RNLB Benjamin Bond Cabbell II (ON 12)

Last updated

Cromer Lifeboat Benjamin Bond Cabbell ON12.jpg
Benjamin Bond Cabbell II (ON 12)
History
Flag of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.svg
Owner Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI)
BuilderJames Beeching & Brothers boat builders, Great Yarmouth
Official Number:ON 12
Donor:Legacy of Miss Ann Egdell, Alnwick, Northumberland
Station Cromer
Cost£365 3s 6d
Launched1884
Christened29 September 1884 by Mrs Bond Cabbell
In serviceSeptember 1884 to September 1902
General characteristics
TypeCromer non self-righter
Displacement30 tonnes
Length35 ft (11 m) overall
Beam10 ft 6 in (3.20 m)
Depth4 ft (1.2 m)
Installed powerDipping Lug sail
PropulsionFourteen oars double banked

RNLB Benjamin Bond Cabbell II (ON 12) [1] was a Cromer non self-righter type lifeboat stationed at Cromer Lifeboat Station in the English county of Norfolk [2] from September 1884 [3] until September 1902.

Contents

Design and construction

The Benjamin Bond Cabbell II was the fifth lifeboat to be stationed at the Norfolk town of Cromer, and the second lifeboat to bear the name Benjamin Bond Cabbell . At the design process for this lifeboat, a number of meetings were held by the RNLI’s chief inspector of Lifeboats, Captain the Hon H.W. Chetwynd [3] and the service's surveyor Mr Prowse with the crew of the Cromer Lifeboat. At the meetings the lifeboat men were asked what their preferences were, when considering designs for the new lifeboat. The local men who were mainly fishermen expressed a desire for a new boat to be on the lines of the lifeboat which had been stationed there before 1858. [3] These suggestions by local men, Mr James Davis, Mr James Mayes and Mr Thomas Blogg were very similar to the Norfolk and Suffolk Type lifeboats. By 27 November 1883 [3] the surveyor, Mr Prowse, had agreed a design with the local fisherman, and an order was placed with James Beeching boat builders, of Great Yarmouth. [3]

Construction

The new lifeboat hull was constructed using the clench method fixed with copper fastenings. The keel was 4 inches (100 mm) deep and 5 inches (130 mm) wide, with an iron keel plate and a belt of cork. She was 35 feet (11 m) long with a breadth of 10 feet 6 inches (3.20 m). The inside depth was 4 feet (1.2 m). There were fourteen oars which were double banked and she was also equipped with a dipping lug sail. The lifeboat would be steered by either a rudder or sweep oars. Benjamin Bond Cabbell II had a watertight deck, with copper tubes and self-acting valves to release the water, and portable airtight cases round the sides of the boat between the deck and the thwarts. Cork-packed air-cases were placed under the deck in the wings of the lifeboat. These cases weighed 4.5 tons and drew 18 inches (460 mm) of water clear of ballast. The boat had a relatively light construction with a high bow and a raking stem. The keel was curved, typical of the north country-designed lifeboats first built in the late eighteenth century. The water ballast tanks had ten relieving valves and the rudder was retractable to prevent it being damaged when beach launched or during the recovery procedure.

Service

The Benjamin Bond Cabbell II was formally named and christened on 29 September 1884 [3] by Mrs Bond Cabbell when she broke a bottle of claret over the boat, followed by a launch from the lifeboats carriage, whilst the band played Rule Britannia and the church bells rang. The Benjamin Bond Cabbell II was launched to only thirteen times during her service at Cromer, saving twenty six lives in the process. [3] Her first service took place on 28 January 1888. [3] Benjamin Bond Cabbell II was launched at 11:15 am to the brigantine Jane Marie of London which was bound from Hartlepool for Greenwich with a cargo of coal. The crew of seven were taken on board the Benjamin Bond Cabbell II and landed at Cromer.

A Hero’s early years

On 28 December 1894 an eighteen-year-old boy joined the crew of the Benjamin Bond Cabbell II for the first time. His name was Henry George Blogg and he would go on to be referred to as "the greatest of the lifeboatmen". [4] [5] Henry Blogg GC BEM (6 February 1876 – 13 June 1954) took part in his first service to the schooner Fair City of Gloucester. [4] She had lost her mast and rigging in severe weather. The lifeboat stayed with her through the night escorting her part way to shore before her crew were taken off by the Sea Palling Lifeboat Hearts of Oak ON351. [3] The schooner then broke into pieces and sank [3]

Last service

Her final service was to the steamship Celerity of Great Yarmouth on 17 February 1901. [3] The Celerity was bound from Rochester to Leith carrying a cargo of cement when she began shipping water and her fires had to be extinguished. After standing by her all night the lifeboat then escorted the vessel to Great Yarmouth. The Benjamin Bond Cabbell II was withdrawn from service after the RNLI deemed she was unfit for further service. [3] She was replaced by RNLB Louisa Heartwell (ON 495) in 1902. [3]

Service and rescues

DateCasualtyLives saved
1888
22 OctoberBrigantine Jane Maria of London 7
1893
18 NovemberFishing boat from Overstrand 5
18 NovemberFishing boat from Runton 3
1894
26 OctoberFive fishing boats, landed 7
28 DecemberSchooner Fair City, of Gloucester, stood by and gave help
1897
3 DecemberKetch Hero, of Goole 4
1901
17 FebruarySteamship Celerity of Great Yarmouth, saved vessel7

Related Research Articles

Cromer Coastal town in Norfolk, England

Cromer is a coastal town and civil parish on the north coast of the English county of Norfolk. It is approximately 23 miles (37 km) north of the city of Norwich, 116 miles (187 km) north-northeast of London and 4 miles (6.4 km) east of Sheringham on the North Sea coastline. The local government authorities are North Norfolk District Council, whose headquarters is on Holt Road in the town, and Norfolk County Council, based in Norwich. The civil parish has an area of 4.66 km2 (1.80 sq mi) and at the 2011 census had a population of 7,683.

Henry Blogg Most decorated RNLI lifeboatman

Henry George Blogg GC BEM was a lifeboatman from Cromer on the north coast of Norfolk, England, and the most decorated in Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) history.

SS <i>English Trader</i> Merchant ship

The SS English Trader was a British merchant ship wrecked off the coast of Norfolk, England in October 1941. After falling behind a convoy during the Second World War of which she was a part, the ship ran aground on the Hammond's Knoll sandbank and began to break up during a gale. Several rescue attempts by lifeboats failed, but a further attempt the following day by the Cromer Lifeboat rescued 44 of the crew, three having already been lost.

SS <i>Mount Ida</i>

The SS Mount Ida was a cargo ship built in 1938 by William Hamilton & Co. Ltd of Glasgow. Launched in 1938 as Arcscott, she was renamed Mount Ida after being bought by the Atlanticos Steam Ship Company Ltd, of Athens, Greece. She was wrecked in 1939 after being in service for only about 18 months.

SS <i>Georgia</i> Oil tanker lost at Haisborough Sands off the coast of Norfolk, England

SS Georgia was an oil tanker lost at Haisborough Sands off the coast of Norfolk, England in November 1927.

Henry Thomas Davies

Henry "Shrimp" Thomas Davies BEM was a lifeboatman from Cromer on the north coast of Norfolk, England. His uncle, Henry Blogg, gave him the nickname "Shrimp" after seeing him as a tiny baby. In 1931 he joined the crew of the Cromer lifeboat H F Bailey and became coxswain in 1947, taking over from Henry Blogg. Davies retired in February 1976, after serving as coxswain of lifeboats Henry Blogg and Ruby and Arthur Reed, having been one of Cromer Lifeboat Station's longest serving coxswains.

RNLB <i>H F Bailey</i> (ON 777)

RNLB H F Bailey is the most famous Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboat to have served from Cromer, because she was used by Coxswain Henry Blogg to perform many of his most famous lifesaving exploits. The lifeboat was on station for the ten years between 1935 and 1945. She is now part of the National Historic Fleet and has been preserved in the RNLI Henry Blogg Museum in Cromer.

SS <i>Cantabria</i> (1919) Spanish cargo ship sunk in a military action of the Spanish Civil War

SS Cantabria was a Spanish cargo ship which was sunk in a military action of the Spanish Civil War, off the coast of Norfolk 12 miles ENE of Cromer on 2 November 1938. The ship was shelled by the Spanish Nationalist auxiliary cruiser Nadir, which was part of General Franco's navy.

James Henry Hallett (1825–1907) was one of the most famous lifeboatmen of his age. Decorated by King Edward VII with the RNLI gold medal for his efforts in the 1901 Caister lifeboat disaster, which claimed the lives of nine men. Amongst those lost were two of his sons, Aaron and James Hallett, Charles Bonney George and his grandson Harry Knights.

RNLB <i>Henry Blogg</i> (ON 840)

RNLB Henry Blogg was the eighteenth lifeboat to be stationed at Cromer in the county of Norfolk.

RNLB <i>Louisa Heartwell</i> (ON 495)

RNLB Louisa Heartwell was the sixth lifeboat to be stationed at Cromer on the coast of the English county of Norfolk She was launched from the beach station and was on station from 1902 to 1932. During her period on station at Cromer the Louisa Heartwell had only two coxswains during her 29-year career. They were Matthew James Buttons Harrison until his retirement in 1909, and then Henry George Blogg.

RNLB <i>Ruby and Arthur Reed II</i> (ON 1097)

RNLB Ruby and Arthur Reed II was a Tyne-class lifeboat stationed at Cromer in the English county of Norfolk from 16 December 1985 and was the No 1 lifeboat between various relief’s until she was replaced after 21 years service by the Tamar-class RNLB Lester (ON 1287) in December 2007. Between 1996 and 1999, during the rebuilding of the pier head lifeboat house and slipway, she was temporarily replaced by a carriage launched Mersey-class lifeboat, RNLB Her Majesty The Queen (ON 1189). During the time that the Ruby and Arthur Reed was on station at Cromer she performed 120 service launches, rescuing 102 lives including 3 dogs. Nearly 50% of her launches took place during the hours of darkness and 17 of them saw her facing gale force 7 winds. Her service launches included helping 48 merchant and fishing vessels and 47 pleasure craft.

Cromer Lifeboat Station

Cromer Lifeboat Station is an RNLI station located in the town of Cromer in the English county of Norfolk. The station operates two lifeboats - one for inshore work and the other for offshore work.

SS <i>Monte Nevoso</i>

SS Monte Nevoso was a cargo steamship that was launched in 1920 in England, owned in Italy, and wrecked in 1932 in the North Sea off the coast of Norfolk.

SS <i>Meriones</i>

SS Meriones was a Blue Funnel Line refrigerated cargo steamship. She was launched in 1921 on the River Tyne as one of a class of 11 ships to replace many of Blue Funnel's losses in the First World War.

SS Gallois was one of seven merchant vessels which became stranded and then wrecked on Haisbro Sands of the Norfolk coast on 6 August 1941 during the Second World War. The SS Gallois had been part of a convoy with the designation Convoy FS 559.

<i>Alf</i> (barque) Three-masted Norwegian barque

Alf was a three-masted Norwegian barque which became stranded and then wrecked on 23 November 1909 on Haisbro Sands, off the coast of Norfolk. She was originally built in 1876 as Inchgreen for Scottish owners. In the 1890s she was sold to Danish owners and renamed Adolph Harboe. Around the turn of the 20th century she was sold to Norwegian owners and renamed Alf, serving until she was wrecked off the coast of Norfolk.

William Fleming (lifeboatman)

William George Fleming GC (1865–1954) was a lifeboatman from Gorleston on the east coast of Norfolk, England. His service with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) spanned nearly fifty years, in which time he won the George Cross and the RNLI Medal in Gold and in Silver, and the Bronze Medal three times.

RNLB <i>Ruby and Arthur Reed</i> (ON 990)

Ruby and Arthur Reed was an Oakley-class lifeboat of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) stationed at Cromer in the English county of Norfolk from 30 April 1967 and was the No 1 lifeboat between various relief’s until she was replaced after 17 years service by the Tyne-class Ruby and Arthur Reed II on 16 December 1985. During the time that the Ruby and Arthur Reed was on station at Cromer she performed 125 service launches, rescuing 58 lives.

RNLB H F Bailey II was the third lifeboat stationed at Cromer to bear this name, but the first of the four to bear a number in its name. This lifeboat was sent to replace H F Bailey. Coxswain Henry Blogg of the Cromer is often referred to as "the greatest of the lifeboatmen" was said to have disliked this lifeboat having preferred the previous lifeboat H F Bailey ON 695.

References

  1. ↑ The Cromer Lifeboats, by Bob Malster & Peter Stibbons,:Poppyland Publishing, ISBN   0-946148-21-X
  2. ↑ OS Explorer Map 252 - Norfolk Coast East. ISBN   978-0-319-23815-8.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Cromer Lifeboats 1804-2004, Leach, Nicholas & Russell, Paul, Pub: Tempus Publishing, 2004, ISBN   0-7524-3197-8
  4. 1 2 "Henry Blogg, the Greatest of the Lifeboatmen", Jolly, C., Pub: Poppyland Publishing, new edition 2002, ISBN   0-946148-59-7
  5. ↑ pdf of "Henry Blogg, the Greatest of the Lifeboatmen"
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.