Bembridge Lifeboat Station

Bembridge Lifeboat Station
Bembridge Lifeboat Station
Location of Bembridge Lifeboat station within Isle of Wight
General information
Type	RNLI Lifeboat Station
Architectural style	Boathouse built on piles
Location	Lane End, Bembridge, Isle of Wight, PO35 5TD
Country	England
Coordinates	50°41′24.7″N1°04′13.7″W / 50.690194°N 1.070472°W / 50.690194; -1.070472
Opened	1867
Owner	Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Technical details
Material	Concrete and Steel

Bembridge Lifeboat Station is an RNLI ^[1] station located in the village of Bembridge on the Isle of Wight in the United Kingdom. ^[2]

Location

The station is located on the eastern approaches to The Solent, south of the area known as Spithead. The station is on one of the busiest shipping lanes in United Kingdom waters.

The main boathouse stands away from the shore on a piled platform with slipway, and is linked to the shore by a pier gangway (see picture).

The station operates two lifeboats:

• An All-weather Tamar-class lifeboat 16-17 Alfred Albert Williams (ON 1297) which has been at the station since 2010
• An Inshore lifeboat (ILB), a D-class (IB1) called Norman Harvey (D-778). ^[3] The ILB is kept in a boathouse on the shore, next to the pier gangway of the main boathouse.

History

1867–1922: original service and rescues

The first lifeboat service began at Bembridge in 1867. ^[4] A boathouse was built at Lane End at a cost of £165, and the first lifeboat was launched from here by means of a carriage. The first lifeboat on station was a self-righting pulling lifeboat and was 32 feet (10 m) long and 7 feet 6 inches (2.29 m) in beam. She was paid for by the subscriptions of the citizens of Worcester and was named RNLB City of Worcester. ^[5] A rowing boat, RNLB Queen Victoria, also operated from Bembridge from 1887 to 1902. ^[6] She was replaced that year by a second lifeboat, also named the Queen Victoria. ^[7] The first boathouse was enlarged between 1902 and 1903. ^[4]

USS Wakulla, whose crew was rescued by the Bembridge lifeboat

On 3 February 1916 the SS Empress Queen became stranded in thick fog and foul weather on the Ring Rocks, off the Foreland at the eastern extremity of the Isle of Wight. There were 1,300 troops and a large quantity of ammunition on board. ^[8] A destroyer was used to take off the troops while the crew remained on board. Efforts to pull the Empress Queen off the rocks failed, and within a few hours a gale had blown up. The Queen Victoria II launched to assist but was unable to anchor nearby, instead retrieving^{[ clarification needed ]} a line from the Empress Queen. Over four trips, the Queen Victoria II rescued 110 crewmen, and the ship's cat and dog. ^{[4] [9]}

On the morning of 28 August 1919, there was heavy rain in a strong gale, and an American ship called the USS Wakulla (ID-3147) had been driven onto a shoal at West Wittering. The Queen Victoria II got alongside her and rescued 13 of her crew, then returned to stand by while a government tug towed her in. ^[10] The lifeboat coxswain was awarded an RNLI Silver Medal. ^[11]

1922–1939: improvements

By 1922 the RNLI had determined that Bembridge's location made it a prime candidate for a new motor lifeboat, requiring the construction of a new boathouse with a concrete pier and a steel launching slipway. A single-screw self-righting motor lifeboat, the RNLB Langham (ON 676), was funded by a legacy and was named and launched by a member of the donor's family. ^{[12] [13]} The 1922 improvements made Bembridge the most state of the art station in the country and gave the crew the capability to be at sea in just 14 minutes. The new motor lifeboat extended the range of the station, allowing Bembridge to cover Brook and Brighstone, whose stations were closed. ^{[14] [15]}

In 1939, the boathouse was enlarged to accommodate a new Watson-class twin screw motor lifeboat, the RNLB Jesse Lumb (ON 822). ^{[16] [17]} She was funded by a legacy and christened by the Bishop of Salisbury, Neville Lovett, on 21 July 1939. Jesse Lumb's service at Bembridge ended in 1970. ^[17]

On 29 January 1940 there was a blizzard with heavy seas in the English Channel. The Jesse Lumb put out to sea at 5:20 pm in response to a distress call. She searched Man's Fort just off Selsey, then was redirected to search between Ryde and Seaview on the Isle of Wight. Finding no vessels in distress, she was redirected to Chichester Bar outside Chichester Harbour, where she finally located HMT Kingston Cairngorm, which was flooding quickly. ^[18] After several approaches, the Jesse Lumb retrieved all 21 of her crew safely. The lifeboat coxswain was awarded an RNLI Bronze Medal. ^[19]

The station's lifeboats continued to serve during World War II. On 8 August 1941, Jesse Lumb was launched to search for an aircraft reported to be down 10 miles south of Bembridge station. After a fruitless search for the aircraft, the lifeboat came across Royal Air Force Marine Branch high speed launch HSL 116 disabled and flying a distress signal. She had been attacked by German aircraft while on patrol. One crewman had been killed, another severely wounded, and the launch's propeller was fouled. The Jesse Lumb took the vessel under tow and brought her safely in to Portsmouth.

1964–1994: boathouse enlargements

In 1964 the RNLI established an inshore lifeboat service at Bembridge, utilising the 1867 boathouse to house the D-class ILB. ^[4] In 1970, the boathouse was enlarged to accommodate a new lifeboat, the Solent-class RNLB Jack Shayler and the Lees (ON 1009) which served on station from 1970 until 1978. ^[20] In 1987 the station was allocated a new Tyne-class lifeboat, RNLB Max Aitken III (ON 1126), and the boathouse was again altered to accommodate the bigger boat. ^[21] She was on the station from 1987 until 2010. In 1989 work was done on the slipway to extend the toe, and in 1994 major repairs were made to the slipway. ^[4]

2009: major re-development

In 2009 a new Tamar-class lifeboat was allocated to the station, again requiring a major redevelopment of the offshore boathouse, projected to cost £10 million. ^{[22] [23]} A public appeal to raise £1million for the project was launched. Demolition of the old station began in May 2009.

The old Tyne-class Max Aitken III was retired to the RNLI relief fleet and the station was allocated the Mersey-class Peggy & Alex Caird (ON 1124) to cover whilst the new station was built. ^[3]

The facility was designed to allow the lifeboat to reach 95% of casualties within 50 miles of the station, within 30 minutes of launch. The new boathouse, station and gangway was completed by October 2010 and cost £7,650,000. On 27 September 2010 the new lifeboat, the Alfred Albert Williams (ON 1297), was deployed to the station. ^[24]

At the same time, work was carried out on the old onshore boathouse to provide new facilities for the Inshore Lifeboat. The portion of the structure dating back to the original 19th century boathouse were kept, whilst the newer building was carefully constructed around it. ^[25]

Station Honours

The following are awards made at Bembridge ^{[26] [27]}

• RNLI Silver Medal

John Holbrook, Coxswain - 1916

John Holbrook, Coxswain - 1919 (Second Service Award)

• RNLI Bronze Medal

Harry James Gawn, Coxswain - 1940

• The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum

Charles Searle, Coxswain - 1877

Alan Attrill, Helmsman - 1994

• A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution

Archibald Henley, Coxswain - 1993

Alan Attrill, Helmsman - 1994

Graeme White, crew member - 1994

Geoffrey Attrill, crew member - 1994

• A Framed Letter of Appreciation

Martin S Humphrey, inshore lifeboat crew member - 1970

Barry L Dyer, inshore lifeboat crew member - 1970

• Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE)

Martin John Woodward, Former Coxswain - 2004 ^[28]

Capt Graham Hall, Lifeboat Operations Manager - 2011 ^[29]

• British Empire Medal

Peter Smith, Coxswain - 1972

Bembridge Lifeboats

All-weather lifeboats

ON [lower-alpha 1]	Op.No. [lower-alpha 2]	Name	In service [3]	Class	Comments
–	–	City of Worcester	1867–1887	32-foot Self-righting (P&S)	[30]
112	–	Queen Victoria	1887–1902	34-foot Self-righting (P&S)
468	–	Queen Victoria	1902–1922	35-foot Self-righting (P&S)
676	–	Langham	1922–1939	40-foot Self-righting (P&S)
822	–	Jesse Lumb	1939–1970	46ft Watson
1009	48-006	Jack Shayler and the Lees	1970–1987	Solent
1126	47-018	Max Aitken III	1987–2009	Tyne
1124	12-001	Peggy and Alex Caird	2009–2010	Mersey
1297	16-17	Alfred Albert Williams	2010–	Tamar

Inshore lifeboats

Op.No. [lower-alpha 2]	Name	In service [3]	Class	Comments
D-8	Unnamed	1964	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-18	Unnamed	1965–1967	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-144	Unnamed	1967–1968	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-24	Unnamed	1969–1971	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-101	Unnamed	1971–1975	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-244	Unnamed	1976–1987	D-class (Zodiac III)
D-353	Unnamed	1987–1996	D-class (EA16)
D-503	Criddy and Tom	1996–2005	D-class (EA16)
D-649	Dorothy Beatrice May Gorman	2005–2015	D-class (IB1)
D-778	Norman Harvey	2015–	D-class (IB1)

1. ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.
2. Op.No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat carried on the hull.

Gallery

• 
  The current Tamar-class all-weather lifeboat Alfred Albert Williams (ON-1297). Designed to be launched from a slipway, with her mast and aerials being lowered to fit into the Bembridge boathouse which was built specifically to house this class of lifeboat.
• 
  The boathouse at Bembridge before the major re-development of the station which started in 2009 and was completed in 2010.
• 
  An interior view of the Bembridge boathouse with the Tamar-class Alfred Albert Williams in situ.
• 
  The RNLI gift shop at Lane End is housed in the original 1867 boathouse.
• 
  The former Bembridge lifeboat RNLB Jesse Lumb (ON-822). The 46ft Watson-class lifeboat is displayed at the Imperial War Museum at Duxford. It is on the National Register of Historic Vessels, becoming part of the National Historic Fleet.

See also

• List of RNLI stations
• Royal National Lifeboat Institution
• Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats

References

1. "The RNLI Bembridge Lifeboat Station website". Home page of station website – RNLI. 2014 RNLI. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
2. OS Explorer Map OL29 – Isle of Wight, Folded Map. Publisher:Ordnance Survey; B2 edition (17 March 2008). ISBN   978 0319240151
3. Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2024). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2024. Lifeboats Enthusiasts Society. pp. 4–132.
4. For Those in Peril – The Lifeboat Service of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, Station by Station. Author: Leach, Nicholas. Publisher: Silver Link Publishing Ltd, First Issue 1999. Work:Part 2, South Coast of England – Eastbourne to Weston-super-Mare, Page 78, Bembridge. ISBN   1 85794 129 2
5. "Early History – Bembridge lifeboat station". Description of the early history of the station and its lifeboats. 2013 Bembridge Lifeboat, [e-mail], Website by Neo-Archaic. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
6. "Queen Victoria Lifeboat". Isle of Wight Historic Lifeboat Trust . Retrieved 24 January 2017.
7. "1902 | Bembridge Lifeboat". www.bembridgelifeboat.org.uk. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
8. "SS Empress Queen". Description and wreck details for the SS Empress Queen. 2014, Wrecksite.eu. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
9. Lifeboat Gallantry – RNLI Medals and how they were won. Author: Cox, Barry. Published by: Spink & Son Ltd. Work: Page 236 – HOLBROOK John, Coxswain, Bembridge Lifeboat. ISBN   0907605893
10. "USS Wakulla (ID # 3147) – 1918–1919 – Originally and later S.S. Wakulla (American Freighter, 1918)". Details of the ship and her service. 2014 Naval Historical Center. Archived from the original on 8 November 2013. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
11. Lifeboat Gallantry – RNLI Medals and how they were won. Author: Cox, Barry. Published by: Spink & Son Ltd. Work: Page 245/246 – HOLBROOK John, Coxswain, Bembridge Lifeboat. ISBN   0907605893
12. "RNLB Langham". Details of the lifeboat on the historic Ship Register. The National Historic ships Register – The official voice of historic ships in the UK. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
13. "Queen Victoria Lifeboat – Other Restoration Projects". Photos and text about the restoration work to the RNLB Langham. The Isle of Wight Historic Lifeboat Trust. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
14. "Brook Village History – Brook Lifeboat". History of the brook lifeboat station. Brook Village History 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
15. "Brighstone Bay History". Photograph of the old Lifeboat house and reference to the station. Grange Farm History. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
16. "Ship, Lifeboat 'Jesse Lumb', British (MAR 557)". Imperial War Museum Collection Search. Imperial War Museum. Archived from the original on 12 June 2012. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
17. "Jesse Lumb". National Register of Historic Vessels. National Historic Ships. 2011. Archived from the original on 5 July 2011. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
18. "HMS Kingston Cairngorm". Details and description of HMS Kingston Cairngorm. 1995–2014 Guðmundur Helgason. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
19. Lifeboat Gallantry – RNLI Medals and how they were won. Author: Cox, Barry. Published by: Spink & Son Ltd. Work: Page 281 – GAWN harry James, Coxswain, Bembridge Lifeboat. ISBN   0907605893
20. "Solent Class Lifeboats". List of RNLI Solent Lifeboats with service dates and Details. navynuts.com. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
21. "Tyne Class Lifeboats". List of RNLI Tyne class Lifeboats with service dates and Details. navynuts.com. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
22. "New Bembridge RNLI lifeboat station one step nearer after planners give the green light". RNLI website giving information on the planning process. 2014 RNLI. Retrieved 7 March 2014.
23. "Isle of Wight County Press online – New Station on its way". News report on the building of a new lifeboat station at Bembridge. 2014 Isle of Wight County Press. Retrieved 7 March 2014.
24. "Tamar-class 16.25-metre Lifeboat". List of Tamar-class lifeboats, includes ON-1297. Lifeboat World On-Line 2014. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
25. "150yrs of Bembridge Lifeboat Station". Honley & Brockholes RNLI. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
26. "Bembridge's station history". RNLI. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
27. Cox, Barry (1998). Lifeboat Gallantry. Spink & Son Ltd. ISBN   0 907605 89 3.
28. "Ordinary Members of the Civil Division of the said Most Excellent Order of the British Empire". The Gazette. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
29. "Ordinary Members of the Civil Division of the said Most Excellent Order of the British Empire". The Gazette. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
30. Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2021). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2021 (2021 ed.). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 2–18.