The deeds
of our valiant British Lifeboat Men,
Are known
the world all o'er;
Of their courage
and their daring.
We have read
in the annals of yore.
But there
are still some other brave deeds,
Of which
we can proudly boast;
The deeds
of the Angle Lifeboat Crew,
Off Pembrokeshire’s
rocky coast.
One dark stormy
night in November,
When the
sea rose mountains high;
Those gallant
men of Angle,
Went out
to do or die.
And their
loved ones watched their going,
In the
teeth of a South-west gale;
With its ceaseless
roar and mighty force,
Made the
strongest man grow pale.
And there
went up a prayer to heaven,
From their
mothers, children and wives;
That God in
his goodness and mercy.
Would
help them in saving the lives,
“Of those
in peril on the sea,”
Who for
assistance cries.
Out , out
in the storm and darkness,
They bravely
fought their way;
Heedless of
personal safety,
Speeding
without delay.
In vain they
searched through that terrible night,
But those
men knew not dismay;
And God rewarded
their courage,
For just
at the break of day;
They sighted
the ill-fated vessel,
The Steamship
Molesey.
Wedged on
a fear-full reef of rocks,
Well-known
to the Lifeboat’s crew;
They at one
set to work at rescue,
As only
such men could do.
They tried
and tried to get alongside,
But this
they could not do;
For the sea
dashed on like mountains,
O’er the
ship and her helpless crew.
But these
brave men could not be daunted,
Tho’ their
fate be a watery grave;
They faithfully
stuck to their duty,
The Shipwrecked
ones to save.
Braving the
frightful dangers,
With their
anchor out, tried once again;
And skilfully
reached the doomed ship,
At full
length of the Lifeboat’s chain.
And one by
one did they rescue,
Twenty-eight
of the shipwrecked crew;
By the help
of god thus doing,
All that
the bravest men could do.
And for ages
to come this story,
Will be
told by young and old ;
Of the crew
of the Angle Lifeboat,
The faithful,
the fearless and bold.
