Swanage Lifeboat Station

Swanage Lifeboat Station
The station in 2019, with the Wellington clock tower in the background
Location of Swanage Lifeboat station within Dorset
General information
Type	RNLI Lifeboat Station
Location	Peveril Point, Swanage, Dorset, BH19 2AY
Country	England
Coordinates	50°36′28″N1°56′48″W / 50.6078°N 1.9466°W / 50.6078; -1.9466
Opened	16 September 1875
Cost	£525 (equivalent to £52,617in 2021)
Owner	Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Website
Swanage RNLI Lifeboat Station

Swanage Lifeboat Station is a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) station ^[1] located on Peveril Point in the town of Swanage in Dorset, England. It operates two lifeboats, the Shannon-class All-weather lifeboat 13-13 George Thomas Lacy (ON 1320) and the D-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 new Shannon-class all-weather lifeboat (AWB), and was opened in 2017. ^[3]

History

On 4 March 1875, prompted by the recent wreck, the Royal 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 a ketch, the William Pitt of Poole, when it drifted ashore near Bournemouth. 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

The station in 2009, before it was rebuilt.

In 1992, to make room for the station's new Mersey-class lifeboat, 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]

The Robert Charles Brown in 2010.

On 3 September 1992, the new boat was officially named the Robert Charles Brown (ON 1182), in honour of Robert Charles Brown BEM, who was a lifeboatman at the station for over fifty years. ^[3]

Inshore lifeboats

On 3 April 1993 a D-class Inshore 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 named Phyl 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, the Jack Cleare (D-613) was placed on service, with Phyl Clare 2 (D-475) being withdrawn. ^[3]

On 12 July 2012, the D-class (IB1) Phyl & Jack (D-752) was placed on service, with the Jack 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 welcomed Roy Norgrove (D-884) as their new Inshore Lifeboat, replacing Phyl & Jack which had been on service for 12 years.

2016 rebuild

In November 2014, the RNLI's contractors (BAM Nuttall) arrived on site to start modifications of the boathouse. ^[3] The Mersey-class Robert Charles Brown had its final slipway launch on 1 February 2015. ^[4]

On 8 April 2016, the Shannon-class lifeboat arrived, and was officially placed on service on 20 April. The Mersey-class Robert 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, the Phyl & Jack (D-752) was moved into its new boathouse. ^[3]

On 29 April 2017, the Shannon-class lifeboat 13-13 was officially named the George 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

Over the years, Swanage Lifeboat Station crew have been involved in many rescues. Ten RNLI medals for gallantry, five silver and five bronze have been awarded, the last in 1996. ^{[3] [6]}

• RNIPLS Silver Medal

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 Cutter Tartar)

• RNLI Silver Medal

Mr John Lose, Chief Officer of Coastguard - 1875

• RNLI Bronze Medal

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

• Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE)

Captain Neil Michael Hardy, Lifeboat Operations Manager - 2015QBH ^{[7] [8]}

David Graham Corben, Chair, Lifeboat Management Group - 2024KBH ^[9]

• British Empire Medal

Robert Charles Brown, Former Coxswain - 1977QBH ^[10]

Victor Albert Charles Marsh, Coxswain Mechanic - 1989NYH ^[11]

FOREIGN AWARDS
(All for services to the motor launch Chasseur 5 of 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

All-weather lifeboats

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

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

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

References

1. "Swanage Lifeboat Station". RNLI. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
2. "Swanage's lifeboats". RNLI. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
3. "Swanage's Station History". RNLI. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
4. "Swanage RNLI lifeboat station sees final launch". BBC News . 1 February 2015. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
5. "RNLI officially opens new Swanage lifeboat station". BBC News . 30 April 2017. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
6. Cox, Barry (1998). Lifeboat Gallantry. Spink & Son Ltd. ISBN   0 907605 89 3.
7. "Ordinary Members of the Civil Division of the said Most Excellent Order of the British Empire". The Gazette. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
8. "Queen's Birthday Honour for Swanage RNLI lifeboat volunteer". BBC. 13 June 2015. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
9. "Ordinary Members of the Civil Division of the said Most Excellent Order of the British Empire". The Gazette. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
10. "British Empire Medal (Civil Division)". The Gazette. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
11. "British Empire Medal". London Gazette. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
12. Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2023). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2023. Lifeboats Enthusiasts Society.
13. "Swanage Lifeboat Station welcomes new inshore lifeboat". RNLI. Retrieved 9 December 2023.

External links

• Swanage Lifeboat Station on Facebook