Penlee RNLI welcomes new Lifeboat Operations Manager

Thursday 27 January 2022

2021 had been a sad year for the Penlee Lifeboat's close family, with the 40th anniversary of the loss of our lifeboat 'The Solomon Browne' and the passing of our hugely respected Lifeboat Operations Manager, Andrew Munson.

Importantly our thoughts lie with Andrew's wife Carol and their children Fiona, Heidi and Samuel.

Andrew had been a part of the Penlee branch and it's lifeboats for over 50 years. He had received the RNLI's 50 years service medal, the RNLI Gold Award in 2012 in recognition of his services to the RNLI and the RNLI's special award of binoculars. Coxswain Patch Harvey said "He was a rock who steadied the ship in difficult times."

Andrew was not only heavily involved with the RNLI, but also Newlyn Harbourmaster for over 30 years and the French Consular Agent for Cornwall (having helped many injured French fishermen with repatriation to France after their hospital care – for these services he was awarded the French Honour of Knight of the Maritime Merit Order). He was a founder member of both the South West Ports Association and the UK Harbour Masters’ Association. Andrew would often sit at the window of his house, overlooking the harbour, waiting for 'his' boat to come home after a 'shout'.

We are pleased to announce that Andrew's work will continue in the hands of another respected member of Penlee - David Pascoe.

David joined the crew in 1996 and has held various positions - he was ALB Crew from 1996 to 2003, ILB Crew 2000 to 2001, ILB B Class Helm from 2002 to 2021, Deputy Second Coxswain 2003 to 2008 and Second Coxswain 2008 to 2021. As a man who has served from the grass roots David is well placed to take over as Penlee Lifeboat Operations Manager.

After the loss of the Solomon Browne, David's father Denys supported Penlee and applied to join the crew and David wouldn't speak to him for weeks on hearing this. But that was to be short-lived because in 1989 the Newlyn trawler Grey Flamingo capsized with the loss of two lives and that tragic incident made David think he may be of some use to the RNLI and eventually he followed his father onto the Penlee crew.

We wish David the very best in his new post and a long service.

David Pascoe helming an Atlantic 75 class lifeboat

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.

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Penlee RNLI welcomes new Lifeboat Operations Manager

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