A HISTORIC lifeboat which saved more than 100 lives at sea and may have helped defeat Hitler’s war machine is back on the waves.

Veteran Harwich sailor Rod Shaw has spent the past year restoring the old Penlee lifeboat after finding it had been abandoned for years in Cornwall.

Rainwater had flooded the boat, damaging the top side and leaving it unable to sail.

So far, the 26-tonne lifeboat has been caulked, which is a process of filling in the holes to make it watertight, and its seized engine sent off to be reconditioned.

The vessel has now been put back in the sea.

“It’s quite a milestone in the renovation," Mr Shaw said.