The wreck of the four masted German barque Optima

This is a short account of the German barque Optima, wrecked on the Haisbrough Sands on Thursday 19th January 1905. The Gorleston Lifeboat Elizabeth Simpson was launched in response to signal guns from the Cross Sands Lightship. The lifeboat was towed out to sea by the tug Meteor. She spent sixty hours at sea attempting to refloat the vessel from the treacherous sands. Twice the crew was taken off the vessel, but even with the assistance of the tugs, it was all in vain. Eventually on the Saturday morning she started to break up, unfortunately the crew we were back on board at the time, making it a hazardous rescue attempt which was successful, but only after a near disaster. For when the lifeboat was brought alongside a huge wave lifted her onto the side of the barque with considerable force causing damage to the lifeboats padding & other damage. At this point in time, the crew managed to drop into the lifeboat safely without loss of life. The crew was brought back to Gorleston, thirty two men, who must have been thankful the crew of the Gorleston boat had stayed with them during those long sixty hours.

Here is a list of names of the Lifeboat crew who attended this rescue in 1905:

Coxswain Crimo Crisp. E. Bensley. H.Bowles. N.Childs. R. Childs. C. Childers. E.Drane.
J. Fleming. R. Leggett. T.Leggett. R Newson. J. Newson. G. Rivett. J. Stubbs. J.Taylor.
Jas.Woods. Jos. Woods. S. Stone. and I. Whiley.

Footnote:

Newspaper report 18th February 1905:

Ship sold for eight pounds.
The German barque Optima, A steel four masted vessel of 2,845 tons reg. . . With 4,000 tons of coke and patent fuels on board, now lying stranded on Haisbrough Sands was offered under hammer, at Great Yarmouth on Thursday last. The auctioneer said, it was a good speculative lot,
worth one thousand pounds, and invited a starting offer of 1,000 shillings. He received a bid of two pounds, and the vessel was finally knocked down for eight pounds.
The sale of the salved stores, sails, ropes and gear from the vessel, occupied six hours and realized one thousand pounds.

A.E. Bensley