| Great Yarmouth and Gorleston lifeboat station | |
| Map Type: | Norfolk |
| Pushpin Relief: | 1 |
| Location: | Great Yarmouth and Gorleston lifeboat station |
| Address: | Riverside Road, Gorleston, Norfolk, NR31 6PU |
| Location Country: | England |
| Coordinates: | 52.5754°N 1.732°W |
| Building Type: | RNLI Lifeboat Station |
| Opened Date: | 1825 / RNLI 1857 |
| Owner: | Royal National Lifeboat Institution |
Great Yarmouth and Gorleston lifeboat station (not to be confused with on the Isle of Wight) is a RNLI base in Norfolk, England. There were originally two separate stations at Great Yarmouth and Gorleston – two coastal towns either side of the River Yare. These were merged in 1926.
Great Yarmouth received its first lifeboat in 1802. It was never called out.In 1825 the Norfolk Association for Saving the Lives of Shipwrecked Mariners stationed its first lifeboat at Great Yarmouth. The station was taken over by the RNLI in 1857 and in 1859 a new lifeboat house was built at a cost of £375 . The station closed in 1919.
The Gorleston lifeboat station was established by the RNLI in 1866. In 1881 a new boathouse was built at Gorleston for £329 and in 1883 a second boathouse (Gorleston No.2) was built alongside. This closed in 1926 when Gorleston No.1 station was renamed Great Yarmouth and Gorleston.
During 1897 the station received its first steam lifeboat City of Glasgow (ON 362) and during 1921, its first motor lifeboat.
In 1963 an Inshore lifeboat station was established, with a lifeboat. A D-class boat would remain in service until 1977. A lifeboat was placed on station in 1975.
During 1993 crew facilities were upgraded, a gift-shop built and a display area created for the former Gorleston lifeboat John and Mary Meiklam of Gladswood (ON 663). The boathouse was further extended in 2002.
In 1996 Princess Alexandra, The Hon Lady Ogilvy officially named the station's new lifeboat Samarbeta, Swedish for ‘working together’.
The current lifeboats on station are the 14-10 Samarbeta (ON 1208) and the John Rowntree (B-925).[1]
A new lifeboat 13-44 George and Frances Phelon (ON 1351) has been assigned to Gt. Yarmouth and Gorleston to replace Samarbeta, and is expected on service in 2024. She is a "Legacy Lifeboat", and will carry the names of RNLI benefactors within the numbers on her hull[2]
In October 1922 the Gorleston pulling and sailing lifeboat and the Lowestoft motor lifeboat, after a struggle lasting 32 hours, brought to safety the whole crew of 24 and a black kitten from the steamship wrecked on Scroby Sands.
In 1927 lifeboats from Great Yarmouth & Gorleston, Cromer, Southwold and Lowestoft took part in the rescue of the Dutch oil tanker . This service is considered to be one of the greatest in the history of the RNLI.
The lifeboat Louise Stephens (ON 820) was one of 19 lifeboats involved in the Dunkirk evacuation of 1940.
| Date | Lifeboat station | Lifeboat crew lost | Memorial | Brief details and references | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1824 | Great Yarmouth | On 23 November 1824 a boat was launched by eight Great Yarmouth beachmen in an attempt to rescue the crew of the stricken vessel Jessie. Whilst attempting to board the Jessie a heavy sea fell on board their boat which immediately sunk her and resulted in the loss of five of the crew.[3] | |||
| 1845 | Great Yarmouth | The yawl Phoenix was wrecked whilst going to the assistance of the collier brig Ann with the loss of seven of the fifteen people on board. Survivors were rescued by the Caister Lifeboat.[4] | |||
| 1866 | Gorleston | On 13 January 1866 the private lifeboat, Rescuer, capsized in a storm with the loss of 12 of her crew.[5] A 13th fatality occurred when rescued crew member Robert Warner succumbed just days later as a direct result of the disaster.[6] | |||
| 1867 | Gorleston | While returning to harbour after a rescue a fishing lugger collided with the private lifeboat, Rescuer. She capsized and 6 of her crew and 19 other people drowned. | |||
| 1881 | Great Yarmouth | The lifeboat Abraham Thomas capsized on 18 January whilst attempting to rescue the mate of the schooner Guiding Star. The Abraham Thomas was struck by a heavy sea and lost six out of a crew of ten. The mate from the Guiding Star was also lost out of the lifeboat.[7] | |||
| 1888 | Gorleston | The Refuge was a private lifeboat belonging to the Gorleston boatmen. After going to the assistance of the steamer Akaba the Refuge was being towed back to port when the tow-rope parted and she was driven onshore where she capsized with the loss of four of her seven crew.[8] Henry Smith, chief boatman of the coastguard, was on the beach and, without thought for his own life, managed to save two crew members, Bonney and Woods, whilst a boatman of the coastguard named Henry Norton saved George Jacobs, who was found clinging to the stern post. The Yarmouth Independent newspaper report of the death of Jacob Philip Jacobs, dated 18 January 1913, states that he was one of the lifeboat crew who were saved. It is likely that Jacob Philip Jacobs and George Jacobs were the same person as the description of the rescue by the boatman are very similar. |
1825-1919
| ON | Name | In service [9] | Class | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | Phoenix | 1845 | Yawl | |
| – | 1833–1861 | 39-foot Self-righting (P&S) | [10] | |
| – | 1833–1858 | 25-foot Self-righting (P&S) | ||
| Harriet | 1858–1859 | 38-foot Self-righting (P&S) | ||
| – | Admiral Mitchell | 1858–1859 | 30-foot Self-righting (P&S) | |
| 19 | Abraham Thomas | 1859–1892 | 28-foot 3in Norfolk and Suffolk (P&S) | |
| 20 | Brave Robert Sheddon | 1861–1883 | 40-foot Norfolk and Suffolk (P&S) | Moved to Gorleston No.1 in 1883, renamed Mark Lane. |
| 329 | John Burch | 1892–1912 | 32-foot 5in Norfolk and Suffolk (P&S) | |
| 629 | Hugh Taylor | 34-foot Norfolk and Suffolk (P&S) | Station closed in 1919 [11] | |
Gorleston Lifeboat Station established by the RNLI in 1866 [11]
| ON | Name | In service | Class | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | The Rescuer | 1866–1889 | ||
| – | Leicester | 1866–1870 | 33-foot Self-righting (P&S) | |
| 21 | Leicester | 1870–1883 | 30-foot Norfolk and Suffolk (P&S) | Transferred to No.2 station in 1883 |
| 20 | Mark Lane | 1883–1889 | 40-foot Norfolk and Suffolk (P&S) | Formerly Brave Robert Sheddon at Gt. Yarmouth |
| 233 | Mark Lane | 1889–1892 | 44-foot Norfolk and Suffolk (P&S) | |
| 288 | Mark Lane | 1892–1921 | 46-foot Norfolk and Suffolk (P&S) | Was Stock Exchange in Lowestoft(1890–1892), renamed Mark Lane in 1892 |
| 663 | John and Mary Meiklam of Gladswood | 1921 | 46-foot 6in Norfolk and Suffolk (Motor) | Renamed Agnes Cross when transferred to Lowestoft |
| 543 | Reserve No.1 | 1922–1924 | 46-foot Norfolk and Suffolk (P&S) | Formerly Kentwell at Lowestoft |
| 670 | John and Mary Meiklam of Gladswood | 46-foot 6in Norfolk and Suffolk (Motor) | Formerly H.F. Bailey 1926, Station becomes Great Yarmouth & Gorleston | |
Gorleston No.2 Boathouse built and opened in 1883.[11]
| ON | Name | In service | Class | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | Leicester | 30-foot Norfolk and Suffolk (P&S) | ||
| 371 | Leicester | 1894–1923 | 31-foot Norfolk and Suffolk (P&S) | |
| 541 | 35-foot Watson (P&S) | Formerly James Finlayson at Lossiemouth Station closed in 1924 | ||
Gorleston No.3 Boathouse constructed in 1891.[11]
Gorleston No.4 Station opened in 1897 [11]
| ON | Name | In service | Class | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 362 | City of Glasgow | 1897–1903 | ||
| 420 | Station closed in 1908 | |||
Gorleston Lifeboat Station became Great Yarmouth and Gorleston in 1926. [11]
| ON | Op. No. | Name | In service | Class | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 670 | – | John and Mary Meiklam of Gladswood | Norfolk and Suffolk (Motor) | Formerly H.F. Bailey [12] | |
| 820 | – | Louise Stephens | 1939–1967 | ||
| 1002 | 44-003 | Khami | 1967–1980 | ||
| 1065 | 44-021 | Barham | 1980–1996 | ||
| 1208 | 14-10 | Samarbeta | 1996– | ||
| Op. No. | Name | In service | Class | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D-9 | 1963–1964 | |||
| D-32 | 1964 | |||
| D-1 | 1965 | |||
| D-73 | 1965–1967 | |||
| D-26 | 1967–1968 | |||
| D-113 | 1968–1969 | |||
| later named Blue Peter IV at | ||||
| Op. No. | Name | In service | Class | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A-48 | Margaret and Bruce | 2011–2012 | ||
| A-77 | Kingfisher | 2012–2020 | ||
| Op. No. | Name | In service | Class | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B-531 | Foresters | 1975–1988 | |||
| B-786 | Seahorse IV | 2002–2021 | |||
| B-925 | John Rowntree | 2021– |
The station has been awarded 1 gold medal, 21 silver medals, 24 bronze medals, 5 vellum inscriptions and 9 framed letters of thanks.[11] [13]
The following are awards made at Gt Yarmouth and Gorleston
William George Fleming - 1924[14]
William George Fleming - 1941
William George Fleming, Coxswain - 1922
Captain Chaplin, master of the Royal William steam packet - 1833
Charles Salmon - 1855
George Fleming - 1855
Cdr Thomas Kisbee RN - 1855
William Johnson - 1858
Captain Thomas Davies RN - 1860
George Milligan, Coxswain - 1860
Captain David Robertson RN - 1870
E W Woods, Coxswain - 1891
William Todd, Coxswain - 1898
Sidney Harris, Coxswain - 1904
James Sclanders, chief engineer of the steam lifeboat, - 1904
Sidney Harris, Coxswain - 1905 (Second-Service Clasp)
Sidney Harris, Coxswain - 1909 (Silver Third-Service Clasp)
Ellery Harris, Second Coxswain - 1909
James Cowie - 1910
Sidney Harris, Coxswain - 1912 (Silver Fourth-Service Clasp)
Sidney Harris, Coxswain - 1916 (Fifth-Service clasp)
Edward Bensley - 1916
William G Fleming, Coxswain - 1927
Charles A Johnson, Coxswain - 1941
Samuel B Parker (Jnr), Second Coxswain -1922
Charles W Chilvers, Bowman -1922
James Fleming, crew member -1922
William Gosling, crew member -1922
George Arthur Harris, crew member -1922
Ellery Harris, crew member -1922
Arthur Harris, crew member -1922
Walter Halfnight, crew member -1922
Charles Ambrose Johnson, crew member -1922
Harry Leggett, crew member -1922
Thomas Morley, crew member -1922
Albert Newson, crew member -1922
Wwilliam Newson, crew member -1922
James Stubbs, crew member -1922
Ernest Stubbs, crew member -1922
William George Fleming, Coxswain - 1926
Charles Ambrose Johnson, Coxswain - 1938 (Second-Service Clasp)
Charles Ambrose Johnson, Coxswain - 1940 (Third-Service Clasp)
G F Mobbs, Motor Mechanic - 1941
Charles Ambrose Johnson, Coxswain - 1941 (Fourth-Service Clasp)
John Bryan, Coxswain/Mechanic - 1970
John Bryan, Coxswain/Mechanic - 1975 (Second-Service Clasp)
Richard John Hawkins, Coxswain/Mechanic - 1980
David Mason, Coxswain - 1996
David Bennington, Acting Coxswain - 1974
Richard J Hawkins, Coxswain/Mechanic - 1982
Richard J Hawkins, Coxswain/Mechanic - 1987
Richard J Hawkins, Coxswain/Mechanic - 1991
Stephen Bartram, Assistant Mechanic - 1996
Coxswain and Crew - 1966
Paul Carter, crew member - 1982
David V Mason, Second Coxswain - 1991
Bob Keegan - 1998
Steve Gowing - 1998
Simon Phillips - 1998
from the Great Yarmouth Port Authority
Stephen Bartram, Coxswain - 2005
Kevin Bennington, crew member - 2005
Richard Hawkins, Coxswain/Mechanic
David Mason, Second Coxswain
Patrick Lee, Assistant Mechanic
David Beale, crew member - 1996
Ian Everson, crew member - 1996
Geoffrey Wing, crew member - 1996
More than 100 lifeboat crew - 1983
S J Harris, Coxswain - 1912
William G Fleming, Coxswain - 1927
The Lifeboat Crew - 1927
The Institution and the crew of the lifeboat - 1952
Margaret Bibby-Cheshire - 2000[15]
Reverend Albert Thomas Cadmore - 2024[16]