An old hero of Harwich has returned to the town before getting set to go Down Under.

Still in its old colours, but with its numbers painted out, the lifeboat John Fison which served in the town from 1980-96 steamed back home after what may be one of its last journeys in British waters.

Captain Rod Shaw, honorary secretary of Harwich and Dovercourt Lifeboat, was asked by the RNLI if he could bring a boat, that had been sold to the New Zealand Rescue Service, round to Essex from Poole.

By a lucky coincidence, it was his old boat.

Captain Shaw and a crew of two other John Fison veterans brought the boat back to Essex for about ten days before it is taken to Tilbury and from there by cargo ship to the town of Raglan in New Zealand.

Bob Rampling of Dovercourt, who was assistant engineer on Harwich lifeboats for 20 years, said: "This journey has been like stepping back in time."

The third member of the crew is Charles Moll who served on the lifeboat for more than 10 years and celebrated his 47th birthday during the nostalgic journey.

Captain Shaw said: "We were in Newhaven for that night - let me just say we acknowledged his birthday."

The boat was replaced on January 7, 1996 when the present boat, the £1.35 million Severn class Albert Brown, went into active service.

But the John Fison still had work to do and when engine difficulties put the Albert Brown in for repairs less than a month later the old Waveney class vessel was there to stand in before finally joining the RNLI's reserve fleet in Poole.

The John Fison will moored at Harwich Quay for about ten days before going to Tilbury next week.

John Fison: Factfile

The 44ft Waveney Class vessel was named after the former manager of the Fison's fertilisers operations in South Africa whose widow gave money to the RNLI for the new boat.

In 1979 it cost £280,000. It has been sold for an undisclosed preferential rate to the New Zealand Coastguard Federation.

During its 16 years of service at Harwich it was launched 269 times, saved 102 lives and rescued 104 people.

Perhaps its most grisly task was looking for the bodies of victims of the Gateway ferry collision on the night of December 21 1982.

The John Fison will start working for New Zealand coastguard in the seaside town of Raglan, Auckland, later this year.

Situated 48km to the west of Hamilton, the town is famous amongst surf boarders as having the best "left-handed break" in the world.

Originally named Whaingaroa (Maori for long pursuit) the town was renamed in 1855 after the officer who led the charge of the light brigade.

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