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The Rustler - Sunday 24th August 1952

This top sail schooner went aground on Brighton beach between March & August of 1952.

A grand morning, Barry Crone and myself caught an open-top bus to the West Pier. We then walked along to the strandard ship, The Rustler, which had come aground between the two piers. I took a few photos of the stricken ship.

Excerpt from the diaries of Ernie Charman

The Rustler - Brighton Beach Sunday 24th August 1952
(c) Ernie Charman/Dinnages Library(008)

Comments about this page

  • The Rustler could not be refloated. Many attempts were made over a number of years, then as she started to become more derilict a decision was made to burn her. The Rustler was set alight and crowds came to scavenge the copper and bronze fittings. I was 13 years of age and got a massive piece of bronze off the foremast, which I took to Barnes Scrap Merchants (after putting it in the water to cool) and did very well out of it.

    By Terry Mann (25/10/2007)
  • My late husband was on board the Rustler, he would have been about 18 and would have stayed on the beach had his sisters not gone down there and yanked him home. We went to see skipper Maitland and his wife Goose after we were married in 1957 they had a caravan in Hoo Kent. Last time we saw them was about 1960.

    By Julie Murrell (10/08/2008)
  • My brother Brian Hyde was friends with Jimmy Murrell. The Murrells lived at the Buxton Rd end of Stafford Rd, the children were a bit older than me. I remember Donald and knew they had sisters. My brother and Jimmy took me to see the Rustler and we climbed on board, I was eight years old. My brother is 79 now and lives in Swindon.

    By Terry Hyde (30/08/2011)
  • Julie, was that 18 year old the boy who went back onboard to rescue his/ships Cat?  I was only eight at the time but I remeber that piece in the papers as I had a Cat at the time and understood the feeling.

    By Christopher McBrien (06/01/2016)
  • Hi I would just like to say I remember the Rustler I was ten years old at the time. the man let us on board to play it was fabulous. the memories stayed all these years. thank you  I was thrilled  when I saw your photo. thanks again for the memories.

    By Rosemary Brazill (17/01/2016)
  • My Dad (managed a greengrocery near Brighton Railway Station and was fascinated by the Rustler. If he had nothing better to do during his half day off (Wednesday afternoon), we would go and watch the dozens of volunteers shovelling stones away from the ship. As noted before, several efforts were made to float the craft, but all failed.

    By David Butcher (15/09/2020)
  • I remember my parents taking me down to the beach to see the Rustler. I was only five years old but remember it now so clearly.

    By Lesley Miles nee Goddard (24/03/2024)

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