Withernsea Lifeboat Station

Withernsea Lifeboat Station is located in the town of Withernsea, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is one of four RNLI stations in the East Riding of Yorkshire, with another five in North Yorkshire.

Withernsea Lifeboat Station
Withernsea Lifeboat Station
Location within the East Riding of Yorkshire
General information
Type	RNLI Lifeboat Station
Address	Southcliff Road, South Promenade
Town or city	Withernsea, East Riding of Yorkshire, HU19 2HU
Country	England
Coordinates	53°43′34.0″N 0°02′26.7″E
Opened	1862 / 1974
Closed	1913
Owner	Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Website
Withernsea RNLI

A lifeboat was first stationed at Withernsea in 1862 by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). The station was closed in 1913, when the lifeboat was relocated to Easington. It was reopened as an Inshore lifeboat station in 1974.^[1]

The station currently operates a D-class (IB1) Inshore lifeboat Mary Beal (D-837), on station since 2019.^[2]

History

In 1862, the RNLI received communications from Mr R. Champney of Hull, indicating that over the previous few years, there had been an average of eight ships wrecked every year, off the coast at Withernsea. A visit was made by Capt. John Ward, Inspector of Lifeboats, who recommended a station be opened. A gift of £300 had been received from Miss Sarah Lechmere of Hanley Castle, Worcestershire, which was appropriated to the station.^[3]

A lifeboat house was built in Arthur Street, by Arthur Brown, of Hull, at a cost of £207-15s-0d. A 34-foot lifeboat was ordered from Forresst of Limehouse, at £210-4s-6d, along with a carriage from Robinson, of Kentish Town, costing a further £86. It is estimated that 20,000 people attended the station opening and service of dedication, carried out by the Rev. G. C. Pearce of Hull on 20 August 1862, with the boat being named Pelican.^[3][4]

Six men were rescued by the Withernsea lifeboat on 11 December 1866, from the brig George of Lowestoft, on passage to South Shields. The men had abandoned ship, and were rescued from the ship's boat.^[5]

Six of the seven man crew of the brig Tribune were rescued on 16 October 1869, after she ran aground off Withernsea. The vessel was en-route to Sunderland.^[6]

On 8 January 1876, the smack Frank of Grimsby, fully laden with her catch of fish, ran aground at Waxholme, 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Withernsea. The lifeboat was transported by carriage up the coast, and then launched to the aid of the vessel, saving all 10 men aboard.^[7]

A new boat was placed on service in 1877. A smaller 30-foot self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, she was funded by the 'Victoria Club' in London, and named Admiral Rous, in memory of Admiral Henry John Rous (1795–1877).^[8]

1882 Withernsea lifeboat house

Construction of a new boathouse on Seaside Road was started in 1881, built by R. Carr, at a cost of £412-17s-3d. Completed in 1882, it was again funded by the 'Victoria Club', and still retains the plaque built into the wall.^[3][9]

The building had a 15 feet (4.6 m) high door to get the boat in and out. It was also furnished with a sloping floor which allowed the water to drain away from underneath the boat.^[10]

The station was closed in 1913 in favour of a new location at Easington further down the coast. Launching had become difficult at Withernsea since the introduction of new groynes to retain the sand, and most of the wrecks were occurring nearer to Easington. Easington operated for twenty years before it was itself closed.^[3]

After a period of 61 years, Withernsea lifeboat station was reopened in 1974 as an Inshore lifeboat station, in response to a national increase in pleasure craft and water-based activities closer to the shoreline.^[11][12]

Since the station re-opened in 1974, members of the team have been awarded eight gallantry awards, including two RNLI Bronze Medals.^[13] In 2017, the station had seventeen call-outs.^[14] The station is one of four in the East Riding of Yorkshire, with Humber to the south and Bridlington to the north.^[15] Currently the Withernsea Lifeboat station operates an Inshore Lifeboat (ILB) with All-Weather Boat coverage being supplied by the two adjacent stations.

The fifth lifeboat house in Withernsea was opened in 1998, on the site of the 1974 building (boathouses had been built in 1861, 1882, 1974, 1983 and 1998).^[16][17] The octagonal lighthouse in the town of Withernsea, is now host to a lighthouse and lifeboat museum.^[18]

Withernsea received a new D-class lifeboat in July 2019; named Mary Beal.^[14][19]

Notable rescues

One of the more unusual rescues that the Withernsea Lifeboat crew performed was in January 1989 when the minibus they were travelling in on the M1 motorway was caught up in the Kegworth Air Disaster. The crew assisted with the rescue effort at the roadside.^[20]

Station honours

The following are awards made at Withernsea^[13][21]

• RNLI Bronze Medal

Graham White, Helm – 1980

John R Hartland, Helm – 1991

• The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum

Albert Usher, crew member – 1974

Terence Dawson, crew member – 1974

Graham Newdick, crew member – 1980

Leon Wallis, crew member – 1980

Paul Theobald, crew member – 1991

Paul Haynes Baker, Deputy Launching Authority, crew member – 1991

• A Special Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution
  for the assistance given at the M1 Aircrash (Kegworth) while returning home from the Earls Court Boat Show.

Withernsea Lifeboat Station Crew – 1990

Withernsea lifeboats

All-weather lifeboats

ON[a]	Name	On Station[22]	Class	Comments
Pre-398	Pelican	1862–1877	34-foot Self-righting (P&S)	[Note 1]
Pre-622	Admiral Rous	1878–1983	30-foot Self-righting (P&S)	[Note 2]
258	Admiral Rous	1883–1910	34-foot Self-righting (P&S)	[Note 3] [10]
386	Janet Hoyle	1910–1911	34-foot Self-righting (P&S)	[Note 4]
623	Docea Chapman	1911–1913	34-foot 8in Self-righting (P&S) Dungeness (Rubie)	[Note 5] [23]

Station Closed in 1913, and lifeboat (ON 623) transferred to Easington

Pre ON numbers are unofficial numbers used by the Lifeboat Enthusiast Society to reference early lifeboats not included on the official RNLI list.

Inshore lifeboats

Op. No.[b]	Name	On Station[24]	Class	Comments
D-58	Unnamed	1974	D-class (RFD PB16)	Had previously been at Skegness for seven years.[25][26]
D-108	Unnamed	1975	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-227	Unnamed	1976–1982	D-class (Zodiac III)
D-289	Unnamed	1983–1990	D-class (Zodiac III)	[25]
D-394	Banks' Staff II	1990–1999	D-class (EA16)	[27]
D-541	Brian and Margaret Wiggins	1999–2009	D-class (EA16)	[28]
D-701	Henley Eight	2009–2019	D-class (IB1)	[29]
D-837	Mary Beal	2019–	D-class (IB1)	[30]

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. 34-foot (12-Oared) Self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, costing £210-4s-6d.
2. 30-foot (8-Oared) Self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Woolfe of Shadwell, costing £275.
3. 34-foot (10-Oared) Self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Woolfe of Shadwell, costing £363.
4. 34-foot (10-Oared) Self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Woolfe of Shadwell, costing £334 when new.
5. 34-foot 8in (10-Oared) Self-righting (P&S) Dungeness (Rubie) lifeboat, built by Thames Ironworks of Blackwall, London, costing £830.