Selsey Lifeboat Station

Selsey Lifeboat Station is a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) station^[1] located in Selsey, West Sussex on the south coast of England.^[2]

Selsey Lifeboat Station
Selsey Lifeboat Station
Location of Selsey Lifeboat station within West Sussex
General information
Type	RNLI Lifeboat Station
Location	Chichester District, South East England, West Sussex
Country	England
Coordinates	50°43′38.0″N 0°46′43.9″W
Opened	1861
Owner	Royal National Lifeboat Institution

The station operates a Shannon-class lifeboat 13-20 Denise and Eric (ON 1327), launched via the Shannon Launch and Recovery System (SLARS) from the main boathouse onshore at Kingsway, Selsey. The station also operates a D-class (IB1) inshore lifeboat, RNLB Flt Lt John Buckley RAF (D-827).

In 2017, Selsey received a new 25 knot (29 mph) Shannon Class Lifeboat after almost 34 years of service by Tyne-class lifeboats RNLB City of London (ON 1074) and RNLB Voluntary Worker (ON 1146) the longest of any RNLI station.

History

1861–World War II

The lifeboat service in Selsey was established in 1861 with RNLB The Friend, which was launched from the beach by means of skids.^[3] For the station's first 25 years the lifeboat's Coxswain was James Lawrence.^[4]

In 1925 work began on the construction of a new boathouse built on a piled platform with a gangway from the shore, which had a trolley track. In 1927 the boathouse was re-built again to house the station's new motor lifeboat.^[5]

During the Second World War, the station's crew and lifeboats were involved in many rescues. Watson-class lifeboat RNLB Canadian Pacific (ON 803) launched approximately 50 times, often to rescue pilots from fallen aeroplanes.^[6][7] On 11 July 1940, the lifeboat rescued John Peel, the commanding officer of RAF 145 Squadron, minutes after he abandoned his damaged Hurricane (P3400) off Selsey Bill.^[8][9]

1952–1987: improvements and inshore service

The 1958 boat house, pictured here in 2009, was demolished in 2017.

Between 1952 and 1953, the boathouse's substructure was strengthened and the slipway was lengthened. The boathouse was rebuilt in 1958 with reinforced concrete as the old structure had become unsafe due to years of coastal erosion. The deep water roller slipway was re-configured to have a gradient of 1:5, and the station was given a newly fabricated steel approach gangway from the shore.^[10]

In March 1968, an inshore lifeboat rescue division was established at Selsey.^[11] The new inshore lifeboat was launched on a newly constructed gangway to the eastern side of the main slipway.^[11] The first inshore lifeboat was a D-class lifeboat.^[12] RNLB Canadian Pacific (ON 803) was withdrawn from Selsey in 1969 to serve in the RNLI relief fleet. Then in 1977 she was sold out of the service.^[13]

A new boathouse was constructed for the inshore lifeboat in 1987.^[5]

2011–present: 150th anniversary and onwards

In 2011, the RNLI celebrated Selsey's 150th anniversary as a continuously active lifeboat station.^[14]

In the summer of 2017, a new Selsey boathouse was built on shore at the Kingsway, which allowed all elements of the RNLI at Selsey to come together on a single site for the first time. The old Slipway station was demolished and removed between June and July 2017. In July 2017, the station received a new Shannon-class lifeboat, Denise and Eric, and the Tyne-class lifeboat Voluntary Worker was retired and sold out of service.

Selsey Lifeboats

All-weather lifeboats

ON[lower-alpha 1]	Op.No.[lower-alpha 2].	Name	In service[15]	Class	Comments
–	–	Friend	1861–1865	29-foot 1in Self-righting (P&S)	[16]
–	–	Friend Four Sisters	1865–1885	32-foot Self-righting (P&S)	[16]
37	–	John and Henry Skynner	1885–1896	34-foot 5in Self-righting (P&S)
360	–	Lucy Newbon	1894–1919	40-foot Self-righting (P&S)	Selsey (Bognor)
394	–	Reserve No.3	1919–1922	40-foot Self-righting (P&S)	Formerly Civil Service No.4 at Walmer
673	–	Jane Holland	1922–1929	40-foot Self-righting (motor)
714	–	Canadian Pacific	1929–1937	45ft 6in Watson	Formerly H.F.Bailey II, Cromer No.1. Destroyed by fire at Groves & Guttridge boatyard 18 June 1937
671	–	The Brothers	1937–1938	45ft Watson	Relief fleet boat. Ex Penlee, Falmouth
803	–	Canadian Pacific	1938–1969	46ft Watson	Replacement for ON 714
1015	48-12	Charles Henry	1969–1983	48-foot 6in Oakley Mk.II
1074	47-001	City of London	1983–2006	Tyne
1146	47-031	Voluntary Worker	2006–2017	Tyne	Ex Lytham St. Annes
1327	13-20	Denise and Eric	2017–	Shannon	Carriage launched from onshore new boathouse

Inshore Lifeboats

Op.No.[lower-alpha 2]	Name	In service [15]	Class	Comments
D-164	Unnamed	1968–1970	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-138	Unnamed	1970–1980	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-277	Sea Lion	1981–1989	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-382	unnamed	1989–1998	D-class (EA16)
D-533	Peter Cornish	1998–2008	D-class (EA16)
D-691	Betty and Thomas Moore	2008–2018	D-class (IB1)
D-827	Flt Lt John Buckley RAF	2018–	D-class (IB1)	[17]

Shannon launch and recovery system (SLARS)

Op. No.[lower-alpha 2]	Reg. No.	Name	Type	In service [15]	Comments
SC-T12	HJ16 JRU	Miss Eileen Beryl Phillips	SLARS (Clayton)	2017–

1. ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.
2. Op. No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat carried on the hull.

Station Honours

The following are among the RNLI medals and other awards presented to crew members from Selsey Lifeboat Station:^[18]

Award Date	Name	Award	Note & Reference
May 1886	Coxswain James 'Pilot' Lawrence	RNLI Silver Medal	25 Years Service[4]
June 1930	The Lifeboat crew members	Thanks on Vellum
June 1930	Coxswain Frederick Barnes	Bronze Medal	Rescue of the Lucy B of Rye[19]
April 1950	Crewman William Arnell	Thanks on Vellum & Maud Smith Award for Bravest Act
November 1951	Coxswain Leslie Pennycord	RNLI Bronze Medal	Rescue of the MV Swift of Costa Rica.[20]
July 1956	The Lifeboat crew members	Thanks on Vellum	Triple Rescue of the Maalust, Bloodhound and Coima[21]
	Coxswain Douglas Grant	RNLI Silver Medal
January 1961	Selsey Lifeboat Station	Centenary Vellum – RNLI
December 1977	The Lifeboat crew members	Vellum service certificate
December 1977	Acting Coxswain Mike Grant	Thanks on Vellum
December 1978	The Lifeboat crew members	Vellum service certificate
December 1978	Coxswain Mike Grant	Thanks on Vellum
January 1979	The Lifeboat crew members	Medal service certificate	Rescue of the SS Cape Coast of Panama[21]
	Coxswain Mike Grant	RNLI Silver Medal
September 1983	The Lifeboat crew members	Medal service certificate	The rescue of Enchantress of Hamble[22]
	Coxswain Mike Grant	RNLI Silver Medal (Second)
October 1983	Dave Munday	Ralph Glister Award for Meritorious Service
	Tony Delahunty
	Nigel Osborn
October 1983	The ILB crew members	Framed letter of thanks
October 1983	Helmsman Dave Munday	RNLI Bronze Medal	The rescue of the Joan Maureen[23]
March 1984	Mechanic Ron Wells	25 years Service Award and the British Empire Medal
May 1984	D Cockayn – hon. Sec.	20 years Service Gold Badge
January 1988	Molly Woods	30 years Service Gold Badge
January 1995	Ron Carbines	Dedicated Service Gold Badge
January 1998	Dr Andrew Warwick – Medical Officer	Dedicated Service Gold Badge
January 1999	Jean Warwick	Dedicated Service Gold Badge
	Clive Cockayne
January 2011	Selsey Lifeboat Station	150 years Vellum	150 years as a continuously active lifeboat station[14]
January 2012	Clive Cockayne	Bar to Dedicated Service Gold Badge

Neighbouring station locations

See also

• List of RNLI stations
• Royal National Lifeboat Institution
• Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats

References

1. "The RNLI Selsey Lifeboat Station website". Home page of station website – RNLI. ©2014 RNLI. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
2. Chichester, South Harting, and Selsey OS Explorer Map 120 Folded Map. Publisher: Ordnance Survey; B2 edition. Publishing Date:2009.ISBN 978 0319 4676 26
3. Mee, Frances (1988). A History of Selsey. Chichester, Sussex: Philimore. p. 58. ISBN 0-85033-672-4.
4. Lifeboat Gallantry RNLI medals and how they were won. Edited by: Barry Cox. Published: Spink, London, 1998. Page 178 – James Lawrence – Coxswain of Selsey Lifeboat.ISBN 0 907605 89 3
5. Mee, Frances (1988). A History of Selsey. Chichester, Sussex: Philimore. p. 62. ISBN 0-85033-672-4.
6. Strong To Save – Dramatic first-hand accounts of the RNLI lifeboat rescues around the British Isles. Authors: Kipling, Ray and Susannah. Publisher:Patrick Stephens Ltd. Date: 1998 Third print. Work: Chapter 3, The Second World War – under fire, Page 57, reference to Selsey helping Airmen. ISBN 1 85260 495 6
7. "Watson class lifeboats". Reference to Watson-class lifeboat Canadian Pacific. ©2014 NavyNuts. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
8. "Obituary — Group Captain John Peel". Daily Telegraph – Obituary for Group Captain John Peel – reference to his rescue. ©2014 Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
9. Shot Down And In The Drink – RAF and Commonwealth aircrews saved from the sea 1939-1945. Author:Pitchfork, Graham. Publisher:The National Archives – Date: 2005. work: Chapter 7, The first three years, Page 80, ISBN 1 903365 87 2
10. Heroes All! – The story of the RNLI. Authur: Beilby, Alec. Publisher: Patrick Stephens Ltd – Haynes Publishing Group 1992. Work: Chapter 18, The Lifeboat Stations, South and West Britain and Ireland, page 171, Selsey. ISBN 1 85260 419 0
11. For Those In Peril – The Lifeboat Service of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, Station by Station. Author: Leach, Nicholas. Publisher: Silver Link Publishing Ltd, First Issue 1999. Work:Part 2, South Coast of England – Eastbourne to Weston-super-Mare, Page 75, Selsey. ISBN 1 85794 129 2
12. Mellon, Harry (1968). "Selsey Lifeboat". BFI. Archived from the original on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
13. National Historic Ships UK (2018). "Canadian Pacific". National Historic Ships. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
14. "Selsey Lifeboat Station News — Vellum Awarded for 150 Years of Service Made by Selsey Lifeboat". News of the 150 year celebration on the station’s website. Selsey Lifeboat Station. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
15. Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2024). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2024. Lifeboats Enthusiasts Society. pp. 4–132.
16. Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2021). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2021 (2021 ed.). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 2–18.
17. "The sun was shining on Selsey RNLI's naming ceremony today". RNLI. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
18. RNLI Selsey: Station history
19. Lifeboat Gallantry RNLI medals and how they were won. Edited by: Barry Cox. Published: Spink, London, 1998. Page 262 – Frederick Barnes – Coxswain of Selsey Lifeboat.ISBN 0 907605 89 3
20. Lifeboat Gallantry RNLI medals and how they were won. Edited by: Barry Cox. Published: Spink, London, 1998. Page 310 – Leslie Pennycord – Coxswain of Selsey Lifeboat.ISBN 0 907605 89 3
21. Lifeboat Gallantry RNLI medals and how they were won. Edited by: Barry Cox. Published: Spink, London, 1998. Page 318 – Douglas Grant – Coxswain of Selsey Lifeboat.ISBN 0 907605 89 3
22. Lifeboat Gallantry RNLI medals and how they were won. Edited by: Barry Cox. Published: Spink, London, 1998. Page 380 – Mike Grant – Coxswain of Selsey Lifeboat.ISBN 0 907605 89 3
23. Lifeboat Gallantry RNLI medals and how they were won. Edited by: Barry Cox. Published: Spink, London, 1998. Page 380 – Dave Munday – Coxswain of Selsey Lifeboat.ISBN 0 907605 89 3