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In June 1947 as a small girl of eight I, my young brother and parents were at the east end of Budleigh Salterton beach where the River Otter meets the sea. Whilst taking in all around me and looking towards the river mouth I saw a young person swept off his feet. I remember calling out to my father and pointing in the direction of what I was witnessing. Without hesitation my father cast off his jacket and shoes and was gone.

The rescue of the boy took rather longer than expected due to a strong current. My brother and I were left in the care of a husband and wife on the beach whilst my mother ran for help trying desperately to push a boat down into the water on the other side of the pebble ridge but it was securely tethered in some way.

I then remember a man coming down on to the beach, stripping off and entering the water. 

As I understand it now, Mr Channon first thought that it was my father who needed saving and only realised when out in deep water, my father had hold of a young boy.

The boy was brought ashore and laid upon the pebbles. His face was an awful colour, green/gray. Dr. Hawkes came down to the sorry scene and I’m glad to say the Cub Scout survived his ordeal thanks to my father’s quick reaction and Mr Channon’s help in the rescue.

The lifebelt since erected at the end of Donkey’s Turn, on the recommendation of Col. McRae chairman of the local branch of the British Legion to the Urban District Council, is a constant reminder for me of that day.

Extracted from contemporary newspaper cuttings:

“Scouting not only instils a spirit of adventure into young men, it also teaches them how to cope with adventurous circumstances when they arise.” Declared Lt. Gen. Sir Edmund Schreiber, Boy Scouts County Commissioner, when he awarded the Silver Cross for Gallantry to Mr R. J. Stratton Knott, Hon. Sec. of the local scout association for his bravery in the rescue of a schoolboy from drowning on June 7. Mr Stratton Knott lived at Elm Hayes, Moor Lane (1943-1958) and the rescued boy was local aged 10. 

The other rescuer was named as Mr Henry George Cannon of 6 Stoneborough Cottages and it was estimated that the rescue took 15 minutes.

 (Record of events written by Mary Knott - daughter)  

Royal Humane Society Testimonial

At a meeting of the Royal Humane Society on 12 August 1947, chaired by Lt. Col. V. Vivian, it was unanimously resolved to award Mr Robert J. S. Knott the Honorary Testimonial of the Society, inscribed on vellum.

What makes this rescue the more remarkable is that our father had recently been invalided out of the RNVR and was recovering from TB. 

Prepared © 2009, by Alex and Mary Stratton-Knott from family records and memorabilia. 

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