THE RNLI is preparing to commemorate the centenary of one of the most remarkable rescues in its history, which took place when a ship was wrecked off Whitby in 1914.

A spokeswoman for the charity said that on October 30, 1914, the hospital ship HMHS Rohilla was sailing from Leith to Belgium to pick up wounded soldiers from the front when she ran aground under the cliffs at Saltwick Bay near Whitby.

"A fierce north-easterly gale and heavy seas quickly broke her into three sections," she said.

"Many of those on board drowned but 35 survivors were rescued by the Whitby RNLI lifeboat before she too was broken into pieces.

"Fifty of the ship’s remaining passengers clung to the disintegrating wreck for the next two days before being rescued by a motor lifeboat that had managed to sail through the gale from the River Tyne.

" In all, 145 lives were saved and three RNLI Gold Medals and four Silver Medals were awarded for gallantry."

To mark the centenary and pay tribute to those who died, the RNLI is organising a weekend of commemoration in Whitby at the beginning of November.

Events include a demonstration by the restored rowing lifeboat William Riley, which took part in the Rohilla rescue, at noon on Saturday November 1 and a flotilla of boats - led by the Whitby RNLI all-weather lifeboat - sailing to the site of the wreck to lay wreaths at 1pm.

At 7pm on Saturday, there will be a performance of a new folk opera telling the Rohilla story. Spirit of Whitby by Richard Grainger will be performed at St Hilda’s Church.

Finally, at 11am the following day, there will be a service of Remembrance at St Mary’s Church.