Caister Men Never Turn Back

I was out walking the dog last week along a route I must have taken a dozen or more times since we moved here a month or so ago but noticed something new. Well, not new at all really as it has been there 114 years but it was the first time it caught my eye. Confusing as to be frank it's bloody massive.

Here's an image taking in the wording.

The men were killed during the great storm of 1901 whilst attempting to launch the Beauchamp life boat. They were responding to a flare at around 11pm but struggled to get the boat out to sea. At around 03:00 in the morning the Beauchamp was pushed back to shore and was capsized trapping the crew beneath it; the boat weighted in the region of 5 tonnes. Those left on shore were able to save two, but 9 of the crew perished.

During the inquest that followed the Corner suggested the men had given up and were returning to shore and retired coxswain James Heylette responded "They would never give up the ship. If they had to keep at it 'til now, they would have sailed about until daylight to help her. Going back is against the rules when we see distress signals like that." - the response was later translated to "Caister men never turn back" by the press

There's now a pub right on the beach which has took this phrase as its name.