Blyth Lifeboat Station
| Blyth Lifeboat Station | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Type | RNLI Lifeboat Station |
| Location | Blyth Lifeboat Station |
| Address | Quayside, South Harbour, Blyth, Northumberland |
| Country | UK |
| Coordinates | 55°07′32″N 1°29′53″W / 55.125491°N 1.497928°W / 55.125491; -1.497928 |
| Opened | 1808 |
| Owner |  Royal National Lifeboat Institution |
Blyth Lifeboat Station is operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and currently operates a D-class (IB1) Sally Forth (D-878)[1] and a B-class (Atlantic 85) lifeboat Patricia Southall (B-923)
In 2007 the inshore lifeboat was launched on service 22 times, 11 people were rescued and £31,800 worth of craft were recovered.
History
A lifeboat had first been based at Blyth in 1808, privately sponsored by Sir Matthew Ridley. This boat was wrecked on service in 1810 and was not replaced. In 1826 the Port of Newcastle Shipwreck Association funded a new Blyth lifeboat and in 1866 the RNLI took over the running of the station.
A second station had been established in 1854. It was renamed Cambois in 1899, but closed in 1927.[2]
In 1920, for the station's first motor lifeboat, the RNLI built a new boathouse and slipway which, with modifications over the years, is still in use for the "D" class inflatable today. The various motor lifeboats over the years were slipway launched until October 1982 when a Waveney-class fast afloat boat was allocated to the station. The Waveney served until replaced by a new 25-knot Trent-class boat in December 1995 (in fact, unusually, all of Blyth's motor lifeboats had been built new for the station).
However, a review of lifeboat provision in the North East led to the decision to withdraw the All-weather lifeboat from Blyth, and the station became inshore only on 16 July 2004. Inevitably, decisions to close or downgrade stations often lead to local concerns and following the RNLI's decision, the Blyth Volunteer Lifeboat Service was set up and purchased a 38-foot-6-inch Lochin lifeboat which had been built in 1990 for the Caister Volunteer Rescue Service (a body similarly set up after withdrawal of an RNLI all-weather boat). The boat, named Spirit of Blyth and Wansbeck, went into service in 2005. By 2021, the Blyth Volunteer Lifeboat Service had ceased operations.[3]
In 2023 the station's own crew had to be rescued, when the three members of crew were washed overboard from their D-class (IB1) lifeboat while performing a search.[4] The crew activated their Emergency position-indicating radiobeacon and fired a distress flare and were safely recovered. Their boat was rescued by Tynemouth Lifeboat.
Station Honours
The following are awards made at Blyth[2][5]
- Anthony Nixon, Coxswain - 1913[6]
- William Armstrong - 1829
- Henry Kinch - 1841
- James Kearney White, coastguard - 1852
- James Kearney White, coastguard - 1852 (Second-Service Clasp)
- John William Tinning, Coxswain -1898
- Anthony Nixon, Coxswain - 1913
- John Bushell, Coxswain - 1916
- Thomas Fawcus, Coxswain - 1963
- Josiah Wheatley, Coxswain - 1939
- John Kerr, Bowman - 1963
- Charles Hatcher, Coxswain - 1983
- The Maud Smith Award 1962
(for the bravest act of lifesaving during the year by a member of a lifeboat crew)
- John Kerr, Bowman - 1963
- The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum
- John Bushell, Coxswain - 1916
- Thomas Fawcus, Coxswain - 1959
- to the other members of the crew - 1963
- Keith Barnard, Coxswain - 1994
- Lifesaving Medals awarded by The King of Norway
- John Bushell, Coxswain - 1902
- G Summerside, Acting Bowman - 1902
- Silver cup awarded by The King of Norway
- Coxswain - 1917
- Silver Medals awarded by The King of Norway
- to each of the crew for their services - 1917
- Dr Reginald Carr - 2016[7]
Blyth Lifeboats
All-weather lifeboats
Blyth (No.1)
| ON[a] | Op. No.[b] | Name | In service [8] | Class | Launches/ Saved |
Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | – | Unnamed | 1826–1842 | 27ft Norfolk & Suffolk class (P&S) | [9] | |
| – | – | Unnamed | 1845–1867 | 32ft Norfolk & Suffolk class (P&S) | [9] | |
| – | – | Salford | 1867–1886 | 33-foot Self-righting (P&S) | [9] | |
| 4 | – | Dalmer | 1886–1901 | 34-foot 1in Self-righting (P&S) | ||
| 501 | – | Dash | 1902–1921 | 35-foot Self-righting (P&S) | ||
| 654 | – | Joseph Adlam | 1921–1948 | 45ft Watson | 82/74 | |
| 853 | – | Winston Churchill (Civil Service No.8) |
1948–1979 | 46ft 9in Watson | 68/39 | |
| 1054 | 37-36 | Shoreline | 1979–1982 | Rother | 9/1 | |
| 1079 | 44-022 | The William and Jane | 1982–1995 | Waveney | 136/43 | Last Waveney built |
| 1204 | 14-06 | Windsor Runner (Civil Service No.42) |
1995–2004 | Trent | 95/15 |
Blyth Cambois (No.2)
| ON[a] | Name | In service [9] | Class | Launches/ Saved |
Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | Unnamed, Thomas Carr |
1854–1880 | 31-foot Self-righting (P&S) | ||
| – | Tom and Marion | 1880–1889 | 30-foot Self-righting (P&S) | ||
| 250 | Oswald, Sarah & Jane | 1889–1900 | 31-foot Self-righting (P&S) | ||
| 447 | John Anthony | 1900–1927 | 34-foot Self-righting (Rubie) | Station Closed, 1927 |
Inshore lifeboats
D-class
| Op. No.[b] | Name | In service [8] | Class | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D-51 | Unnamed | 1965 | D-class (RFD PB16) | |
| D-53 | Unnamed | 1966–1973 | D-class (RFD PB16) | |
| D-210 | Unnamed | 1973–1986 | D-class (RFD PB16) | |
| D-324 | BBC Radio Newcastle II | 1987–1994 | D-class (EA16) | One of two boats funded by the Lifesaver Appeal on BBC Radio Newcastle in 1986[10] |
| D-464 | Wren | 1994–2003 | D-class (EA16) | |
| D-606 | Jennie B | 2003–2012 | D-class (IB1) | |
| D-746 | Alan and Amy | 2012–2023 | D-class (IB1) | [11] |
| D-878 | Sally Forth | 2023– | D-class (IB1) | [1] |
B-class
| Op. No.[b] | Name | In service [8] | Class | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B-796 | Miss Sally Anne (Baggy) | 2019 | Atlantic 75 | |
| B-789 | Sure and Steadfast | 2019–2021 | Atlantic 75 | |
| B-923 | Patricia Southall | 2021– | Atlantic 85 | [12] |
- ^ a b ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.
- ^ a b c Op. No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat carried on the hull.
See also
- List of RNLI stations
- Royal National Lifeboat Institution
- Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats
References
- ^ a b Buchan, Craig (7 July 2023). "Blyth RNLI takes delivery of new 'pocket rocket' D class inshore lifeboat". Northumberland Gazette. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ a b "Blyth's station history". RNLI. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
- ^ "Blyth All Weather Lifeboat". Charity Commission. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
- ^ "Lifeboat crew swept overboard during mission". BBC News. 16 October 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
- ^ Cox, Barry (1998). Lifeboat Gallantry. Spink & Son Ltd. ISBN 0 907605 89 3.
- ^ "The Sea Gallantry Medal". Bernard de Neumann. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
- ^ "Ordinary Members of the Civil Division of the said Most Excellent Order of the British Empire". The Gazette. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
- ^ a b c Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2024). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2024. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 4–132.
- ^ a b c d Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2021). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2021. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 2–65.
- ^ "Ceremonies". RNLI.
- ^ "Blyth RNLI lifeboat dedicated to volunteer's parents". RNLI. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
- ^ Palmer, Robin (21 May 2021). "New arrival at Blyth RNLI". RNLI. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
External links
- Blyth Lifeboat Station
- RNLI Official Site
- Maritime Coastguard Agency