Accidents

Christmas Eve at the Front

An interesting letter has just been received by Mrs Packer, of Broadclyst, from her husband, Corpl Packer of A Company, 1st Battalion Devonshire Regiment, who is serving with the Expeditionary Force in Northern France. In the course of a letter he describes a remarkable incident which occurred on Christmas Eve between the British and German trenches.

Lundy Wall Collapse - 12th December 1969

A section of the retaining wall at the bottom of the beach road on Lundy is reported to be affected by a collapse, about 15 feet being seriously involved and a further 10 feet partially so.
The road leads to the hotel, inn and cottages at the southern end of the island and is the only link over which supplies can be hauled.
Last year, a considerable stretch of the road itself collapsed, making it completely impassable for several weeks.

Ship Aground On Westward Ho! Sands

Ship Aground On Westward Ho! Sands - 22nd March 1951

Crowd Watch Efforts To Free Her

In thick fog late on Friday night the 318 ton motor vessel, Goldfaun, registered in London, went ashore on Westward Ho! beach about one mile north-east of Westward Ho! slipway.
Owned by Messrs E J and W Goldsmith Ltd of London, the Goldfaun was bound from Garston to Bideford with a cargo of household coal.
On Saturday, on instructions from Capt J H Hobbs, harbour master of Appledore and agent for the Company, two motor-barges put out from Appledore in an attempt to get the Goldfaun off, but owing to rough seas and shallow water they were unable to get close in.
During Saturday night the mate and the first engineer, who had been taken ill, were brought ashore through the surf in the ship's lifeboat. They were taken to Appeldore Sailor's Rest after medical treatment.
Preparations to receive the men were made in response to lamp Morse signals. Westward Ho! Life-Saving Apparatus crew, with coastguards, fired a line aboard the Goldfaun, which lowered a ship's lifeboat.
Station Officer J Matthews and coastguard men T Kelly and G Tarr went into the surf to meet the boat, and carried the men and their kit ashore. The line was left aboard as a precaution.
On Sunday, DUKWs from the Combined Operation Centre, Fremington, took a kedge anchor out to sea, but efforts to winch the Goldfaun off failed.
Throughout the weekend there was a steady stream of onlookers to the Burrows and Pebbleridge to see the stranded vessel. She has been under constant Coastguard observation.
The Golfaun suffered considerable pounding from heavy seas during Saturday night, and fractured water pipes flooded the crew's quarters. By Sunday night, however the weather moderated and only a light wind was blowing. At low tide on Sunday evening a Bideford Gazette reporter went aboard the Goldfaun as she lay on the sand. A ship's boat was alongside and a rope ladder led to the deck. Groping through the night shadows, the crew were found bright and cheery in their warm and brightly lit galley.

Girl Rescued By Appledore Fishermen

Girl Rescued By Appledore Fishermen - 29th May 1959

29.5.1959 Girl saved by Appledore fishermen

Prompt action by two Appledore fishermen, Messrs Sidney and George Cann resulted in the rescue of a 14-year-old Barnstaple girl, Octavia Cummings, from the Torridge on Saturday.
They were tarring a boat near Appledore when they heard a cry for help. They went out in a motor boat, picked up the girl who was being swept out by the ebbing tide into the estuary and landed her at Instow.
Octavia had been swimming from the sands there and when she realised her inability to swim back against the current to the shore she floating with it and shouted for help.
Her friend Cynthia Smith aged 12, who was spending the day with her, said that Octavia, 'a strong swimmer,' swam out after a ball. 'I saw her standing up to her waist on sand and then she seemed to be swept off her feet. She tried to get back with the ball but I heard her shout and then she seemed to disappear.'
Cynthia ran half a mile for help and the RAF rescue helicopter was called by Mr Albert Vaggers, of the Jubilee Hall, Instow. It arrived within five minutes and took Octavia to the sick bay at RAF Chivenor where she was treated for shock and then allowed to return to her home at 41 Woodville, Barnstaple.