[Letter to Margaret from Salcombe]

My dear old Margaret Oct 28th 1916

Five minutes after you had passed, we saw a great wave take the lifeboat, which we had been watching for some time & turned her right over, it was terrible!! There she was washing about with the poor men clinging to her & getting washed off one by one; they were washed over to Limebury Point & eventually they saved two, you can imagine our state of mind, all day long the sea roared but had they waited an hour longer the sea was much better.

It was one extra big wave that did it & there was not so big a one after! They say she turned over stern to bow, & pitiful to relate the telephone was gone wrong from Prawle or they could have been stopped starting!!!!

Does it not seem cruel, all our fishermen wiped out in a minute, I expect you will see an account of it but in case not, the crew were 3 Foales (Father & two sons), two Budds, 3 Distins, Askley, Cook, Canham (our nice ferryman) a Johnson, Putt, Lamble, & an only son a Bertram Wood who had volunteered, instead of one of the crew, & Jim Cove who has many little ones.

Your father will know them all I expect, you can imagine the desolation & grief all through the street. The cruel sea! No wonder it cried on Wednesday.

I loved having you.

Your loving & sad

Sharry