Lifeboatmen by Simon Wills

Author:Simon Wills
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: FICTION / General
ISBN: 9781473834866
Publisher: Pen & Sword Books
Published: 2014-03-03T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

The next witness would certainly be more controversial, and Lord Osborne contemplated his approach. Alex Luckham was the main reason for the president of the inquiry’s suggestion that witnesses should not be allowed to congregate in the inquiry room. For Luckham would certainly be outspoken and, since publication of his incendiary letter to the Mayor, he had naturally become the flag-bearer for local dissatisfaction with the lifeboatmen’s conduct. There were only two prevailing opinions of the man himself in the community at large: champion of justice for the lost sailors or ill-informed rabble-rouser. Lord Osborne admitted to being intrigued by him, for they had never met. Luckham would be something of a challenge and needed to be handled with care. Manoeuvred subtly.

“Richard, could you ask Mr Luckham to join us.”

A united front from the lifeboatmen, coupled with their well-attested inexperience, had made it difficult for the inquiry panel to be too critical of them thus far. Yet Lord Osborne feared that the arrival of Luckham could present a rallying call for adverse comment and analysis, and in particular enable Wanhill to take a stronger line and maybe bring some of the panel more squarely over to his way of thinking. However, Lord Osborne had read Luckham’s rather unpleasant letter to the Mayor several times, and he suspected that if given enough reign he would show himself up for what he was.

“Thank you for attending today, Mr Luckham,” he said as an immaculately dressed man entered. Luckham was in his late thirties but looked older on account of his grey hair and beard. The word to describe his whole demeanour was ‘prim’.

“Please do have a seat, sir,” instructed Lord Osborne, and Luckham obliged. “Now I would like to start by asking you to read the letter that you wrote to the Mayor on February 13th, if you will. The letter that was subsequently published in the Poole and South-Western Herald.” He handed a copy across the table to Richard, who passed it to the witness.

Luckham cleared his throat. “Mr Mayor,” he began, voice confident and cultured, slightly arrogant. “In a matter which much concerns the honour of your town, it seems right to address you as its chief magistrate. On all sides from landsmen, sailors – including some who were mercifully spared during the gale of Sunday last – I hear the most strong and decided expressions of disgust at the conduct of your lifeboat crew. As a landsman, perhaps, it does not become me to say whether any efforts to save the crews of the ships which were lost would have been successful, but of this I am sure, not a single effort was made.” He looked up, to pause for effect, then continued. “The boat was towed into a snug berth and there remained whilst vessel after vessel, with flags of distress flying, broke adrift, and I fear their crews perished. During the time the lifeboat was under the cliff, I saw a single man put off from

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