POIGNANT tributes are taking place over the next three days to mark the centenary of one of the most dramatic sea rescues ever to take place off the Yorkshire coast.

HMHS Rohilla was a First World War hospital ship which had been heading to Dunkirk to tend to wounded soldiers when it ran aground on October 30, 1914, at Saltwick Nab, Whitby.

Although it was only a quarter of a mile off the coast, horrendous weather conditions made the rescue hugely challenging.

Six RNLI lifeboats battled gales and high seas, travelling from as far afield as Tynemouth to help those onboard the stricken ship, in a rescue which took three days. Of the 229 people on board, 85 died.

The dramatic rescue is being marked in Whitby with a series of events and tributes to those who died and the RNLI volunteers who helped save 144 lives.

Whitby RNLI volunteer museum curator Peter Thomson said: “We have put a huge amount of thought and planning into commemorating the anniversary and I hope that, as well as being a solemn remembrance of those who tragically died, we will be able to recognise the amazing feats of endurance and bravery of the RNLI lifeboat crews and people of Whitby who worked for such a long time to rescue the survivors.”

He said the Rohilla rescue was a turning point for the RNLI, as it made lifeboat crews realise that the future lay in engine-powered vessels, rather than rowing boats.

The weekend’s activities will be officially opened at 11am tomorrow (Friday, October 31) at Whitby RNLI Lifeboat Museum, with a special exhibition.

At 1pm on Saturday (November 1), a flotilla of boats led by the Whitby RNLI all-weather lifeboat, will sail to the site of the wreck to lay wreaths.

Visit the website for details of more events: http://rnli.org