Withernsea Lifeboat Station

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Withernsea Lifeboat Station
Flag of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.svg
Withernsea Lifeboat Station - geograph.org.uk - 1743160.jpg
Withernsea Lifeboat Station
East Riding of Yorkshire UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location within the East Riding of Yorkshire
General information
Type RNLI Lifeboat Station
AddressSouthcliff Road, South Promenade
Town or city Withernsea, East Riding of Yorkshire, HU19 2HU
CountryEngland
Coordinates 53°43′34.0″N0°02′26.7″E / 53.726111°N 0.040750°E / 53.726111; 0.040750
Opened1862 / 1974
Closed1913
Owner Flag of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.svg Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Website
Withernsea RNLI

Withernsea Lifeboat Station is located in the town of Withernsea, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is one of four RNLI stations in the East Riding of Yorkshire, with another five in North Yorkshire.

Contents

A lifeboat was first stationed at Withernsea in 1862 by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). The station was closed in 1913, when the lifeboat was relocated to Easington. It was reopened as an Inshore lifeboat station in 1974. [1]

The station currently operates a D-class (IB1) Inshore lifeboat Mary Beal (D-837), on station since 2019. [1]

History

In 1862, the RNLI received communications from Mr R. Champney of Hull, indicating that over the previous few years, there had been an average of eight ships wrecked every year, off the coast at Withernsea. A visit was made by Capt. John Ward, Inspector of Lifeboats, who recommended a station be opened. A gift of £300 had been received from Miss Sarah Lechmere of Hanley Castle, Worcestershire, which was appropriated to the station. [2]

A lifeboat house was built in Arthur Street, by Arthur Brown, of Hull, at a cost of £207-15s-0d. A 34-foot lifeboat was ordered from Forresst of Limehouse, at £210-4s-6d, along with a carriage from Robinson, of Kentish Town, costing a further £86. It is estimated that 20,000 people attended the station opening and service of dedication, carried out by the Rev. G. C. Pearce of Hull on 20 August 1862, with the boat being named Pelican. [2] [3]

Six men were rescued by the Withernsea lifeboat on 11 December 1866, from the brig George of Lowestoft, on passage to South Shields. The men had abandoned ship, and were rescued from the ship's boat. [4]

Six of the seven man crew of the brig Tribune were rescued on 16 October 1869, after she ran aground off Withernsea. The vessel was en-route to Sunderland. [5]

On 8 January 1876, the smack Frank of Grimsby, fully laden with her catch of fish, ran aground at Waxholme, 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Withernsea. The lifeboat was transported by carriage up the coast, and then launched to the aid of the vessel, saving all 10 men aboard. [6]

A new boat was placed on service in 1877. A smaller 30-foot self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, she was funded by the 'Victoria Club' in London, and named Admiral Rous, in memory of Admiral Henry John Rous (1795 – 1877). [1]

1882 Withernsea lifeboat house The Old Boatshed, Seaside Road, Withernsea (geograph 5083253).jpg
1882 Withernsea lifeboat house

Construction of a new boathouse on Seaside Road was started in 1881, built by R. Carr, at a cost of £412-17s-3d. Completed in 1882, it was again funded by the 'Victoria Club', and still retains the plaque built into the wall. [2] [7]

The building had a 15 feet (4.6 m) high door to get the boat in and out. It was also furnished with a sloping floor which allowed the water to drain away from underneath the boat. [8]

The station was closed in 1913 in favour of a new location at Easington further down the coast. Launching had become difficult at Withernsea since the introduction of new groynes to retain the sand, and most of the wrecks were occurring nearer to Easington. Easington operated for twenty years before it was itself closed. [2]

After a period of 61 years, Withernsea lifeboat station was reopened in 1974 as an Inshore lifeboat station, in response to a national increase in pleasure craft and water-based activities closer to the shoreline. [9] [10]

Since the station re-opened in 1974, members of the team have been awarded eight gallantry awards, including two RNLI bronze medals. [11] In 2017, the station had seventeen call-outs. [12] The station is one of four in the East Riding of Yorkshire, with Humber to the south and Bridlington to the north. [13] Currently the Withernsea Lifeboat station operates an Inshore Lifeboat (ILB) with All-Weather Boat coverage being supplied by the two adjacent stations.

The fifth lifeboat house in Withernsea was opened in 1998, on the site of the 1974 building (boathouses had been built in 1861, 1882, 1974, 1983 and 1998). [14] [15] The octagonal lighthouse in the town of Withernsea, is now host to a lighthouse and lifeboat museum. [16]

Withernsea received a new D-class lifeboat in July 2019; named Mary Beal. [17] [18]

Notable rescues

One of the more unusual rescues that the Withernsea Lifeboat crew performed was in January 1989 when the minibus they were travelling in on the M1 motorway was caught up in the Kegworth Air Disaster. The crew assisted with the rescue effort at the roadside. [19]

Station honours

The following are awards made at Withernsea [20] [21]

Graham White, Helmsman - 1980
John R Hartland, Helmsman - 1991
Albert Usher, crew member - 1974
Terence Dawson, crew member - 1974
Graham Newdick, crew member - 1980
Leon Wallis, crew member - 1980
Paul Theobald, crew member - 1991
Paul Haynes Baker, Deputy Launching Authority, crew member - 1991
Withernsea Lifeboat Station Crew - 1990

Withernsea lifeboats

All-weather lifeboats

ON [lower-alpha 1] NameIn service [22] ClassComments
Pre-398Pelican1862–187734-foot Self-righting (P&S) [Note 1]
Pre-622Admiral Rous1878–198330-foot Self-righting (P&S) [Note 2]
258Admiral Rous1883–191034-foot Self-righting (P&S) [Note 3]
[8]
386Reserve No.6A1910–191134-foot Self-righting (P&S) [Note 4]
Previously Janet Hoyle at Ayr.
623Docea Chapman1911–191334-foot 8in Self-righting (P&S) Dungeness (Rubie) [Note 5]
[23]
Station Closed in 1913, and Lifeboat (ON 623) transferred to Easington
Pre ON numbers are unofficial numbers used by the Lifeboat Enthusiast Society to reference early lifeboats not included on the official RNLI list.

Inshore lifeboats

Op. No. [lower-alpha 2] NameIn service [1] ClassComments
D-58Unnamed1974 D-class (RFD PB16) Had previously been at Skegness for seven years. [24] [25]
D-108Unnamed1975 D-class (RFD PB16)
D-227Unnamed1976–1982 D-class (Zodiac III)
D-289Unnamed1983–1990 D-class (Zodiac III) [24]
D-394Banks' Staff II1990–1999 D-class (EA16) [26]
D-541Brian and Margaret Wiggins1999–2009 D-class (EA16) [27]
D-701Henley Eight2009–2019 D-class (IB1) [28]
D-837Mary Beal2019– D-class (IB1) [29]
  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.

See also

Notes

  1. 34-foot (12-Oared) Self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, costing £210-4s-6d.
  2. 30-foot (8-Oared) Self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Woolfe of Shadwell, costing £275.
  3. 34-foot (10-Oared) Self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Woolfe of Shadwell, costing £363.
  4. 34-foot (10-Oared) Self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Woolfe of Shadwell, costing £334 when new.
  5. 34-foot 8in (10-Oared) Self-righting (P&S) Dungeness (Rubie) lifeboat, built by Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company|Thames Ironworks of Blackwall, London, costing £830.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2024). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2024. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 4–132.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Morris, Jeff (November 2005). The Closed Lifeboat Stations of Yorkshire. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 31–39.
  3. Historic England. "Monument No. 1547092 (1547092)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 5 March 2019.,
  4. "Mercantile Ship News". The Standard. No. 13215. London. 14 December 1866. p. 2.
  5. "Ship News". The Times. No. 26572. London. 19 October 1869. col C, p. 11.
  6. "Shipping Intelligence". Glasgow Herald. No. 12046. Glasgow. 11 January 1876.
  7. "Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey; Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, Bempton to Donna Nook" (PDF). historicengland.co.uk. English Heritage. p. 133. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  8. 1 2 "Sea change for Withernsea lifeboat base station". The Yorkshire Post. 17 July 2016. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  9. Leach 2018, pp. 139–140.
  10. Leach 2018, pp. 46–47.
  11. "Withernsea Lifeboat Station: History". rnli.org. RNLI. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  12. Davidson, Trudi (8 May 2018). "Appeal launch for new Withernsea lifeboat in memory of Mary Beal". Hull Daily Mail. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  13. "New lifeboat and station for Bridlington". Bridlington Free Press. 12 December 2014. ProQuest   1635403514.
  14. Leach 2018, p. 139.
  15. "R.N.L.I." withernsealighthouse.co.uk. 7 June 2014. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  16. Chrystal 2012, p. 78.
  17. Davidson, Trudi (8 May 2018). "Appeal launch for new Withernsea lifeboat in memory of Mary Beal". Hull Daily Mail. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  18. "Mayday! Please help our Withernsea lifeboat appeal". Holderness Gazette. 3 May 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  19. "Air disaster remembered 30 years on". BBC News. 8 January 2019. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
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  29. Gowen, Rachel (13 August 2019). "Mary Beal dedicated to saving lives at sea as RNLI and supporters celebrate". RNLI. Retrieved 1 February 2024.

Sources