| Southend-on-Sea lifeboat station | |
| Map Type: | Essex |
| Pushpin Relief: | 2 |
| Location: | Southend-on-Sea lifeboat station |
| Address: | Southend Pier, |
| Location City: | Southend-on-Sea, Essex, SS1 1EE |
| Location Country: | England |
| Coordinates: | 51.5324°N 0.7164°W |
| Building Type: | RNLI Lifeboat Station |
| Opened Date: | 1879 |
| Owner: | Royal National Lifeboat Institution |
| Website: | Southend-on-sea RNLI Lifeboat Station |
The Southend-on-Sea lifeboat station is a lifeboat station at Southend-on-Sea in the English county of Essex, operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) since 1879.[1] [2]
Because of the large tidal range and extensive drying foreshore at Southend, the lifeboat station uses two boathouses.
The first of these is situated at the head (outer end) of the long Southend Pier, and houses a lifeboat and a smaller lifeboat, both of which are launched by davit into the deep water adjoining the pier.
The second boathouse is situated adjacent to the inshore end of the pier, and houses a second D-class IB1 lifeboat together with a H class hovercraft, both of which are launched down an adjacent slipway.[3]
The pier-head lifeboat house is a modern structure, which incorporates crew accommodation and offices, an RNLI shop, and a viewing gallery from which visitors can view the lifeboats. It is topped by a sun deck to which the public have access. Lifeboat crews use an electric buggy, complete with sirens and blue flashing lights, to access this boathouse along the pier from the shore.[3]
The lifeboat station was first established in 1879, and was launched from davits on the pier in a similar manner to today. Between 1885 and 1891 there was a second station on the mainland, with the boat launched by horse-drawn carriage. The first motor lifeboat arrived in 1928. In 1935, a new lifeboat house and slipway was erected at the pier head. In 1940, the lifeboat Greater London (Civil Service No.3) (ON 704) was one of the 19 lifeboats which assisted in the evacuation of Dunkirk.[3]
In 1955 what would prove to be Southend's final All-weather lifeboat went on station. The newly built Greater London II (Civil Service No.30), a, entered service on 3 April. From then until 1968, the Thames Estuary was covered by three similar slipway launched 46ft 9in Watsons stationed on seaside piers at, and Southend-on-Sea. Clacton's Watson was replaced by a 37ft lifeboat in 1968.[3]
In 1969, the RNLI placed two extra lifeboats on the Thames Estuary, following a decision by the RAF to withdraw the rescue helicopters from RAF Manston. An extra lifeboat went to Southend-on-Sea, and it was decided to place an All-weather lifeboat at on evaluation.[4]
By the early 1970s, two inflatable inshore lifeboats were in use at Southend to provide assistance to the increasing number of pleasure craft. In 1974, Sheerness was allocated a fast boat and two years later Southend's All-weather Watson-class lifeboat was withdrawn and replaced by the Inshore Percy Garon (B-527). This was initially kept in the 1935 pier head boathouse, but in 1986 the coaster Kings Abbey sliced through the pier and lifeboat slipway, badly damaging the lifeboat house. A temporary station was quickly re-established at the pierhead, and officially opened by HRH Princess Anne in 1991. This temporary station was used until 2002, when today's modern boathouse was opened.[3]
A new 'Dry End' shore boathouse was completed on 16 July 2013, to accommodate the hovercraft, Vera Ravine (H-004), and second Inshore lifeboat.[5]
Two Southend lifeboats have been named in recognition of Percy Garon MC GM (1890-1987), who was Honorary Secretary of Southend-On-Sea Lifeboat Station from 1952-1975.[6] [7]
The following are awards made at Southend-on-Sea[8]
Mr George Culmer, Chief Officer of Coastguard - 1826
Lieut Sidney King, RN - 1838
William Bradley, Light Keeper at Southend Pierhead - 1887
Sidney Page, Coxswain - 1941
Sidney Page, Coxswain - 1938
Sidney Page, Coxswain - 1938 (Second Service Award)
Frank Jurgenson, crew member - 1941
William Deer, crew member - 1941
Herbert Myall, crew member - 1941
Samuel Thomas, crew member - 1941
Reginald Sanders, crew member - 1941
Robert T Fossett, Helmsman - 1982
John Foster, Helmsman - 2000
John Foster, Helmsman - 2000
Michael Whistler, crew member - 2000
Ian Rees, crew member - 2000
Sidney Page, Coxswain - 1947
Joseph Polkinghorn, Second Coxswain - 1947
Lionel Neville, Reserve Mechanic - 1947
Reginald Sanders, Assistant Mechanic - 1947
Samuel Thomas, Signalman - 1947
Edward Polkinghorn, crew member - 1947
Oliver Cotgrove, crew member - 1947
Thomas Thornton, crew member - 1947
Stanley Scrase, crew member - 1947
Cyril Day, crew member - 1947
Walter Wynn, crew member - 1947
Sidney Page, Coxswain - 1955
Coxswain P Gilson and his Crew - 1962
Robert Chalk - 1968
Gordon Easton - 1968
D Morgan - 1968
Robert T Fossett, Helmsman - 1977
Carl Palmby - 1981
Paul Gilson, Helmsman - 1990
Paul Gilson, Helmsman - 1992
Michael Whistler, crew member - 2000
Ian Rees, crew member - 2000
Duncan Clark, Helmsman - 1971
Clifton Warry, crew member - 1971
Harry Pavitt, crew member - 1971
Dennis Webb, Helmsman - 1971
Stephen Cox, crew member - 1971
Robert Chalk, Motor Mechanic - 1974
Paul Gilson, Helmsman - 1981
Glyn Gilson, crew member - 1981
Paul Manners, crew member - 1981
Simon Spratt, crew member - 1982
Mark Fossett, crew member - 1982
Robert Fossett, Helmsman - 1990
Mark Fossett, crew member - 1990
Roy Kidwell, crew member - 1990
John Foster, crew member - 1990
Clifton Warry, crew member - 1990
Clifton Warry, crew member - 1992
Duncan Clark, crew member - 1992
Southend Lifeboat Station - 1999
John Foster, Helmsman - 2001
Stewart Olley, Helmsman (B776) - 2002
Michael Whistler, Helmsman (D527) - 2002
Robert Chalk, Motor Mechanic - 1974
Paul Gilson, Helmsman - 1984
Michael Whistler, crew member -1984
John Foster, Helmsman - 2000
Michael Whistler, crew member - 2000
Ian Rees, crew member - 2000
Colin Adrian Reginald Sedgwick, Lifeboat Operations Manager - 2013[9]
Michael James Whistler - 2021[10]
James Mackie, J.P., Chair, Lifeboat Management Group - 2022[11]
| ON | Name | In service[12] | Class | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boys of England and Edwin J. Brett | 1879-1889 | 24ft Self-righting (P&S) | ||
| 33 | Theodore & Herbert (Southend No.2) | 1885-1899 | 34ft Self-righting (P&S) | |
| 259 | Boys of England and Edwin J. Brett (Southend No.1) | 1889-1891 | 25ft Self-righting (P&S) | Previously William James Holt at Weston-super-Mare |
| 430 | James Stevens No.9 | 1899-1923 | Norfolk and Suffolk (P&S) | |
| 505 | Reserve No.7C | 1923−1924 | Watson (P&S) | Previously William Roberts at Littlehaven |
| 535 | Reserve No.7E | 1924−1928 | Watson (P&S) | Previously Charlie Medland at The Mumbles |
| 704 | Greater London (Civil Service No.3) | 1928−1941 | ||
| 694 | J.B.Proudfoot | 1941−1945 | Previously H.F. Bailey at Cromer | |
| 704 | Greater London (Civil Service No.3) | 1945−1955 | ||
| 921 | Greater London II | 1955−1976 | ||
All weather lifeboat withdrawn from station in 1976
| Op. No. | Name | In service[13] | Class | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D-21 | 1965 | |||
| D-60 | 1965−1966 | |||
| D-61 | 1966 | |||
| D-35 | 1966 | |||
| D-63 | 1967 | |||
| D-62 | 1967−1969 | |||
| D-128 | 1969−1970 | |||
| D-158 | 1969−1975 | |||
| D-28 | 1970−1972 | |||
| D-146 | 1970−1975 | |||
| D-150 | 1975−1976 | |||
| D-236 | 1975−1987 | |||
| D-225 | 1987 | |||
| D-349 | 1987−1995 | |||
| D-341 | 1988 | |||
| D-368 | Douglas Cameron | 1988−1997 | ||
| D-341 | 1989 | |||
| D-487 | Foresters London Pride | 1995−2005 | ||
| D-527 | Ethel Royal | 1997−2007 | ||
| D-633 | Pride of London Foresters | 2005−2014 | ||
| D-682 | The Essex Freemason | 2007−2017 | ||
| D-771 | William Henderson | 2014− | ||
| D-818 | Len Thorne GM DFC | 2018− | ||
| Op. No. | Name | In service | Class | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B-527 | Percy Garon (Civil Service) | 1976−1986 | ||
| B-567 | Percy Garon II | 1986−2001 | ||
| B-776 | Vic and Billie Whiffen | 2001−2015 | ||
| B-755 | London's Anniversary 175 | 2015−2016 | ||
| B-885 | Julia & Angus Wright | 2016− | ||