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Remembering Stories of Courage: The wartime rescue that saved my grandfather
Funded by a grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the RNLI’s Stories of Courage project explores, commemorates and engages a wide range of audiences with our charity’s Second World War history. Ahead of Remembrance Sunday, Annette, who volunteers for Ramsgate RNLI, shares a powerful rescue story from her own family history.
Annette says: ‘My grandfather was Jack Edward Reeve, born in Suffolk on 20 November 1900. He joined the Royal Navy, with Chatham being his home port. During the Second World War, he was serving on board HMS Mastiff, a Dog Class Trawler, when on 20 November 1939 (yes, his 39th birthday), they were engaged in the recovery of a mine which had broken loose after being laid by German boats two nights earlier.
‘As the mine was being lifted on board, it detonated, destroying the trawler.’
A newspaper reported: ‘The noise of the explosion was heard from the shore. An aeroplane, a lifeboat and a motor speed-boat took part in the rescue effort’. The lifeboat that came to the scene was Margate’s Lord Southborough. The newspaper reports that one sailor sadly died, five were missing and four were injured – including Jack Reeve.
Newspaper coverage also recorded Jack's account of the disaster: ‘It was my birthday yesterday. It was also the birthday of a Grimsby man who was on board. We were going to celebrate when the rum ration came round, but I finished up here, and I think my pal went down. I was standing over the engine room when the first explosion occurred. I think it must have struck under me. There was another explosion caused by the boilers, and it was all over in about three minutes. Although I think I must have been in the water about an hour, I cannot remember any more until I woke up in hospital. How I kept afloat I do not know.’
One report described the rescue effort in dramatic detail: ‘A lifeboat was on her way to the scene of the disaster within three minutes of the explosion being heard on shore […] Survivors were picked up by another minesweeper and four injured men, including Reeve, were placed on a raft, from which they were transferred to the lifeboat. While the lifeboat was speeding back to the jetty the motor-boat asked a lightship to wireless for doctors and ambulances to await her. Ambulances were driven to the jetty-head, and a big crowd saw the four men painstakingly brought ashore.’
Annette says: ‘At the time, he had three daughters: Ivy (nicknamed Jim), Dorothy (nicknamed Doll), and my mum, Violet (nicknamed Sue), who was 9 years old. Unfortunately, I never knew my grandad, as he passed away before I was born.
‘Needless to say, we learnt from both our grandmother and our mum to respect the sea and support the RNLI.’
New online exhibition
Following the success of an exhibition hosted at the start of 2026 at the Lighthouse in Poole, we have developed a new online exhibition so anyone can learn about our RNLI wartime stories.
Featuring additional case studies, wartime rescues, and some of our rarely viewed heritage collection items, it’s an opportunity to connect like never before with this period of the RNLI’s history.
RNLI Remembrance Day events
Representatives at the Cenotaph
On Sunday 8 November, representatives from Aldeburgh, Arklow, Eyemouth, Dungeness, and Lyme Regis, who are all commemorating milestone anniversaries this year, will participate in the Remembrance Sunday Parade at the Cenotaph on Whitehall. Mark Richardson, Coxswain at Dungeness, who is in his 40th year of service, will lay the wreath at the Cenotaph on behalf of the RNLI.
The RNLI takes part in this event each year, which provides an opportunity to remember the lifeboat crews who continued saving lives at sea, without prejudice, during both World Wars, and remember all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice during RNLI service over more than 200 years.
Coverage of Remembrance Sunday at the Cenotaph will be live on BBC One from 10:15am on Sunday 8 November, and on BBC iPlayer. Look out for the RNLI team on the TV coverage!
Remembrance Day observance in Poole
For those local to or visiting the Lifesaving Support Centre in Poole, we will be observing Remembrance Day on Wednesday 11 November, at the RNLI College flagpole and afterwards at the RNLI Memorial. The service will be led by Reverend Lucy Holt, Rector at St James' Church and Chaplain of Poole Lifeboat Station.
We will be meeting at the College flagpole at 10:50am for a prompt start.