Recently-retired Tenby lifeboat mechanic Charles Crockford has been honoured for his services to marine safety in the Queen's New Year's Honours list with an MBE.

From a well-known Tenby lifeboat family, with a tradition of service dating back to the days of oar-powered rescue boats, 55-year-old Mr. Crockford joined the lifeboat crew at the age of 28.

"My uncle, Ivor, was coxswain at the time and asked myself, and a couple of the other younger lads around the harbour if we'd like to join," Mr. Crockford recalled.

"There were four of us who started together; you often see it like that, with an influx of younger people all at the same time."

Mr. Crockford retired in June last year after 32 years service, 28 of which were as the vessel's full-time mechanic.

When he first took over from Jim Bewley as mechanic in the early 1970s, it was on the wooden lifeboat the Henry Comber Brown, graduating to the current lifeboat, the steel constructed Tyne-class RFA Sir Galahad in 1986.

"Time goes so quickly," said Mr. Crockford. "I've served on two lifeboats and I can't believe that we're already talking about the new FSB2 due to come into service soon."

On call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Mr. Crockford took part in hundreds of launches over the years and was twice honoured by the RNLI for daring rescues at sea.

In 1983 he received an RNLI Thanks on Vellum for the part he played in the rescue of two boys trapped on rocks after being cut off by the tide.

Six years later he was given an RNLI award when he, along with two other crew members of the RFA Sir Galahad, rescued the skipper of the Silver Stream.

In appalling weather conditions, the Silver Stream had encountered difficulties while towing another fishing vessel back to harbour and its skipper had become trapped in his wheelhouse.

Despite the rough seas, the lifeboat crew succeeded in bringing both the skipper of the Silver Stream and the two crew members of the other vessel safely back to shore, a rescue which not only earned an award for Mr. Crockford, but also the silver medal for bravery for Tenby coxswain, Alan Thomas.

A Caldey boatman by profession, ferrying passengers to and from the monastic isle, Mr. Crockford had to retire from sea lifeboat duty when he reached 55, but still plays an active part in the lifeboat service, being deputy launching authority.

"Although I had to retire from sea service because of my age, I didn't want to cut my ties completely, so I was delighted when they asked me to be DLA," he said.

"And now there's no chance of me getting wet!"

Mr. Crockford admitted that the MBE had come as a complete surprise, although it was "very nice."

"It's an honour for all my family who went before me and for all the family still involved," he said.

"The best thing about it was seeing the smile on my mother Miriam, who is quite poorly in hospital, when she was told the news."