| Holyhead Lifeboat Station | |
| Map Type: | Wales Anglesey |
| Pushpin Relief: | 2 |
| Location: | Holyhead Lifeboat Station |
| Address: | Prince of Wales Road, Newry Beach |
| Location City: | Holyhead, Anglesey, LL65 1YA |
| Location Country: | Wales, United Kingdom |
| Coordinates: | 53.318°N -4.642°W |
| Building Type: | RNLI Lifeboat Station |
| Opened Date: | 1828 |
| Owner: | Royal National Lifeboat Institution |
| Website: | Holyhead RNLI Lifeboat Station |
Holyhead Lifeboat Station (cy|Gorsaf Bad Achub Caergybi) is a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboat station in the coastal town of Holyhead, Anglesey, Wales. It is one of the three oldest lifeboat stations situated on the North Wales coast, a disused building of which houses the Holyhead Maritime Museum.
Holyhead Lifeboat Station was first mentioned in 1825 when it was decided a lifeboat would be built for the coastal town of Holyhead. A local committee was formed three years later and the first lifeboat arrived at the station shortly afterwards.[1] The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) took over control of the station in 1855 and an lifeboat house was built three years later. The station covered the shipping lane in and out of Liverpool.
In 1892, Holyhead Lifeboat Station received its first steam lifeboat, which was one of six to serve in the RNLI. The lifeboat was involved in an operation to rescue crew members of the SS Harold in 1908 which anchored near rocks between North Stack and South Stack. The third steam Lifeboat to serve at Holyhead, James Stevens No.3, was retired in 1928 when it was replaced by a motor-powered Watson-class lifeboat, H.C.J. (ON 708)
Twenty-one years later, a new boathouse and slipway were constructed on Salt Island.[2] The boathouse and slipway were used until 1980, when a new boat was allocated to the station and kept afloat in the harbour. Unfortunately, wash from the ferry traffic led to the boat's GRP hull being damaged, and as a temporary measure a steel-hulled boat was placed on station while the boathouse and slipway were reconditioned and a new boat was constructed for the station. The new boat entered service in 1985, and slipway launching continued until 1997 when a new, more protected, berth was found for another Arun-class boat, 52-37 Kenneth Thelwall (ON 1123) to take over.
In 2003, the Arun-class was replaced by the present Lifeboat, 17–41 Christopher Pearce (ON 1272)
An inshore lifeboat station was established on the site in 1967. The boathouse was expanded in 1987 to fit a D-class lifeboat (EA16) and its launching trolley. Its current inshore boat, (D-791) Mary & Archie Hooper, entered service in 2016.[2] Lead was stolen from the station's roof in the morning of 16 June 2011.[3] In February 2015 the station appointed its first female helm.[4]
The following are awards made at Holyhead[5] [6]
Holyhead have been awarded 49 medals. 4 Gold, 32 Silver and 13 Bronze
Rev James Williams - 1835
Captain William Owen - 1835
William Owen, Coxswain - 1908
Lieut Commander Harold Harknett Harvey VRD,
RNR, Inspector of Lifeboats for the North West area - 1967
Thomas Hughes - 1929
Robert Stables, Coxswain - 1833
Captain William Owen - 1833
Oliver Anthony, Master Mariner - 1833
Richard Morris, Coxswain - 1835
Henry Parry, Coxswain - 1840
William Rowlands, Coxswain - 1866
William Rowlands, Coxswain - 1867 (Second Service Award)
Thomas Roberts, Coxswain - 1833
(This service was carried out in the Rhosneigr lifeboat).
Coxswain Roberts - 1886 (Second Service Award)
Edward Jones, Coxswain - 1887
John O Williams, Chief Officer of HM Coastguard, Hon. Secretary - 1888
Edward Jones, Coxswain - 1889 (Second Service Award)
Robert Jones, Second Coxswain - 1889
John O Williams, Chief Officer of HM Coastguard, Hon. Secretary - 1890 (Second Service Award)
William Owen, Pilot - 1890
George Jones, Boatman - 1890
John Roberts, Farmer and Fisherman - 1890
John Morris, Farmer - 1890
Thomas W Brooke, crewman - 1908
George Jones, crewman - 1908
Lewis Jones, crewman - 1908
Richard Jones, crewman - 1908
Samuel Jones, crewman - 1908
James Lee, crewman - 1908
William McLaughlin, crewman - 1908
Charles H Marshall, crewman - 1908
William Owen Jnr, crewman - 1908
Lewis Roberts, crewman - 1908
Thomas Alcock, Coxswain - 1967
Eric Samuel Jones, Motor Mechanic - 1967
William Jones, Coxswain - 1977
Richard Jones, Coxswain - 1943
John Jones, Motor Mechanic - 1943
Richard Jones, Coxswain - 1949 (Second Service Award)
William John Jones, Second Coxswain - 1967
Francis Ward, Acting Bowman - 1967
Jack Sharpe, Acting Assistant Mechanic - 1967
John Michael Hughes, crew member - 1967
David Graham Drinkwater, crew member - 1967
Brian Gordon Stewart, crew member - 1967
Donald Malcolm Forrest, Mechanic - 1971
Gareth Ogwen-Jones, crewmember - 1971
John Michael Hughes, crew member - 1971 (Second Service Award)
William Jones, Coxswain, - 1977 (Second Service Award)
Awarded to each of the 15 crew - 1883
(This service was carried out in the Rhosneigr lifeboat).
All the lifeboat crew - 1978
Holyhead lifeboat crew - 1954
Thomas Brian Thomson, Coxswain - 2007[7]
| ON | Op. No. | Name | In service[8] | Class | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | – | 1829–1858 | 31-foot 6in Palmer | [9] | |
| – | 1858–1864 | 30-foot Self-Righting (P&S) | [10] | ||
| Pre-310 | – | Princess of Wales | 1864–1875 | 30-foot Self-Righting (P&S) | |
| 192 | – | Thomas Fielden | 1875–1891 | ||
| 300 | – | Thomas Fielden | 1891–1897 | 39-foot Self-Righting (P&S) | |
| 231 | – | Duke of Northumberland | 1897–1922 | ||
| 420 | – | James Stevens No.3 | 1922–1928 | ||
| 708 | – | H.C.J. | 1928–1929 | ||
| 717 | – | A.E.D. | 1929–1950 | 51-foot Barnett | |
| 884 | – | St.Cybi (Civil Service No.9) | 1950–1980 | 52-foot Barnett Mk1 | |
| 1086 | 52-15 | Hyman Winstone | 1980–1983 | ||
| 1003 | 44-004 | Faithful Forester | 1984–1985 | ||
| St.Cybi II (Civil Service No.40) | |||||
| 1123 | 52-37 | Kenneth Thelwall | 1998–2003 | ||
| 1272 | 17-41 | 2003– | |||
| ON | Name | In service[11] | Class | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 264 | 1890–1915 | 37-foot Self-Righting (P&S) | ||
| 617 | Fanny Harriet | 1915–1929 | 37-foot Self-Righting (P&S) | |
| 485 | Reserve No.D7 | [12] | ||
| Op. No. | Name | In service | Class | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D-249 | Caribbean I | 1976–1988 | ||
| D-358 | 1988–1996 | |||
| D-507 | 1996–2005 | |||
| D-654 | Angel of Holyhead (Civil Service No.46) | 2005–2016 | ||
| D-791 | Mary & Archie Hooper | 2016– | ||