| Official Number: | ON 777 |
| Donor: | Legacy of Henry Francis Bailey, Brockenhurst, Hampshire |
| Station | Cromer |
RNLB H F Bailey (ON 777) is the most famous Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboat to have served from Cromer, because she was used by Coxswain Henry Blogg to perform many of his most famous lifesaving exploits. The lifeboat was on station for the ten years between 1935 and 1945.[1] She is now part of the National Historic Fleet[2] and has been preserved in the RNLI Henry Blogg Museum in Cromer.[3]
From 1923 to the end of the Second World War in 1945 the Cromer station had four motor-powered lifeboats all called H F Bailey after the donor, Mr Henry Francis Bailey, a London merchant who had been born in Norfolk and had died in 1916.[4]
H F Bailey was built at the yard of Groves and Guttridge Ltd on the Isle of Wight. Her hull is constructed using double diagonal planking of Honduras mahogany on a framework of teak ribs and beams, with the stem and stern posts and her keel of English oak. The stern and stem posts are grown to the required shape to give the lifeboat its strength and sturdiness. She is long and 12feet wide. The hull is divided into seven watertight compartments, of which the engine room is one. The hull is fitted with 142 mahogany air cases, each individually made to fit into its allocated position in the hull. Her equipment included the latest innovations of the time which included a line throwing gun and an electric searchlight.[5]
RNLB HF Bailey went on to serve Helvick Head Lifeboat Station in County Waterford Republic of Ireland until 1969 when the station was closed. It remained closed until 1994 when it was reopened by the RNLI. The lifeboat stationed there today is an Atlantic 75 and provides cover in the area between Youghal and Tramore Lifeboat Stations.
| +Rescues by H F Bailey (ON 777) | |||
| Date | Casualty | Lives saved | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1936 | |||
| 26 March | Steamship Boree of Caen, landed 7 from steamship Cadeuceus | ||
| 2 April | Fishing boat Little Madge of Sheringham, in tow of lifeboat J C Madge of Sheringham and fishing boats John Roberts and White Rose of Cromer, stood by boats | ||
| 20 April | Barge Will Everard of London, stood by vessel | ||
| 7–11 August | Steamship San Francisco of Le Havre, rendered assistance | ||
| 16–18 November | Steamship Nesttun of Tvedestrand, rendered assistance | ||
| 18 November | Steam drifter Pitagaveny of Banff, saved | 10 | |
| 19 November | Steamship Yew Forest of Glasgow, took out a doctor | ||
| 19 November | Steamship Lindisfarne of Newcastle on Tyne, rendered assistance | ||
| 1937 | |||
| 9 November | 3 | ||
| 1938 | |||
| 10 February | Fishing boat Urgent of Cromer, stood by boat | ||
| May 30 | Fishing boat G V H of Great Yarmouth, saved boat | 2 | |
| 7 August | Motor vessel John M of London, stood by vessel | ||
| 2 November | Steamship of Santander, saved | 5 | |
| 27 December | Steamship Otto H of Pori, rendered assistance | ||
| 1939 | |||
| 18 June | Rowing boat of Cromer, Landed 5 | ||
| 9 October | Steamship of Piraeus, saved | 29 | |
| 1 December | Steamship Realf of Moss, landed 32 and 10 naval ratings from Santa Gata | ||
| 8 December | Steamship Corea[6] of Goole, saved | 7 | |
| 12 December | Steamship Corbrook of London, stood by vessel | ||
| 21 December | Motor vessel Dosinia of London, assisted to save vessel | 51 | |
| 1940 | |||
| 9 January | Steamship Upminster of London, stood by vessel | ||
| 11 January | Steamship Traviata of Genoa, landed 30 and saved | 1 | |
| 11 January | HMT Holyrood, gave help | ||
| 12 January | Light Vessel No 58, saved a ship's boat | 3 | |
| 18 January | Steamship Asteria of Piraeus, saved | 11 | |
| 18 January | Light Vessel No 58, saved a ship's boat | 4 | |
| 30 January | Steam trawler Pelton of Grimsby, gave help | ||
| 27 August | Aircraft, salvaged wreckage and gear | ||
| 3 October | MV Actuosity of London, saved | 8 | |
| 15 November | HMT Dungeness, saved | 11 | |
| 25 November | HMT Dungeness, salvaged gear | ||
| 7 December | Steamship Royston of Newcastle on Tyne, stood by | ||
| 12 December | Steamship Royston of Newcastle on Tyne, gave help | ||
| 1941 | |||
| 15 January | Steamship Lieutenant Robert Mory of Belfast, landed 19 and gave help | ||
| 25 January | Steamship of Liverpool, saved | 101 | |
| 8 March | Boat from steamship Corduff of London, saved | 13 | |
| 8 March | Steamship Kenton of Newcastle, saved two boats | ||
| 13 March | Steamship Essex Lance of London, gave help | ||
| 14 March | Steamship Essex Lance of London, gave help | ||
| 26 March | Steamship Kentwood of London, stood by | ||
| 24 July | Aircraft, saved dinghy and picked up a body | ||
| 6 August | (Convoy FS 559) Steamship Oxshott of London, saved | 16 | |
| 6 August | (Convoy FS 559) Steamship of Rouen, saved | 31 | |
| 6 August | (Convoy FS 559) Steamship Deerwood of London, saved | 19 | |
| 6 August | (Convoy FS 559) Steamship Betty Hindley, saved | 22 | |
| 15 September | Motor vessel Pontfield of Newcastle, gave help | ||
| September 23 | Steamship J B Paddon of London, landed an injured man | ||
| Between Sept 17 – 6 Nov | Steamship Teddington of London, gave help on 22 occasions | ||
| 16 October | British aircraft, landed a body | ||
| 26 October | Steamship of London, saved | 44 | |
| 1942 | |||
| 29 January | Aeroplane dinghy seven miles north of Cley next the Sea, saved | 1 | |
| 2 February | Motor vessel Sedulity of London, landed an injured man | ||
| 15 March | , picked up 11 bodies after torpedo attack | ||
| 11 April | British aeroplane, landed 6 | ||
| 25 May | Yacht Betty of Gorleston, gave help | ||
| 20 July | Aeroplane, gave help | ||
| 18 November | Motor fishing boat Silver Queen of Lowestoft, saved vessel | 2 | |
| 1943 | |||
| 12 March | Barrage balloon, salvaged balloon | ||
| 26 July | Wellington Bomber aeroplane, saved | 5 | |
| 1944 | |||
| 20 June | Aeroplane, salvaged wreckage | ||
| 29 July | Aeroplane, salvaged gear | ||
| 7–10 December | Steamship Samnethy of London, saved | ||
| 1945 | |||
| 4 February | Motor vessel Valder of Hartlepool, gave help | ||