a mine. There was then the added problem that, even if she passed through this particular minefield safely, the trawler would then enter a shallow mine-field.

Coxswain Bryant took the trawler alongside and Lt. Walker instructed the crew of the converted trawler to collect all the ships papers together and also as much of her secret gear as they could and pass them all over to the lifeboat. Then, before they abandoned-ship, they were to scuttle the vessel. By that time, the trawler was rolling violently in the heavy seas, which were breaking clean over her and she offered no lee at all for the lifeboat. Coxswain Bryant ha to use all his skills to hold the lifeboat in position, while the papers and gear were transferred, his two mechanics having great difficulty in just remaining at the engine controls, so violent was the motion of the lifeboat.

By that time, they were all well aware that they were right in the middle of the mine-field, but still the work went on of transferring the gear. At any moment, the trawler's anchor-cable could touch a mine and they would all be blown up. It took over an hour to get all the gear onto the lifeboat and then the trawlers' crew of 16 were rescued. Coxswain Bryant turned the lifeboat round and set course for home. But then had to face the full fury of the storm and speed had to be reduced to 6 knots. Coxswain Bryant had only just recovered from a very serious illness and, during the journey back, he had to hand over the wheel to Second Coxswain Sydney Hills. Huge seas repeatedly crashed over the lifeboat and it took 3 hours to reach Dover Harbour, arriving there at 3-30pm.

For his truly outstanding courage and tremendous skill and determination, Coxswain Colin Bryant was awarded a Silver medal by the RNLI. Fir his part in in this service, Lt Richard Walker RNR was awarded a Bronze Medal. The lifeboat's Second Coxswain, Sydney Hills and the two motor mechanics W. L. Cook and C. R. T. Stock, were each awarded a Bronze Medal. The other members of that very gallant crew, A. F. Barton, S. Walker, H. W. Hadley, E. J. Le Gros and J. E. Clarke were each awarded the Institutions Thanks on Vellum.