Southwold Lifeboat Station

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Southwold Lifeboat Station
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RNLI lifeboat Station, Southwold 14th June 2009 (1).JPG
Southwold Lifeboat Station.
Suffolk UK relief location map.jpg
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General information
Type RNLI Lifeboat Station
LocationSouthwold Lifeboat Station, Ferry Road, IP18 6NB Southwold, Suffolk
Country England
Coordinates 52°18′54″N1°40′21″E / 52.31500°N 1.67250°E / 52.31500; 1.67250
Opened1851
Owner Flag of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.svg Royal National Lifeboat Institution

Southwold Lifeboat Station is an RNLI operated lifeboat station located in the town of Southwold in the English county of Suffolk. [1]

Contents

The station operates an Atlantic 85-class lifeboat called Annie Tranmer which has an operational range of 25 miles (40 km). [2] The Atlantic 85 is the third generation Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) in the B-class series. The lifeboat has a manually operated self-righting mechanism and can be beached in an emergency without sustaining damage to engines or steering gear. She is easy refloat and is ideal for rescues close to shore and on the sandbanks which are along the coast at Southwold.

The lifeboat is operated by a crew of around 18 volunteers. [3] Charity abseil events at Southwold lighthouse raised over £20,000 for the lifeboat in both 2009 and 2011. [3] [2]

History

A lifeboat was first stationed in the town in 1841 [4] with the first motorised boat being put into service in 1926. [5] The station's lifeboat, Mary Scott, took part in the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940. She was towed to Dunkirk by the paddle steamer Emperor of India together with two other small boats. Between them they took 160 men to their mother ship, then made a journey with 50 men to another transport vessel. She was abandoned on the beach, recovered and returned to service with the RNLI at Southwold.

An inshore lifeboat station equipped with a D class lifeboat was established in 1963. This was replaced by a B class Atlantic 21 lifeboat, Sole Bay, in 1973. Medal Services – 1972: Bronze Medal Patrick Pile and Martin Helmer. 1981: Bronze Medal Helmsman Roger Trigg. [5]

Description

The current boathouse was built in 1993 near the entrance to Southwold Harbour at the mouth of the River Blyth. [5] A winch and davit are used to launch the boat. These were repositioned in 2012 following essential repair work carried out to the harbour wall. [6] [7]

The station covers an area of around 25 miles (40 km). Neighbouring lifeboat stations are located in Lowestoft and Aldeburgh along the North Sea coast.

Southwold Lifeboats

All-weather lifeboats

No.1 station

ON [lower-alpha 1] NameIn service [8] ClassComments
–Solebay1841–1852 40ft Norfolk and Suffolk-class (P&S) [4]
–Harriett1852–185538ft Self-righting (P&S) [9]
28Harriett,
London Coal Exchange No. 1		1855–1893 39ft 10in Norfolk and Suffolk-class (P&S)
353 Alfred Corry 1893–1918 44ft Norfolk and Suffolk-class (P&S)
352Bolton1918–1925 43ft Norfolk and Suffolk-class (P&S)
691Mary Scott1925–1940 Norfolk and Suffolk-class (Motor) All-Weather Lifeboat Station closed 1940 due to WW2 requirements.
[5] [10]

No.2 station

ONNameIn service [8] ClassComments
–Quiver No. 21866–1882 33ft Norfolk and Suffolk-class (P&S) [9]
29Quiver No. 21882–1897 30ft Norfolk and Suffolk-class (P&S)
405Rescue1897–1920 32ft Norfolk and Suffolk-class (P&S) Station closed, 1920

Inshore lifeboats

D-class

Op. No. [lower-alpha 2] NameIn service [8] ClassComments
D-6unnamed1963 D-class (RFD PB16)
D-25unnamed1964 D-class (RFD PB16)
D-14unnamed1965 D-class (RFD PB16)
D-36unnamed1965–1970 D-class (RFD PB16)
D-191unnamed1970–1973 D-class (RFD PB16)

B-class

Op. No.NameIn service [8] ClassComments
B-518Sole Bay1973–1985 Atlantic 21-class
B-562The Quiver1985–1998 Atlantic 21-class
B-750Leslie Tranmer1998–2013 Atlantic 75-class
B-868Annie Tranmer2013– Atlantic 85-class
  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.

Station Honours

The following are awards made at Southwold [5]

John Fisher, Acting Coxswain - 1849
Benjamin Herrington, Coxswain - 1854
William Waters, Second Coxswain - 1854
Benjamin Herrington, Coxswain - 1859 (Second Service Clasp)
John Craigie, Acting Coxswain - 1859
Edward W Goldsmith - 1895
Thomas H Palmer - 1895
Alfred Took - 1895
John Craigie, Coxswain - 1895 (Second Service Clasp)
John Craigie, Coxswain - 1898 (Third Service Clasp)
J H Gilings - 1924
Frank Upcraft, Coxswain - 1927
Patrick Pile, crew member - 1972
Martin Helmer, crew member - 1972
Roger Edward Trigg, Helmsman - 1981
Jonathan Adnams, Helmsman - 1990
Marcus Gladwell, crew member - 1990
Paul Horsnell, crew member - 1990
S May, Coxswain - 1911
J P A Adnams, crewman - 1981
A Chambers, the skipper of the motor fishing vessel 'Broadside' - 1981
J P A Adnams, Helmsman - 1989
Roger Trigg, Helmsman - 1983
J P A Adnams, Helmsman - 1990
Honorary Secretary, Mr E R Cooper - 1905
Coxswain S May - 1905
Second Coxswain C Jarvis - 1905
the 16 other members of the crew - 1905
The Lifeboat Crew - 1912
Jonathan Patrick Adair Adnams, DLA - 2009 [11]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ OS Explorer Map 231 – Southwold & Bungay. ISBN   978 0 319 23805 9.
  2. 1 2 Bernard’s Southwold lighthouse challenge, Lowestoft Journal, 2011-08-14. Retrieved 2013-01-04.
  3. 1 2 Daring abseilers brave dizzying lighthouse heights, East Anglian Daily Times, 2011-08-15. Retrieved 2013-01-04.
  4. 1 2 Cooper, Ernest R. "The Southwold Life-Boats, 1840-1916. By Ernest R. Cooper, Hon Secretary". RNLI. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Southwold's station history". RNLI. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  6. ↑ Lifeboat station faces closure, Eastern Daily Press, 2007-03-06. Retrieved 2013-01-04.
  7. ↑ Southwold lifeboat crew to move back to permanent base, Eastern Daily Press, 2012-09-26. Retrieved 2013-01-04.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2024). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2024. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 4–132.
  9. 1 2 Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2021). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2021. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 2–18.
  10. ↑ "Mary Scott". Assoc. Dunkirk Little Ships. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  11. ↑ "Ordinary Officer of the Civil Division of the said Most Excellent Order of the British Empire". The Gazette. Retrieved 10 February 2024.