| St Peter Port Lifeboat Station | |
| Map Type: | Channel Islands |
| Pushpin Relief: | 1 |
| Location: | St Julian's Emplacement |
| Location City: | St Peter Port, GY1 2LW |
| Location Country: | Guernsey |
| Coordinates: | 49.4579°N -2.5253°W |
| Former Names: | St Samson |
| Building Type: | RNLI Lifeboat Station |
| Opened Date: | 1803 |
| Owner: | Royal National Lifeboat Institution |
| Website: | St Peter Port Lifeboat Station |
St Peter Port Lifeboat Station is located at St Peter Port, capital of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, and main port of the island of Guernsey, a self-governing British Crown Dependency and one of the Channel Islands.
A lifeboat was first placed here in 1803. By 1857, the station was operating from St Samson, and was transferred to the management of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in 1861. St Peter Port station was re-opened in 1881.[1]
The station currently operates a All-weather lifeboat, 17-04 Spirit of Guernsey (ON 1203), on station since 1997, and a Inshore lifeboat, Harold Hobbs (B-943), on station since 2024.
Established in 1803 and based in Saint Sampson, Guernsey, a tidal harbour.[2]
6 Silver medals awarded before the RNLI took over the station, the first in 1851 to John Mitchell for the rescue of 3 from the Cutter Adele. Five were awarded for the 1857 rescue of 6 crew from the barque Boadicea.
In 1861 the station was taken over by the RNLI and a shed was built at St Sampson's.[2]
Victor Hugo presented the Harbour Master Capt. Abraham Martin, as a ‘mark of esteem’ with his own design of lifejacket and belt in 1870.[2]
1875 a new lifeboat arrived, the John Lockett.[3] in 1878 the lifeboat was moved to Les Landes but problems in finding sufficient crew in the area resulted in the boat returned to St Sampson’s.[2]
In 1881 the station relocated to Saint Peter Port Harbour castle emplacement with the Castle slipway being amended to suit lifeboat launches.[4] 1896 saw the introduction of maroons to summon the crew.[2]
In June 1940 the relief lifeboat Alfred and Clara Heath ON 672 was strafed by German aircraft and Harold Hobbs, son of the Coxswain Fred Hobbs, was killed. This lifeboat stayed in Guernsey during the occupation and was used by the Kriegsmarine (Nazi German navy).[5]
Lifeboat house built on St Julians Emplacement in 1946.[5]
In 1952 the Flying Christine, an ex seaplane tender was brought into service by St John Ambulance as an ambulance boat, to work closely with the RNLI.[5]
RNLI Gold Medal and Norwegian Lifeboat Service Gold Medal awarded to Hubert Petit for rescue crew of 9 from Johann Collett in 1963.[5] In 1977 maroons were replaced by ‘bleepers’, which were followed in 1983 with pagers.[5]
In 1978 Coxswain John Petit was awarded a silver medal and the ‘Maud Smith’ award for the bravest act of lifesaving that year following the rescue from the oil rig Orion.[5]
RNLI Gold Medal awarded to Coxwain Michael Scales for the rescue of 29 from Bonita in December 1981 as well as the ‘Maude Smith’ Award for the bravest act of lifesaving that year.[5]
In 1992 Coxswain Peter Bisson received a silver medal for the rescue from the yacht Sena Siorra and the ‘Maude Smith’ Award for the bravest act of lifesaving that year.[5]
From 2015, the Guernsey Joint Emergency Services Control Centre handles all 999 emergency calls including radio Mayday, Pan-pan and Sécurité messages.[6]
2020 saw the RNLI's 1,500th call out from Guernsey, during which time 600 lives have been saved and 2,000 people taken to safety.[7]
In 2024, St Peter Port received a new lifeboat, Harold Hobbs (B-943), in memory of the RNLI volunteer who was killed by German forces while serving on a Guernsey lifeboat in 1940.[8]
Search and rescue operations are conducted and co-ordinated using the Joint Emergency Services Control Centre (JESCC) with some or all of:
2 Gold medals
14 Silver medals
15 Bronze medals
France
Norway
Greece
Liberia
Marshall Islands
The following are awards made at St Peter Port, Guernsey[9] [11]
Hubert Ernest Petit, Coxswain - 1963
Michael John Scales, Coxswain - 1982
Hubert Ernest Petit, Coxswain - 1963
John Hubert Petit, Coxswain - 1984
(awarded for service in 1979)
John Mitchell, Pilot - 1851
Henry Bougourd, Pilot of Cutter Blonde - 1857
Peter Corbet, Pilot of Cutter Blonde - 1857
George Hughes, Pilot of Cutter Blonde - 1857
William Pillar, Gunner, H.M. Revenue Cutter Eagle - 1857
William Cockrom, Steward, H.M. Revenue Cutter Eagle - 1857
(each man also awarded £2)
John Hubert Petit, Coxswain - 1978
Peter Bisson, Coxswain - 1992
Eric Clifford Pattimore, Motor Mechanic - 1963
John Hubert Petit, crew member - 1963
Robert Hamon, crew member - 1984
Eric Pattimore, crew member - 1984
Robert Vowles, crew member - 1984
John Robilliard, crew member - 1984
Graham Eker, crew member - 1984
(awarded for service in 1979)
Eric Clifford Pattimore, Motor Mechanic - 1963
John Hubert Petit, crew member - 1963
John Hubert Petit, Coxswain - 1975 (Second-Service Clasp)
John Harry Robilliard, Emergency Mechanic - 1975
John Hubert Petit, Coxswain - 1978 (Third-Service Clasp)
John Hubert Petit, Coxswain - 1979 (Fourth-Service Clasp)
Peter Nicholas Bougourd, Second Coxswain - 1982
Robert Lewis Vowles, Mechanic - 1982
Alan Frederick Martel, Assistant Mechanic - 1982
Peter John Bisson, crew member - 1982
John Philip Bougourd, crew member - 1982
Richard James Hamon, crew member - 1982
John Webster, crew member - 1982
Michael John Scales, Coxswain - 1984
Peter John Bisson, Second Coxswain - 1985 (Second-Service Clasp)
John Hubert Petit, Coxswain - 1978
Michael John Scales, Coxswain - 1981
Peter John Bisson, Coxswain - 1992
Robert Hamon, crew member - 1979
Eric Pattimore, crew member - 1979
Robert Vowles, crew member - 1979
John Robilliard, crew member - 1979
Graham Eker, crew member - 1979
St Peter Port lifeboat crew - 1963
John H Petit, Coxswain - 1971
Peter Bougourd, Deputy Coxswain - 1978
Robert Hamon, crew member - 1978
Lloyd De Mouilpied, Deputy Coxswain - 1978
Eric C Pattimore, Motor Mechanic - 1978
Robert Vowles, Assistant Mechanic - 1978
Michael Scales, crew member - 1978
Robert Hamon, crew member - 1978
John Webster, crew member - 1978
John Robilliard, crew member - 1978
Michael John Scales, Coxswain - 1983
Peter Nicholas Bougourd, Second Coxswain - 1983
Alan Martel, Assistant Mechanic - 1983
Robert Vowles, Motor Mechanic - 1984
Alan Martel, Assistant Mechanic - 1985
Michael Guille, crew member - 1985
John Bougourd, Second Coxswain - 1992
James Youlton, Mechanic - 1992
Keith Martel, Assistant Mechanic - 1992
Philip Martel, crew member - 1992
Gary Cook, crew member - 1992
Andrew Le Provost, crew member - 1992
Vincent Helmot, crew member - 1992
James Youlton, Mechanic - 1995
Robert Harmon, crew member - 1995
St Peter Port lifeboat crew - 1971
The Master of the tug Abeille Languedoc - 1982
Peter Bisson, Coxswain - 1995
Anthony White, Coxswain - 2009
St Peter Port lifeboat crew - 2009
St Peter Port lifeboat crew - 1963
St Peter Port lifeboat crew - 1931
Coxswain Michael John Scales, Coxswain - 1981
St Peter Port lifeboat crew - 1985
St Peter Port lifeboat crew - 2006
John Hubert Petit, Former Coxswain, Harbourmaster - 1988NYH[12]
Peter Bisson, Coxswain - 1996QBH[13]
Robert Ramsay Hamon - 2005QBH[14]
Anthony Charles White, Coxswain 2011QBH[15]
Celia Lois Allen, Chairman, Ladies Lifeboat Guild[16]
John Philip Bougourd, Former Coxswain - 2012QBH[17]
St Peter Port RNLI Lifeboat Station - 2021
| ON | Op. No. | Name | In Service[18] | Class | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | – | 1803 | built by Henry Greathead of South Shields, designer of the Original it cost £170 | ||
| – | The Rescue | 1857–1862 | 28-foot Self-righting (P&S) | (St Samson) | |
| Pre-393 | – | , Louisa Hall | 1862–1875 | 30-foot Self-righting (P&S) | (St Samson) 6 oars |
| Pre-597 | – | John Lockett | 1875–1881 1881–1888 | 32-foot Self-righting (P&S) | (St Samson-1875–1881) 10 oared |
| 165 | – | 1888–1929 | 34-foot Self-Righting (P&S) | 10 oared | |
| 626 | – | Arthur Lionel | 1912–1929 | Liverpool (P&S) | |
| 719 | – | Queen Victoria | 1929–1940 | motorised 9.5 knots | |
| 672 | – | Alfred and Clara Heath | 1940–1945 | 40-foot Self-Righting (Motor) | |
| 719 | – | Queen Victoria | 1945–1954 | motorised 9.5 knots | |
| 912 | – | Euphrosyne Kendal | 1954–1972 | 52-foot diesel 9.5 knots | |
| Sir William Arnold | 52-foot 18 knots | ||||
| 1203 | 17-04 | Spirit of Guernsey | 1997– | 55-foot 25 knots | |
| Op. No. | Name | In Service | Class | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elizabeth and Margaret Milligan | ||||
| B-943 | Harold Hobbs | 2024– | ||
In 1865 Gunner James Moore of the Royal Artillery in Alderney was awarded a silver medal for rescuing 17 people from the Carioca following which in 1869 a lifeboat station was established in Alderney, the first boat being the ‘Mary and Victoria’. The station closed in 1885 due to a shortage of crew.[2]
In 1986 the Alderney station was re-opened with the 44 ft Waveney-class lifeboat ON 1045 Louis Marchesi of Round Table (44-019) based there from 1987.[5] The current boat is the 46 ft Trent-class lifeboat ON 1199 Roy Barker I (14-04).
Between 1885 and 1986 the Saint Peter Port Lifeboat Station provided cover around Alderney.
The Saint Peter Port Lifeboat Station is a Guernsey registered charity. CH135.
Pictures of four Guernsey lifeboats appeared on a set of postage stamps issued by Guernsey Post to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the RNLI in 1974 and a further six lifeboats appeared on a further set of stamps to commemorate the 175th anniversary of the RNLI in 1999.[19]
The lifeboat has also appeared on phonecards issued by Cable & Wireless.