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Victoria Cross - a general history

Completed October 1863; Official No. 47578; Code Letters VPFS; Code Letters NGFM.

Owners: Coupland Bros, Tower Buildings, Liverpool: 1875 John Coupland (Loughborough) Liverpool: 1888 JH Nicolai, Brake, Germany-renamed Auguste.

Masters: 1863-64 Charles Leisk (C.N.2637 Liverpool 1850: 1865-76 Alfred Cowley (C.N.6696 Liverpool 1856): 1876-77 Young: 1877-82 Oliver: 1882-87 EW Holten: 1887 J Callender: 1888-93 C Fesenfield: 1893-94 P Schmidt: 1894-1900 A Ammermann.

Voyages: March 1866 arrived at Liverpool from Bombay: March 1869 arrived at Liverpool from Bombay.

Bound from Fremantle, Western Australia for London with a cargo of Jarrah wood & a crew of 18 in a southerly gale & torrential rain Auguste grounded at Atherfield Lodge, Isle of Wight at about 4.30pm on 15 February 1900. The Atherfield lifeboat Catherine Swift went to her aid but could not reach the vessel because of the heavy seas. The Brighstone lifeboat Joe Jarman also failed to reach her. Rocket lines were tried but this also failed. Later on that night the sea moderated & the Catherine Swift re-launched & managed to rescue the crew at about 4am on 16 February. Some of the gear & cargo was salved but the Augustebroke up & disappeared. No lives were lost.

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