Oral History collection: Captain Clarence Mock (born 1897, Ilfracombe, sea pilot and lifeboatman) interviewed by Alex Mandeville about Swansea pilotage and the Mumbles lifeboat. Also typed transcript of the recording.

[00:00:06] Person of Interest: Captain Mock. [00:00:10] Occupation: Heritage service - Swansea Lifeboat. [00:00:25] Location of Interest: Lifeboat taken down to Mumbles. [00:00:36] Ship: Sailing vessels - sailing cutters, steam cutters. [00:01:20] Occupation: Served on the [Roger Bake?] 48 hours on, 48 hours off. [00:01:35] Occupation: 1930, joined heritage service. [00:02:16] Ships: [Roger Bake] sea boat; very old, replaced by the [Seamart?]. [00:02:49] Occupation: Traders. [00:03:15] Occupation: Joined as an apprentice pilot, going out with the senior pilots. [00:03:34] Occupation: Getting the boats into the lock, trying not to knock them. [00:04:20] Occupation: 26 pilots when he joined. [00:04:48] Ships: Bigger vessel engines made with power. [00:05:16] Experience: During war, went on board an abandoned ship with an explosion that had caused it to anchor - crew had left - had to cut link. [00:07:09] Experience: Seamart connected alongside, towed ship into Mumbles with tugs, Oystermouth. [00:07:22] Ship: Refrigerator ship, the meat had gone bad on board. [00:07:36] Experience: 4 soldiers and a bombardier, gunnery squad Mumbles head, found the Whiskey in the hold. [00:07:45] Experience: Bombardier in an argument with a sailor, officers came to arrest them. [00:07:55] Ship: Ship was repaired in Swansea before taking any cargo. [00:08:49] Occupation: 27/28 years as a pilot. [00:09:20] Experience: Took a small vessel as an apprentice with a senior pilot - landed on the pilot cutter - chief officer on vessel in dry dock. [00:09:30] Occupation: Lifeboat service - applied for a secretary position when the old one died - made assistant secretary. [00:10:45] Person of Interest: Mr Coombs brother - Retried chemist became secretary. [00:11:00] Occupation: Eventually became secretary. [00:11:56] Person of Interest: Life boat call - Dave/Derick? Scot had just started as a coxwain. [00:12:09] Occupation: Went out on a lifeboat call as a passenger. [00:12:38] Occupation: Lifeboat call to Port Talbot, went back to Swansea as weather was too bad. [00:13:07] Transport: Waiting for a taxi to take them to Mumbles . [00:13:33] Ship: Beached at Oystermouth; could sink at any time - low water at Mumbles. [00:13:51] Experience: Beaching a vessel half way up Newton Road. [00:14:48] Experience: Beaching a vessel - 36-38 feet - but eventually touched the bottom. [00:15:05] Location of Interest: Bristol Channel. [00:15:28] Experience: Take the ship out of Mumbles, diver to check for damage underneath . [00:15:40] Experience: Asked for 4 tugs, but only got 2 tugs due to the cost. [00:15:55] Experience: Tugs, ropes parted, drifted towards Port Talbot, rough seas. [00:16:06] Experience: Dock master; must not sink in channel because it would close the port at Swansea. [00:16:23] Location of Interest: Beach at Port Talbot, Dock Master Captain Slater. [00:17:06] Location of Interest: Crossed the channel, Green Grounds. [00:17:15] Location of Interest: Stuck on mud at [Treforgan?]. [00:17:20] Location of Interest: Take ship into King's Dock. [00:17:38] Experience: Got 4 tugs to take ship into docks, got the ship in safely . [00:17:50] Experience: Experience of salvage . [00:18:03] Location of Interest: Trafalgar arch, Mumbles Road, sands opposite the prison. [00:18:11] Location of Interest: Green Grounds, possible farm, possible deeds . [00:19:00] Location of Interest: Stones, and tree stumps along Blackpill - in the sand. [00:19:06] Transport: Trafalgar Arch - direct route from Gower to the market. [00:19:19] Location of Interest: Loaded with boxes, cases and barrels - taking ship from Swansea to Penarth, passing Green Ground. [00:19:50] Location of Interest: Penarth base, Penarth dock pilot took ship into dry dock but couldn't close the gates. [00:20:15] Experience: Diver sent down and ship had hit a blade - towed to Pennarth. [00:20:56] Location of Interest: Green Grounds - a mile. [00:21:05] Location of Interest: Green Grounds - Fairway Swansea channel towards the Mumbles - Swansea/Port Talbot side - chances of bumps. [00:21:17] Occupation: Lifeboat, went on it when a vessel at Pwlldu called in saying someone was floating in the water. [00:21:25] Experience: Coxswain was away, second coxswain was unavailable, so he took the boat out - ship pointed out body. [00:21:35] Experience: Got tarpaulin from ship, picked up body and brought it into Mumbles. [00:21:56] Experience: Police met them, and took body to mortuary . [00:22:08] Occupation: Policy not to go out with the lifeboat on service. [00:22:50] Occupation: Lifeboat never took passengers with them on practice. [00:23:13] Occupation: Port Talbot, seeing sailors working exceptional conditions. [00:23:35] Occupation: Carpenter, Salesman, Plumber - lifeboat team. [00:23:50] Occupation: Modern lifeboat. [00:24:04] Occupation: Old rowing lifeboats - record of lifesaving