Walmer Lifeboat Station Explained

Walmer Lifeboat Station
Map Type:	Kent
Pushpin Relief:	1
Location:	Walmer lifeboat station, The Strand, UK
Address:	The Strand
Location City:	Walmer, Kent, CT14 7DY
Location Country:	UK
Coordinates:	51.2135°N 1.403°W
Building Type:	RNLI Lifeboat Station
Opened Date:	1856
Owner:	Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Website:	Walmer RNLI Lifeboat Station

Walmer Lifeboat Station is located on The Strand on Walmer promenade, in the county of Kent.

Following an appeal, a station was established here by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in 1856.^[1]

The station currently operates two Inshore lifeboats, the Donald McLauchlan (B-808) since 2006, and the Duggie Rodbard II (D-794) since 2016.^[1]

History

Over two thousand ships are believed to have been wrecked on the Goodwin Sands, and the masts of several wrecks are visible from the shore at low tide. For many years, there were three lifeboats located along a 3 miles stretch of coast opposite the sands,, and Walmer.^[1]

1800–1939

In 1830, RNLI Gold and Silver Medals were awarded, for the rescue of 13 crew from the ship Mountaineer, and three Deal boatmen, on 24 November 1829.^[2] ^[3] ^[4]

In 1856, the RNLI issued an appeal to place a lifeboat at Walmer, highlighting the dangers of the Goodwin Sands to international trade through the Port of London. One member of the Royal Thames Yacht Club offered to pay half the cost of a lifeboat, if the remaining club members raised the remainder. A site for a boathouse was provided by landowner Mr Frederick Leath, and a wooden boathouse was constructed, costing £186-11s-0d. A 29-foot 6in self-righting 'pulling and sailing' (P&S) lifeboat (one with oars and sails), costing £160-2s-6d, was built by Forrestt of Limehouse, and arrived along with a launching carriage in Walmer in November 1856. The boat was named Royal Thames Yacht Club.^[5]

In 1871, a new brick-built boathouse was constructed, replacing the 1856 wooden boathouse, which was dismantled, and reconstructed at North Deal.^[5]

Crew member E Young drowned in 1896 when he was trying to board the Steamship Trapian from the lifeboat. The Walmer station was closed in 1912, but was reopened in 1927, when it was deemed the most suitable of the three local stations to operate the intended motor-powered lifeboat. Lifeboat Barbara Fleming (ON 480) was transferred from Kingsdown when that station was closed, and kept on a launching cradle at the head of the beach. Soon afterwards, from 1933, the station had its first motor lifeboat.^[6]

In 1933, motor lifeboat Charles Dibdin (Civil Service No.2) (ON 762) was placed on service. She would take part in the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940. In 1944, Coxswain Joseph Mercer was awarded the RNLI Bronze Medal for the rescue of 13 men from an anti-submarine boat stranded on the Goodwin Sands. In 26 years service to Walmer, Charles Dibdin (Civil Service No.2) (ON 762) would be launched 412 times, and save 241 lives.^[4] ^[5] ^[7]

Postwar to present

The last All-weather lifeboat at Walmer was the RNLB Hampshire Rose (ON 1024). Launching 132 times in 15 years, she would save 57 lives. In 1964, a Inshore lifeboat had been placed at Walmer. When the Hampshire Rose was retired from service on 5 May 1990, she was replaced with the addition of a lifeboat, and Walmer was permanently established as an Inshore lifeboat station. The boathouse was extended in 1992, to accommodate the Talus Atlantic 85 DO-DO launch carriage. A new Atlantic 21, RNLB James Burgess (B-589), was also placed on service in 1992, in the same year as a visit by the Queen Mother as Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, and on 22 January 1997 a new lifeboat, RNLB Lord Kitchener (D-514), was placed on service.^[1]

Most recently, lifeboat, RNLB Donald Mclauchlan (B-808) was placed on station in December 2006, with a new, RNLB Duggie Rodbard II (D-794) arriving in 2016.^[1]

Station honours

The following are awards made at Walmer^[6] ^[4]

RNLI Gold Medal, three,
- 1830, to H.M. Coastguards Capt. Philip Graham, RN, Lt. William Ward Percival Johnson, RN and Lt. William Stephen Watts, RN, for rescuing 13 crew from the ship Mountaineer and three boatmen from Deal, on 24 November 1829.
RNLI Silver Medal, four, including
- 1830, to John Durban, for rescuing 13 crew from the ship Mountaineer and three boatmen from Deal, on 24 November 1829.
- 1859, to John Moss for saving one man from the tender of the lugger Stornoway on 19 December 1858.
- 1948, to Coxswain Frederick Upton for rescuing 30 men, including two stowaways, and a dog from the steamer Silvia Onorato aground on the Goodwin Sands. The lifeboat spent 45 hours at sea.
- 1952, to Coxswain Frederick Upton, for rescuing 38 men from the wreck of the steamer Agen that was aground on the South Goodwin bank.
RNLI Bronze Medal, four, including
- 1944, to Coxswain Joseph Richard Mercer, for the rescue of 13 from H.M. Anti-Submarine boat No.25, stranded on the Goodwins on 18 January 1944.
- 1948, to Mechanic Cecil Cavell for rescuing 30 men, including two stowaways, and a dog from the steamer Silvia Onorato aground on the Goodwin Sands. The lifeboat spent 45 hours at sea.
- 1952, to Mechanic Cecil Cavell for rescuing 38 men from the wreck of the steamer Agen that was aground on the South Goodwin bank.
- 1977, to Coxswain Bruce George Brown, for rescuing the four crew from the sinking cabin cruiser Shark, along with the Second Coxswain who had become trapped in the cabin.
The Maud Smith Award 1948
- 1948, to Coxswain Frederick Upton.
The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum, ten, including
- 1969, to Helmsman Bruce Brown and Crew Members Cyril Williams and John Riley for rescuing four people cut off by the tide.
- 1970. Along with the Ralph Glister Award, to Helmsman Cyril Williams and Crew Members Leslie Coe and Charles Taylor for rescuing two men cut off by the tide in a cave.
- 1972, to Coxswain Henry Brown for saving the yacht Nell and her six crew, plus a cat.
- 1991 to Helmsman Duane Brown for rescuing the three crew from the yacht Josse aground on Goodwin Sands.
- 2002 to Helmsman Andrew Coe, Adam Cowell and Philip Brenchly for the rescue of the 32 ft yacht Thai Thai off the Goodwin Sands.
A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution, six, including
- 1978, to Coxswain Bruce Brown and Second Coxswain Cyril Williams for refloating the vessel Elmela off the Goodwin Sands.
- 1985, to Helmsman Anthony Evans for rescuing two men who were cut off by the tide after their canoe had capsized.
- 1991, to crew members John Collins and Shaun East for the Josse rescue.
Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE)
- 2023, to Denis Brophy, Lifeboat Operations Manager^[8]
Special Award
- 1997, to Pat Hardman, for his 27½ years of volunteer work for the RNLI in Deal, in which time he saved 119 lives from shipwreck.
- 2005, to Les Coe, for his 50 years of volunteer work for Walmer Lifeboat during which time he served as a crew member and Head Launcher.