THE centenary commemoration of the Salcombe Lifeboat Disaster was supposed to include a 13-gun salute from HMS Sutherland tomorrow, but an ’urgent operational task’ means she will be unable to attend.

A 13-gun salute, one for every life lost when the Salcombe Lifeboat The William and Emma capsized trying to cross the bar in 1916, will instead be performed by a small arms detachment from the Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, who have stepped into the breach.

The salute will mark the laying of wreaths at sea at around midday, and will take place at ’The Bolt’ at South Sands and a Marine and Coastguard Helicopter will also join the lifeboats for the ceremony.

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On the morning of October 27, 1916, in the middle of the First World War, the RNLB William and Emma capsized on the Salcombe Bar after returning from an abortive mission.

The lifeboat had been called out to render assistance to the Western Lass, wrecked in a storm near Prawle Point. In spite of the huge waves breaking on Salcombe Bar, the crew succeeded in getting out to sea, but on reaching the wrecked schooner, found that her crew had already been rescued.

Battling against near hurricane force winds the crew returned for home, but on attempting to re-cross the Bar their lifeboat capsized and 13 of the 15-man crew drowned.

The disaster was the joint fourth largest loss of life in the RNLI’s history and for Salcombe’s close-knit community, the loss was devastating.

100 years on, today’s Salcombe Lifeboat Station is honouring the memory of their colleagues of 1916.

On Thursday, October 27, a Service of Commemoration will take place at 10am at Salcombe Holy Trinity Church led by the Bishop of Plymouth, the Rt Rev Nick McKinnel. During the service, between 10.30am and 10.40am - the time the lifeboat capsized in 1916 - a maroon will be fired to mark the beginning and end of a one minute silence.

The Bishop of Plymouth will also dedicate a plaque in the church as a permanent memorial to those who perished in the disaster.

Then at 12.15pm, a wreath laying ceremony will take place from aboard the Salcombe all-weather lifeboat The Baltic Exchange III on the Salcombe Bar. Both of Salcombe RNLI’s lifeboats, Plymouth RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat and a number of former, retired lifeboats will form a flotilla.

After the ceremony, all participating lifeboats will proceed up the harbour to Whitestrand with a lone piper aboard Salcombe’s all-weather lifeboat The Baltic Exchange III.