Southwold Lifeboat Station

Southwold Lifeboat Station is located at the end of Ferry Road at Southwold Harbour, on the north bank of the River Blyth, in the county of Suffolk.^[1]

Southwold Lifeboat Station
Southwold Lifeboat Station.
General information
Type	RNLI Lifeboat Station
Location	Southwold Lifeboat Station
Address	Ferry Road,
Town or city	Southwold, Suffolk, IP18 6NB
Country	England
Coordinates	52°18′54″N 1°40′21″E
Opened	1841
Owner	Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Website
Southwold RNLI Lifeboat Station

A lifeboat was first stationed at Southwold by the Southwold Lifeboat Society in 1841. Management of the station was transferred to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in 1854.^[2]

The station currently operates an Atlantic 85-class lifeboat called Annie Tranmer (B-868), on station since 2013, which has an operational range of 25 miles (40 km).^[3] The Atlantic 85 is the third generation Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) in the B-class series. The lifeboat has a manually operated self-righting mechanism and can be beached in an emergency without sustaining damage to engines or steering gear. She is easy refloat and is ideal for rescues close to shore and on the sandbanks which are along the coast at Southwold.

The lifeboat is operated by a crew of around 18 volunteers.^[4] Charity abseil events at Southwold lighthouse raised over £20,000 for the lifeboat in both 2009 and 2011.^[4][3]

History

A lifeboat was first stationed in the town in 1841^[5] with the first motorised boat being put into service in 1926.^[6] The station's lifeboat, Mary Scott, took part in the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940. She was towed to Dunkirk by the paddle steamer Emperor of India together with two other small boats. Between them they took 160 men to their mother ship, then made a journey with 50 men to another transport vessel. She was abandoned on the beach, recovered and returned to service with the RNLI at Southwold.

An Inshore lifeboat station equipped with a D-class (RFD PB16) lifeboat was established in 1963. This was replaced by a B-class (Atlantic 21) lifeboat, Sole Bay (B-518), in 1973. Medal Services – 1972: Bronze Medal Patrick Pile and Martin Helmer. 1981: Bronze Medal Helm Roger Trigg.^[6]

Description

The current boathouse was built in 1993 near the entrance to Southwold Harbour at the mouth of the River Blyth.^[6] A winch and davit are used to launch the boat. These were repositioned in 2012 following essential repair work carried out to the harbour wall.^[7][8]

The station covers an area of approximately 25 miles (40 km). Neighbouring lifeboat stations are located at Lowestoft and Aldeburgh along the North Sea coast.

Station honours

The following are awards made at Southwold^[6][9]

• RNIPLS Silver Medal

John Fish, Acting Coxswain – 1849

• RNLI Silver Medal

Benjamin Herrington, Coxswain – 1854

William Waters, Second Coxswain – 1854

John Cragie, Acting Coxswain – 1859

Benjamin Herrington, Second Coxswain – 1859 (Second Service Clasp)

Edward William Goldsmith, Bricklayer – 1895

Thomas Henry Palmer, Fisherman – 1895

Alfred Took, Fisherman – 1895

John Cragie, Coxswain – 1895 (Second Service Clasp)

John Cragie, Coxswain – 1898 (Third Service Clasp)

• RNLI Bronze Medal

James H. Gilings, Decorator – 1924

Frank Upcraft, Coxswain – 1927

Patrick Pile, crew member – 1972

Martin Helmer, crew member – 1972

Roger Edward Trigg, Helm – 1981

• The Walter and Elizabeth Groombridge Award 1990
  (for the outstanding inshore lifeboat rescue of the previous year)

Jonathan Adnams, Helm – 1990

Marcus Gladwell, crew member – 1990

Paul Horsnell, crew member – 1990

• The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum

S. May, Coxswain – 1911

J. P. A. Adnams, crewman – 1981

A. Chambers, skipper of the motor fishing vessel Broadside - 1981

J. P. A. Adnams, Helm – 1989

• A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution

Roger Trigg, Helm – 1983

J. P. A. Adnams, Helm – 1990

• Silver Medals and Diplomas awarded by The President of France

E. R. Cooper, Honorary Secretary – 1905

S. May, Coxswain – 1905

C. Jarvis, Second Coxswain – 1905

• Bronze Medals and Diplomas awarded by The President of France

the 16 other members of the crew – 1905

• Medals and Certificates awarded by The Queen of the Netherlands

The Lifeboat Crew – 1912

• Officer, Order of the British Empire (OBE)

Jonathan Patrick Adair Adnams, DLA – 2009NYH^[10]

Southwold lifeboats

All-weather lifeboats

No.1 station

ON[a]	Name	On Station[11]	Class	Comments
–	Solebay	1841–1852	40ft Norfolk and Suffolk-class (P&S)	[5]
Pre-246	Harriett	1852–1855	38-foot Self-righting (P&S)	[Note 1]
28	Harriett, London Coal Exchange No. 1	1855–1870 1870–1893	40-foot Norfolk and Suffolk-class (P&S)	[Note 2][12]
353	Alfred Corry	1893–1918	44-foot Norfolk and Suffolk-class (P&S)	[Note 3]
352	Bolton	1918–1925	43-foot Norfolk and Suffolk-class (P&S)	[Note 4]
691	Mary Scott	1925–1940	46-foot 6in Norfolk and Suffolk-class (Motor)	[13]

Station closed 1940 due to World War 2 requirements.^[6]

No.2 station

ON[a]	Name	On Station[14]	Class	Comments
Pre-454	Quiver No. 2	1866–1882	33-foot Norfolk and Suffolk-class (P&S)	[Note 5]
29	Quiver No. 2	1882–1897	30-foot Norfolk and Suffolk-class (P&S)	[Note 6]
405	Rescue	1897–1920	32-foot Norfolk and Suffolk-class (P&S)	[Note 7]

Station closed, 1920

Inshore lifeboats

D-class

Op. No.[b]	Name	On Station[15]	Class	Comments
D-6	Unnamed	1963	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-25	Unnamed	1964	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-14	Unnamed	1965	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-36	Unnamed	1965–1970	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-191	Unnamed	1970–1973	D-class (RFD PB16)

B-class

Op. No.[b]	Name	On Station[16]	Class	Comments
B-518	Sole Bay	1973–1985	Atlantic 21-class
B-562	The Quiver	1985–1998	Atlantic 21-class
B-750	Leslie Tranmer	1998–2013	Atlantic 75-class
B-868	Annie Tranmer	2013–	Atlantic 85-class

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.

See also

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

Notes

1. 38-foot x 10-foot (12-Oared) Self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Beeching of Great Yarmouth.
2. 40-foot x 11-foot 6in (10-oared) non-self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Beeching of Great Yarmouth, and costing £200.
3. 44-foot x 13-foot (12-oared) non-self-righting (P&S) lifeboat.
4. 43-foot non-self-righting (P&S) lifeboat.
5. 33-foot x 8-foot (10-oared) non-self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Forrestt of Limehouse.
6. 30-foot x 9-foot (12-oared) non-self-righting (P&S) lifeboat.
7. 32-foot x 9-foot (12-oared) non-self-righting (P&S) lifeboat.