Swanage Lifeboat Station
| Swanage Lifeboat Station | |
|---|---|
 | |
 The station in 2019, with theWellington clock towerin the background | |
  Location of Swanage Lifeboat station within Dorset | |
| General information | |
| Type | RNLILifeboat Station |
| Location | Peveril Point,Swanage, Dorset, BH19 2AY |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 50°36′28″N1°56′48″W/ 50.6078°N 1.9466°W |
| Opened | 16 September 1875 |
| Cost | £525 (equivalent to £52,617 in 2021) |
| Owner | Royal National Lifeboat Institution |
| Website | |
| Swanage RNLI Lifeboat Station | |
Swanage Lifeboat Stationis aRoyal National Lifeboat Institution(RNLI) station[1]located onPeveril Pointin the town ofSwanageinDorset,England. It operates two lifeboats, theShannon-classAll-weather lifeboat 13-13George Thomas Lacy(ON 1320) and theD-class (IB1)inshore lifeboat (ILB)Roy Norgrove(D-884).[2]
The station underwent extensive re-development in 2015/16 with a new purpose built boat house to accommodate its newShannon-classall-weather lifeboat (AWB), and was opened in 2017.[3]
History
[edit]On 4 March 1875, prompted by the recent wreck, theRoyal National Lifeboat Institution's (RNLI) Committee of Management agreed to form a lifeboat station at Swanage. The ship's first service was on 13 March 1876, when it saved aketch,theWilliam PittofPoole,when it drifted ashore nearBournemouth.In 1890, the slipway was lengthened. In 1902, gas was laid onto the lifeboat house, and the station's first motor lifeboat was sent in 1928.[3]
1992 renovation
[edit]
In 1992, to make room for the station's newMersey-classlifeboat, work was carried out on the boathouse, which included an extension to the side of the boathouse and an increase in the roof's height. Work was also undertaken on the slipway.[3]
On 3 September 1992, the new boat was officially named theRobert Charles Brown(ON 1182), in honour of Robert Charles BrownBEM,who was a lifeboatman at the station for over fifty years.[3]
Inshore lifeboats
[edit]On 3 April 1993 aD-classInshore lifeboat (ILB) was sent to the station for evaluation, and a new slipway was built the following year to accommodate it. In 1995, the ILB was permanently stationed and was namedPhyl Clare 2(D-475), and was placed on service on 8 April.[3]
In 2002, a shoreworks project including extra parking which cost £13,333 was completed in July.[3]
On 27 August 2003, a new ILB, theJack Cleare(D-613) was placed on service, withPhyl Clare 2(D-475) being withdrawn.[3]
On 12 July 2012, theD-class (IB1)Phyl & Jack(D-752) was placed on service, with theJack Cleare(D-613) being withdrawn. This lifeboat was funded in part by a gift and bequest from Mrs Phyl Cleare.[3]
In December 2023, Swanage Lifeboat station welcomedRoy Norgrove(D-884) as their new Inshore Lifeboat, replacingPhyl & Jackwhich had been on service for 12 years.
2016 rebuild
[edit]In November 2014, the RNLI's contractors (BAM Nuttall) arrived on site to start modifications of the boathouse.[3]TheMersey-classRobert Charles Brownhad its final slipway launch on 1 February 2015.[4]
On 8 April 2016, theShannon-classlifeboat arrived, and was officially placed on service on 20 April. TheMersey-classRobert Charles Brown(ON 1182) left Swanage for the last time on 22 April, after more than 23 years of service. On 8 November, trials for the new Shannon class slipway began, and the boat moved into its boathouse on 14 December. On 13 February 2017, thePhyl & Jack (D-752) was moved into its new boathouse.[3]
On 29 April 2017, theShannon-classlifeboat 13-13 was officially named theGeorge Thomas Lacy(ON 1320), and the new lifeboat station was officially opened. The new lifeboat station was opened to the public on 1 May.[3]The new station cost a total of £8 million, more than £465,000 of which was raised locally.[5]
Rescues and awards
[edit]Over the years, Swanage Lifeboat Station crew have been involved in many rescues. TenRNLI medals for gallantry,five silver and five bronze have been awarded, the last in 1996.[3][6]
- Lt. William Parsons RN, Officer of the Coastguard - 1839
- Lt. George Davies, RN - 1839
- Edward Leggett, Gunner, RN - 1839
- Charles Stubbs, Seaman, RN - 1839
- (all of the Revenue CutterTartar)
- Mr John Lose, Chief Officer of Coastguard - 1875
- Robert Charles Brown, Assistant Motor Mechanic - 1934
- Ronald Hardy, Coxswain - 1970
- Ronald Hardy, Coxswain - 1977 (Second Service award)
- Victor Albert Marsh, Second Coxswain/Mechanic - 1977
- Christopher Haw, Coxswain - 1996
- The Maude Smith Award 1996
for the most outstanding act of lifesaving during 1996
- Christopher Haw, Coxswain - 1996 (Swanage)
- The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum
- Robert C Brown, Coxswain - 1936
- The crew of the lifeboat - 1965
- D Dyke, Second Coxswain - 1970
- P Dorey, crew member - 1970
- Alec Edmonds, crew member - 1971
- Ronald Hardy, Coxswain - 1976
- Philip Dorey, Emergency Mechanic - 1976
- Dr William Tudor-Thomas, Honorary Medical Adviser - 1979
- John Corben, crew member - 1979
- Christopher Haw, crew member - 1979
- Philip Dorey, Acting Coxswain - 1981
- Victor Marsh, Coxswain/Mechanic - 1988
- Martin Steeden, Emergency Mechanic - 1988
- Christopher Haw, Coxswain - 1990
- Christopher Haw, Coxswain - 1993
- Thanks of the Committee of Management inscribed on a Vellum certificate
- Dr D I Aitken - 1966
- A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution
- Victor Marsh, Coxswain/Mechanic - 1978
- George Bishop, Second Assistant Mechanic - 1978
- Thomas Haw, crew member - 1978
- Christopher Haw, Coxswain - 1994
- Terry Pond, crew member -1994
- A Collective Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution
- Malcolm Turnbull, crew member - 1992
- Anthony Byron, crew member - 1992
- Christopher Coe, crew member - 1992
- David Graham Corben, Chair, Lifeboat Management Group - 2024KBH[9]
- Robert Charles Brown, Former Coxswain - 1977QBH[10]
- Victor Albert Charles Marsh, Coxswain Mechanic - 1989NYH[11]
FOREIGN AWARDS
(All for services to the motor launchChasseur 5of the French Naval Forces, December 1943)
- Letter of Thanks from the Commander in Chief French Naval Forces in UK
- Swanage Lifeboat Station - 1944
- French Government Medals
- Swanage Lifeboat Crew - 1946
- French Lifeboat Society Medals
- Coxswain, Mechanic and Bowman - 1946
Swanage lifeboats
[edit]All-weather lifeboats
[edit]| At Swanage[12] | ON | Op. No. | Name | Class | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1875–1890 | 193 | – | Charlotte Mary | Self-Righter | 35 ft (11 m) boat. |
| 1890–1893 | 296 | – | William Erle | Self-Righter | 37 ft (11 m) boat. |
| 1893–1914 | 358 | – | William Erle | Self-Righter | 37 ft (11 m) boat. |
| 1918–1928 | 664 | – | Herbert Sturmy | Self-Righter | 37 ft 6 in (11.43 m) boat. |
| 1928–1949 | 706 | – | Thomas Markby | Self-Righter | 40 ft (12 m) motor lifeboat. |
| 1949–1975 | 858 | – | R.L.P. | Watson | |
| 1975–1992 | 1023 | 37-31 | J. Reginald Corah | Rother | |
| 1992–2016 | 1182 | 12-23 | Robert Charles Brown | Mersey | |
| 2016– | 1320 | 13-13 | George Thomas Lacey | Shannon |
- 'ON' is the Official Number used in RNLI records from 1884.
Inshore lifeboats
[edit]| At Swanage[12] | Op. No. | Name | Class | Model | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993–1994 | D-406 | Phyl Clare | D | EA16 | |
| 1994–1995 | D-417 | Douglas Hurndall | D | EA16 | |
| 1995–2003 | D-475 | Phyl Clare 2 | D | EA16 | |
| 2003–2012 | D-613 | Jack Cleare | D | IB1 | |
| 2012–2023 | D-752 | Phyl & Jack | D | IB1 | |
| 2023– | D-884 | Roy Norgrove | D | IB1 | [13] |
- 'Op. No.' is the Operational Number displayed on the boat.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^"Swanage Lifeboat Station".RNLI.Retrieved25 March2023.
- ^"Swanage's lifeboats".RNLI.Retrieved25 March2023.
- ^abcdefghijkl"Swanage's Station History".RNLI.Retrieved25 March2023.
- ^"Swanage RNLI lifeboat station sees final launch".BBC News.1 February 2015.Retrieved27 March2023.
- ^"RNLI officially opens new Swanage lifeboat station".BBC News.30 April 2017.Retrieved27 March2023.
- ^Cox, Barry (1998).Lifeboat Gallantry.Spink & Son Ltd.ISBN0 907605 89 3.
- ^"Ordinary Members of the Civil Division of the said Most Excellent Order of the British Empire".The Gazette.Retrieved11 February2024.
- ^"Queen's Birthday Honour for Swanage RNLI lifeboat volunteer".BBC. 13 June 2015.Retrieved24 January2024.
- ^"Ordinary Members of the Civil Division of the said Most Excellent Order of the British Empire".The Gazette.Retrieved15 June2024.
- ^"British Empire Medal (Civil Division)".The Gazette.Retrieved11 February2024.
- ^"British Empire Medal".London Gazette.Retrieved29 September2024.
- ^abLeonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2023).Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2023.Lifeboats Enthusiasts Society.
- ^"Swanage Lifeboat Station welcomes new inshore lifeboat".RNLI.Retrieved9 December2023.
External links
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Neighbouring Stations to Swanage | |
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