Cromer Lifeboat Station

Cromer Lifeboat Station
Cromer Lifeboat Station is located in Norfolk
Cromer Lifeboat Station
General information
TypeRNLI Lifeboat Station
LocationCromer Lifeboat Station, Cromer Pier, Cromer, Norfolk
CountryEngland
Coordinates52°56′3.4″N 1°18′5.84″E / 52.934278°N 1.3016222°E / 52.934278; 1.3016222
Opened1804 as Norfolk Shipwreck Association
Owner Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Technical details
MaterialFabricated steelwork and concrete

Cromer Lifeboat Station is an RNLI station located in the town of Cromer in the English county of Norfolk.[1] The station operates two lifeboats – one for inshore work and the other for offshore work.

The current lifeboat station on the end of Cromer Pier was re-built between 1997 and 1999 to replace the smaller 1923 one which was re-located to Southwold in Suffolk where it is used as a lifeboat museum. The new boathouse cost approximately £3 million which was funded by bequests and private donations.[2] Cromer Lifeboat station is one of the most famous of the lifeboat stations operated by the RNLI.[3]

There has been a lifeboat service operated from Cromer for two centuries – predating the establishment of the RNLI. The volunteer crews at Cromer have gained a record of gallantry stretching back to the beginnings of the RNLI. Some of the most notable rescues and service have been carried out by famous coxswains such as Henry George Blogg GC BEM and Henry "Shrimp" Thomas Davies BEM and their crews. To date there have been awards of 45 Bronze medals, 8 Silver medals and 3 Gold medals.

History

In the early days of the station the lifeboats were kept outdoors on the east jetty. From 1804 the privately operated service was funded by a subscription fund which was administered by a local committee led by Lord Suffield, the third baron of Gunton Hall.[3] Other dignitaries on the committee included George Wyndham of Cromer Hall, Thomas Mickleburgh, a local merchant, Joseph Gurney, a Cromer draper and Benjamin Rust who was a grocer.[3] This was the situation of the service until 1857, when with the lifeboat organisation falling into financial troubles and the lifeboats falling into a bad state of repair, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution took over the Cromer station along with other Norfolk Association stations.[3] By this time the association had built a lifeboat house which once stood some 100 yards from the high-water mark close to what is now the inshore lifeboat station. The RNLI altered and renovated this station at a cost of £46.2s.7d.[4] but by the mid-1860s this station had outlived its usefulness and a new boathouse was planned. The new site was on the east gangway and in 1867[3] work started on the new station. The new boathouse work also included building an extension to the sea walls and a slipway across the top of the beach. The work cost £476.4s.0d[3] and was carried out by a local builder by the name of E. Simmons.[3] The cost of the station was met by Benjamin Bond Cabbell[3] who had also bought the new lifeboat for the station.

Station Honours

The following are awards made at Cromer[5][6]

Henry George Blogg - 1924[7]
Henry George Blogg - 1941
Henry George Blogg, Coxswain - 1941[8]
Henry Thomas Davies, Coxswain - 1970
Henry George Blogg, Coxswain - 1917
Henry George Blogg, Coxswain - 1927 (Second Service Award)
Henry George Blogg, Coxswain - 1941 (Third Service Award)
Hon Auberon Herbert - 1867
William Davies - 1917
Private Stewart Holmes - 1917
Henry George Blogg, Coxswain - 1932
Henry George Blogg, Coxswain - 1934 (Second Service Award)
Henry George Blogg, Coxswain - 1939 (Third Service Award)
John James Davies, Second Coxswain - 1941
Henry George Blogg, Coxswain - 1941 (Fourth Service Award)
George Allen, crew member - 1917
James Allen, crew member - 1917
Edward Allen, crew member - 1917
William Allen, crew member - 1917
Henry Balls, crew member - 1917
Charles Cox, crew member - 1917
George Cox, crew member - 1917
Leslie Harrison, crew member - 1917
Tom Kirby, crew member - 1917
Gilbert Mayers, crew member - 1917
Walter Rix, crew member - 1917
William Rix, crew member - 1917
Edward Allen, crew member - 1927 (Second Service Award)
Leslie Harrison, crew member - 1927 (Second Service Award)
George Balls, crew member - 1927
John James Davies (Senior), crew member - 1927
Robert Davies, crew member - 1927
William Thomas Davies, crew member - 1927
Richard J Baker, crew member - 1927
George Cox, crew member - 1927
Harry William Davies, crew member - 1927
James William Davies, crew member - 1927
John James Davies (Junior), crew member - 1927
Sidney Charles Harrison, crew member - 1927
John James Davies (Snr), Bowman - 1931 (Second Service Award)
John Davies (Snr), Second Coxswain - 1939 (Third Service Award)
Henry William Davies, Mechanic - 1939 (Second Service Award)
James William Davies, Assistant Mechanic - 1939 (Second Service Award)
Henry William Davies, Mechanic - 1941 (Third Service Award)
Leslie James Harrison, Second Coxswain - 1941 (Third Service Award)
Harold V Linder, Mechanic - 1941
John James Davies (Snr), Second Coxswain - 1941 (Fourth Service Award)
Henry William Davies, Mechanic - 1941 (Fourth Service Award)
Edward W Allen, Signalman - 1941 (Third Service Award) (posthumous)
James William Davies, Assistant Mechanic - 1941 (Third Service Award)
William Thomas Davies, Bowman - 1941 (Second Service Award)
Sidney Charles Harrison, crew member - 1941 (Second Service Award)
John James Davies (Jnr), crew member - 1941 (Second Service Award)
Henry Thomas Davies, crew member - 1941
James Richard Davies, crew member - 1941
Robert C Davies, crew member - 1941
William H Davies, crew member - 1941
Dr Paul Barclay MC TD - 1974
Clive Richard Rayment, Helmsman - 1981
Richard William Davies, Coxswain - 1994
  • Medal service certificates
Frank H Muirhead, crew member - 1981
Christopher B Craske, crew member - 1981
  • The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum
H T Davies BEM, Coxswain - 1974
R W Davies, crew member - 1974
Richard Davies, Coxswain - 1989
William Davies, Second Coxswain - 1998
Richard Davies, Coxswain - 1999
  • A Collective Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution
R W Davies, Coxswain - 1991
W T Davies, Second Coxswain - 1991
R J Hannah, Mechanic - 1991
J W H Jonas, Assistant Mechanic - 1991
P Jefferies, crew member - 1991
P Everitt, crew member - 1991
H Balls, crew member - 1991
J Howard, crew member - 1991
  • Silver Medal of the Canine Defence League
Henry George Blogg, Coxswain - 1932
  • A Gold Watch awarded by The Queen of The Netherlands
Henry George Blogg, Coxswain - 1927
  • A Silver watch awarded by The Queen of The Netherlands
Each of the other members of the lifeboat crew - 1927
  • Silver medal and a diploma awarded by The Italian Government
Henry George Blogg, Coxswain - 1932
  • Bronze medals and diploma awarded by The Italian Government
Each of the other members of the lifeboat crew - 1932
  • The French Maritime Cross awarded by The French Government
Henry Thomas Davies, Coxswain - 1948
  • The Life-saving medal awarded by The French Government
Each of the other 11 members of the lifeboat crew - 1948
Edwin Luckin, Boathouse Manager - 2023[9][10]

Cromer Lifeboats

The station operated two offshore boats from 1923. The second boat was replaced by an inshore lifeboat (ILB) in 1967.

All-weather lifeboats

ON[a] Op. No.[b] Name In service [11] Class Comments
– – Unnamed 1804–1830 Greathead
– – Unnamed 1830–1858 31-foot North Country-class (P&S) Greathead-class?
[12]
– – Unnamed 1858–1868 34-foot Self-righting (P&S) Peake-class?
[12]
– – Benjamin Bond Cabbell 1868–1884 34-foot Self-Righting (P&S) [12]
12 – Benjamin Bond Cabbell II 1884–1902 35ft Cromer (P&S)
495 – Louisa Heartwell 1902–1923 Liverpool (P&S)
670 – H F Bailey 1923–1924 Norfolk and Suffolk (renamed to John and Mary Meiklam of Gladswood when transferred)
694 – H F Bailey 1924–1928 45ft Watson
714 – H F Bailey II 1928–1929 45ft 6in Watson
694 – H F Bailey 1929–1935 45ft Watson
777 – H F Bailey III 1935–1945 46ft Watson
840 – Millie Walton,
Henry Blogg 		1945–1966 46ft Watson Millie Walton renamed in 1946
990 48-03 Ruby and Arthur Reed 1967–1984 48ft 6in Oakley Mk.II
926 – Guy and Clare Hunter 1984–1985 46ft 9in Watson
1097 47-006 Ruby and Arthur Reed II 1985–1996 Tyne
1189 12-30 Her Majesty The Queen 1996–1999 Mersey Carriage launched during boathouse rebuilding
1097 47-006 Ruby and Arthur Reed II 1999–2007 Tyne
1162 12-004 Royal Shipwright 2007–2008 Mersey Carriage launched during slipway rebuilding
1287 16-07 Lester 2008– Tamar

No. 2 lifeboat

When the station received its first motor lifeboat, a No. 2 station was established located in the old boathouse. It was closed in 1967 when the station received an inshore lifeboat.

ON[a] Op. No.[b] Name In service [11] Class Comments
495 Louisa Heartwell 1923–1931 Liverpool (P&S)
514 Alexandra 1931–1934 Liverpool (P&S)
770 Harriot Dixon 1934–1964 Liverpool
834 Jose Neville 1964–1964 Liverpool Relief fleet
980 37-13 William Henry and Mary King 1964–1967 37ft Oakley Mk I

Inshore lifeboat

Op. No.[b] Name In service [11] Class Comments Photo
D-101 Unnamed 1967–1970 D-class (RFD PB16)
D-26 Unnamed 1970–1971 D-class (RFD PB16)
D-197 Unnamed 1972–1984 D-class (RFD PB16)
D-307 Spirit of Round Table 1984–1992 D-class (EA16)
D-436 Chloe 1992–2001 D-class (EA16)
D-568 Seahorse III 2001–2010 D-class (EA16)
D-734 George & Muriel 2010–2022 D-class (IB1)
D-868 Mr Eric Sharpe
(Civil Service No.54) 		2022– D-class (IB1) [13]
  1. ^ a b ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.
  2. ^ a b c Op. No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat carried on the hull.

Gallery

  • The old lifeboat station that now houses the ILB at Cromer
    The old lifeboat station that now houses the ILB at Cromer
  • The 1923 boathouse, that was replaced with the present one in 1999, can now be seen at Southwold in Suffolk
    The 1923 boathouse, that was replaced with the present one in 1999, can now be seen at Southwold in Suffolk
  • RNLB Lester
    RNLB Lester
  • The Cromer Mersey-class Lifeboat "Her Majesty the Queen" (ON1189, temporarily on station during boathouse rebuilding) on the beach at Cromer near the old lifeboat station
    The Cromer Mersey-class Lifeboat "Her Majesty the Queen" (ON1189, temporarily on station during boathouse rebuilding) on the beach at Cromer near the old lifeboat station

See also

Notes

References

  1. ^ OS Explorer Map 252 – Norfolk Coast East. ISBN 978-0-319-23815-8.
  2. ^ Cromer lifeboat history Archived 28 January 2010 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 2 March 2010
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Cromer Lifeboat, A pictorial history, By Nicholas Leach & Paul Russell, Pub; Landmark Collector’s Library, ISBN 978-1-84306-363-6
  4. ^ "Cromer Lifeboats 1804-2004", Leach, Nicholas & Russell, Paul, Pub: Tempus Publishing, 2004, ISBN 0-7524-3197-8
  5. ^ "Cromer's station history". RNLI. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  6. ^ Cox, Barry (1998). Lifeboat Gallantry. Spink & Son Ltd. ISBN 0 907605 89 3.
  7. ^ "Medal of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for Gallantry" (PDF). London Gazette. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  8. ^ "The British Empire Medal (Civil Division)" (PDF). London Gazette. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  9. ^ "British Empire Medal (Civil Division)". The Gazette. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  10. ^ Stagg, Clare (31 December 2022). "Cromer RNLI volunteer recognised in King's New Year Honours". RNLI.
  11. ^ a b c Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2024). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2024. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 4–132.
  12. ^ a b c Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2021). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2021. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 2–18.
  13. ^ "Cromer RNLI's new inshore lifeboat named during special ceremony". The Lifeboat Fund. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
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