Angle RNLI coxswain, Jerry Rees, who followed his father and grandfathers’ footsteps into the RNLI, retired on Wednesday. Hanging up his lifejacket for the last time will be a poignant occasion for Jerry, who has dedicated nearly four decades to saving lives off the county’s coastline.
The search is now on to find his successor – someone, like Jerry, whose strength of character and personality is just as strong as an ability to handle a lifeboat in adverse sea conditions.
The RNLI is recruiting to find a suitable replacement to take the helm of Angle‘s Tamar class all-weather RNLI lifeboat Mark Mason. Jerry, who was awarded the RNLI’s Bronze Medal for Gallantry, has been coxswain for 17 years. He joined the RNLI in 1972 as a volunteer crew member in Angle’s Watson class all-weather lifeboat, Richard Vernon and Mary Garforth of Leeds, under the command of coxswain/mechanic Rees Holmes.
In 1981, he was appointed second coxswain and full-time mechanic and took over the helm as full-time coxswain in 1993, following the death of coxswain Gerald ‘Farmer’ Edwards.
As coxswain, Jerry has commanded two classes of all-weather lifeboat – the Tyne class The Lady Rank and, from March 2009, the £2.7M Tamar class Mark Mason.
He was awarded the RNLI’s Bronze Medal for Gallantry in 1997 for an outstanding six-hour service in gale force winds when Angle’s lifeboat, The Lady Rank, rescued a disabled passenger boat, Dale Princess, from the foot of 80ft cliffs on Skomer Island, and saved the lives of the four crew on board.
The service involved manoeuvering the lifeboat in a tiny cove battered by an onshore gale and then towing the casualty to safety. Medal Service Badges were awarded to second coxswain Danny Richards, Assistant Mechanic Adam Stringer and Crew Members David Lawrence, Bernard Jonker, Roger O’Callaghan and Derek Richards.
Jerry, the son of the late Charles (Benny) and Barbara Rees, followed his father and grandfathers, Edgar Rees and Harry Thomas, into the service of the RNLI at Angle. Benny served as second coxswain, Edgar was mechanic on the station’s steam lifeboat and first motor lifeboat and Harry was Head Houseman.
In retirement, Jerry hopes to retain his links with the station by becoming a member of the shore crew. He is also planning to embark on a commercial fishing venture. Jerry and his wife, Ann, have five children aged from 11 to 28. For ten years, Ann was licensee of the lifeboat station’s nearest neighbour, the historic Old Point House Inn, with Jerry assisting when off duty. The inn had previously been run by Ann’s parents, Paddy and Eileen Cooper.
With Jerry taking leave until his retirement date, an RNLI staff coxswain will take over the helm, until Jerry’s successor is appointed. The RNLI is advertising internally and externally for a new coxswain, whose time will mostly be divided between ensuring the Tamar class lifeboat and her equipment work to the highest order and training the volunteer crew members, as well as meeting the public and talking about the station’s work.
An RNLI spokesman says: ‘Candidates for this position would need to demonstrate leadership experience and the ability to motivate and maximise people’s potential. With some marine mechanical experience, the person we are seeking will already be adept at handling vessels of up to 20m and have a detailed knowledge of navigation principles and IRPCS (International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea). A maritime qualification would be an added bonus to complement verifiable marine experience.’
For further information, please visit: www.rnli.org.uk/jobs
