Great Yarmouth and Gorleston Lifeboat Station

Great Yarmouth and Gorleston lifeboat station
Great Yarmouth and Gorleston lifeboat station
General information
Type	RNLI Lifeboat Station
Location	Great Yarmouth and Gorleston lifeboat station
Address	Riverside Road, Gorleston, Norfolk, NR31 6PU
Country	England
Coordinates	52°34′31.51″N 1°43′55.34″E / 52.5754194°N 1.7320389°E / 52.5754194; 1.7320389
Opened	1825 / RNLI 1857
Owner	Royal National Lifeboat Institution

Great Yarmouth and Gorleston lifeboat station (not to be confused with Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight) is a RNLI base in Norfolk, England. There were originally two separate stations at Great Yarmouth and Gorleston – two coastal towns either side of the River Yare. These were merged in 1926.

Great Yarmouth received its first lifeboat in 1802. It was never called out. In 1825 the Norfolk Association for Saving the Lives of Shipwrecked Mariners stationed its first lifeboat at Great Yarmouth. The station was taken over by the RNLI in 1857 and in 1859 a new lifeboat house was built at a cost of £375 (equivalent to £47,400 in 2023). The station closed in 1919.^[1]

The Gorleston lifeboat station was established by the RNLI in 1866. In 1881 a new boathouse was built at Gorleston for £329 (equivalent to £41,900 in 2023) and in 1883 a second boathouse (Gorleston No.2) was built alongside. This closed in 1926 when Gorleston No.1 station was renamed Great Yarmouth and Gorleston.^[1]

During 1897 the station received its first steam lifeboat City of Glasgow (ON 362) and during 1921, its first motor lifeboat.^[1]

In 1963 an Inshore lifeboat station was established, with a D-class (RFD PB16) lifeboat. A D-class boat would remain in service until 1977. A B-class (Atlantic 21) lifeboat was placed on station in 1975.^[1]

During 1993 crew facilities were upgraded, a gift-shop built and a display area created for the former Gorleston lifeboat John and Mary Meiklam of Gladswood (ON 663). The boathouse was further extended in 2002.^[1]

In 1996 Princess Alexandra, The Hon Lady Ogilvy officially named the station's new Trent-class lifeboat Samarbeta, Swedish for ‘working together’.^[1]

The current lifeboats on station are the Trent-class 14-10 Samarbeta (ON 1208) and the B-class (Atlantic 85) John Rowntree (B-925).^[2]

A new Shannon-class lifeboat 13-44 George and Frances Phelon (ON 1351) has been assigned to Gt. Yarmouth and Gorleston to replace Samarbeta, and is expected on service in 2024. She is a "Legacy Lifeboat", and will carry the names of RNLI benefactors within the numbers on her hull^[3]

In October 1922 the Gorleston pulling and sailing lifeboat and the Lowestoft motor lifeboat, after a struggle lasting 32 hours, brought to safety the whole crew of 24 and a black kitten from the steamship Hopelyn wrecked on Scroby Sands.^[1]

In 1927 lifeboats from Great Yarmouth & Gorleston, Cromer, Southwold and Lowestoft took part in the rescue of the Dutch oil tanker Georgia. This service is considered to be one of the greatest in the history of the RNLI.^[1]

The lifeboat Louise Stephens (ON 820) was one of 19 lifeboats involved in the Dunkirk evacuation of 1940.^[1]

Date	Lifeboat station	Lifeboat crew lost	Memorial	Brief details and references
1824	Great Yarmouth	5		On 23 November 1824 a boat was launched by eight Great Yarmouth beachmen in an attempt to rescue the crew of the stricken vessel Jessie. Whilst attempting to board the Jessie a heavy sea fell on board their boat which immediately sunk her and resulted in the loss of five of the crew.[4]
1845	Great Yarmouth	7		The yawl Phoenix was wrecked whilst going to the assistance of the collier brig Ann with the loss of seven of the fifteen people on board. Survivors were rescued by the Caister Lifeboat.[5]
1866	Gorleston	13		On 13 January 1866 the private lifeboat, Rescuer, capsized in a storm with the loss of 12 of her crew.[6] A 13th fatality occurred when rescued crew member Robert Warner succumbed just days later as a direct result of the disaster.[7]
1867	Gorleston	6		While returning to harbour after a rescue a fishing lugger collided with the private lifeboat, Rescuer. She capsized and 6 of her crew and 19 other people drowned.[6]
1881	Great Yarmouth	6		The lifeboat Abraham Thomas capsized on 18 January whilst attempting to rescue the mate of the schooner Guiding Star. The Abraham Thomas was struck by a heavy sea and lost six out of a crew of ten. The mate from the Guiding Star was also lost out of the lifeboat.[8]
1888	Gorleston	4		The Refuge was a private lifeboat belonging to the Gorleston boatmen. After going to the assistance of the steamer Akaba the Refuge was being towed back to port when the tow-rope parted and she was driven onshore where she capsized with the loss of four of her seven crew.[9] Henry Smith, chief boatman of the coastguard, was on the beach and, without thought for his own life, managed to save two crew members, Bonney and Woods, whilst a boatman of the coastguard named Henry Norton saved George Jacobs, who was found clinging to the stern post. The Yarmouth Independent newspaper report of the death of Jacob Philip Jacobs, dated 18 January 1913, states that he was one of the lifeboat crew who were saved. It is likely that Jacob Philip Jacobs and George Jacobs were the same person as the description of the rescue by the boatman are very similar.

1825-1919

ON[a]	Name	In service [10]	Class	Comments
–	Phoenix	1845	Yawl
–	Unnamed	1833–1861	39-foot Self-righting (P&S)	[11]
–	Unnamed	1833–1858	25-foot Self-righting (P&S)	[11]
	Harriet	1858–1859	38-foot Self-righting (P&S)	[11]
–	Admiral Mitchell	1858–1859	30-foot Self-righting (P&S)	[11]
19	Abraham Thomas (Gt. Yarmouth No.2)	1859–1892	28-foot 3in Norfolk and Suffolk (P&S)
20	Brave Robert Sheddon	1861–1883	40-foot Norfolk and Suffolk (P&S)	Moved to Gorleston No.1 in 1883, renamed Mark Lane.
329	John Burch	1892–1912	32-foot 5in Norfolk and Suffolk (P&S)
629	Hugh Taylor	1912–1919	34-foot Norfolk and Suffolk (P&S)	Station closed in 1919 [1]

Gorleston Lifeboat Station established by the RNLI in 1866 ^[1]

ON[a]	Name	In service [10]	Class	Comments
–	The Rescuer	1866–1889
–	Leicester	1866–1870	33-foot Self-righting (P&S)	[11]
21	Leicester	1870–1883	30-foot Norfolk and Suffolk (P&S)	Transferred to No.2 station in 1883
20	Mark Lane	1883–1889	40-foot Norfolk and Suffolk (P&S)	Formerly Brave Robert Sheddon at Gt. Yarmouth
233	Mark Lane	1889–1892	44-foot Norfolk and Suffolk (P&S)
288	Mark Lane	1892–1921	46-foot Norfolk and Suffolk (P&S)	Was Stock Exchange in Lowestoft(1890–1892), renamed Mark Lane in 1892
663	John and Mary Meiklam of Gladswood	1921	46-foot 6in Norfolk and Suffolk (Motor)	Renamed Agnes Cross when transferred to Lowestoft
543	Reserve No.1	1922–1924	46-foot Norfolk and Suffolk (P&S)	Formerly Kentwell at Lowestoft
670	John and Mary Meiklam of Gladswood	1924–1926	46-foot 6in Norfolk and Suffolk (Motor)	Formerly H.F. Bailey 1926, Station becomes Great Yarmouth & Gorleston [1]

Gorleston No.2 Boathouse built and opened in 1883.^[1]

ON[a]	Name	In service [10]	Class	Comments
21	Leicester	1883–1894	30-foot Norfolk and Suffolk (P&S)
371	Leicester	1894–1923	31-foot Norfolk and Suffolk (P&S)
541	Reserve No.7A	1923–1924	35-foot Watson (P&S)	Formerly James Finlayson at Lossiemouth Station closed in 1924 [1]

Gorleston No.3 Boathouse constructed in 1891.^[1]

ON[a]	Name	In service [10]	Class	Comments
326	Thora Zelma	1892–1904	31-foot Norfolk and Suffolk (P&S)	Station closed 1903-1907 [1]

Gorleston No.4 Station opened in 1897 ^[1]

ON	Name	In service [10]	Class	Comments
362	City of Glasgow	1897–1903	Steam
420	James Stevens No.3	1903–1908	Steam	Station closed in 1908

Name	In service [10]	Comments
Elizabeth Simpson	1889–1939	Presented to Gorleston by Miss Elizabeth Simpson Stone of Norwich and manned by a company of boatmen known as the Gorleston Rangers. She was administered by a local committee, was launched on service 119 times, and rescued 441 lives.[1]

Gorleston Lifeboat Station became Great Yarmouth and Gorleston in 1926. ^[1]

ON[a]	Op. No.[b]	Name	In service [10]	Class	Comments
670	–	John and Mary Meiklam of Gladswood	1926–1939	Norfolk and Suffolk (Motor)	Formerly H.F. Bailey [12]
820	–	Louise Stephens	1939–1967	Watson
1002	44-003	Khami	1967–1980	Waveney
1065	44-021	Barham	1980–1996	Waveney
1208	14-10	Samarbeta	1996–	Trent

Op. No.[b]	Name	In service [10]	Class	Comments
D-9	Unnamed	1963–1964	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-32	Unnamed	1964	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-1	Unnamed	1965	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-73	Unnamed	1965–1967	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-26	Unnamed	1967–1968	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-113	Unnamed	1968–1969	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-179	Unnamed	1970–1977	D-class (RFD PB16)	later named Blue Peter IV at St Agnes

Op. No.[b]	Name	In service [10]	Class	Comments
A-48	Margaret and Bruce	2011–2012	Arancia-class
A-77	Kingfisher	2012–2020	Arancia-class

Op. No.[b]	Name	In service [10]	Class	Comments
B-531	Foresters	1975–1988	Atlantic 21-class
B-574	Joseph B Press	1988–2002	Atlantic 21-class
B-786	Seahorse IV	2002–2021	Atlantic 75-class
B-925	John Rowntree	2021–	Atlantic 85-class

The station has been awarded 1 gold medal, 21 silver medals, 24 bronze medals, 5 vellum inscriptions and 9 framed letters of thanks.^[1][13]

The following are awards made at Gt Yarmouth and Gorleston

• Medal of the Order of the British Empire for Gallantry (EGM)

William George Fleming - 1924^[14]

• George Cross
  converted from EGM

William George Fleming - 1941

• RNLI Gold Medal

William George Fleming, Coxswain - 1922

• RNLI Silver Medal

Captain Chaplin, master of the Royal William steam packet - 1833

Charles Salmon - 1855

George Fleming - 1855

Cdr Thomas Kisbee RN - 1855

William Johnson - 1858

Captain Thomas Davies RN - 1860

George Milligan, Coxswain - 1860

Captain David Robertson RN - 1870

E W Woods, Coxswain - 1891

William Todd, Coxswain - 1898

Sidney Harris, Coxswain - 1904

James Sclanders, chief engineer of the steam lifeboat, - 1904

Sidney Harris, Coxswain - 1905 (Second-Service Clasp)

Sidney Harris, Coxswain - 1909 (Silver Third-Service Clasp)

Ellery Harris, Second Coxswain - 1909

James Cowie - 1910

Sidney Harris, Coxswain - 1912 (Silver Fourth-Service Clasp)

Sidney Harris, Coxswain - 1916 (Fifth-Service clasp)

Edward Bensley - 1916

William G Fleming, Coxswain - 1927

Charles A Johnson, Coxswain - 1941

• RNLI Bronze Medal

Samuel B Parker (Jnr), Second Coxswain -1922

Charles W Chilvers, Bowman -1922

James Fleming, crew member -1922

William Gosling, crew member -1922

George Arthur Harris, crew member -1922

Ellery Harris, crew member -1922

Arthur Harris, crew member -1922

Walter Halfnight, crew member -1922

Charles Ambrose Johnson, crew member -1922

Harry Leggett, crew member -1922

Thomas Morley, crew member -1922

Albert Newson, crew member -1922

Wwilliam Newson, crew member -1922

James Stubbs, crew member -1922

Ernest Stubbs, crew member -1922

William George Fleming, Coxswain - 1926

Charles Ambrose Johnson, Coxswain - 1938 (Second-Service Clasp)

Charles Ambrose Johnson, Coxswain - 1940 (Third-Service Clasp)

G F Mobbs, Motor Mechanic - 1941

Charles Ambrose Johnson, Coxswain - 1941 (Fourth-Service Clasp)

John Bryan, Coxswain/Mechanic - 1970

John Bryan, Coxswain/Mechanic - 1975 (Second-Service Clasp)

Richard John Hawkins, Coxswain/Mechanic - 1980

David Mason, Coxswain - 1996

• The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum

David Bennington, Acting Coxswain - 1974

Richard J Hawkins, Coxswain/Mechanic - 1982

Richard J Hawkins, Coxswain/Mechanic - 1987

Richard J Hawkins, Coxswain/Mechanic - 1991

Stephen Bartram, Assistant Mechanic - 1996

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

Coxswain and Crew - 1966

Paul Carter, crew member - 1982

David V Mason, Second Coxswain - 1991

Bob Keegan - 1998

Steve Gowing - 1998

Simon Phillips - 1998
from the Great Yarmouth Port Authority

Stephen Bartram, Coxswain - 2005

Kevin Bennington, crew member - 2005

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

Richard Hawkins, Coxswain/Mechanic

David Mason, Second Coxswain

Patrick Lee, Assistant Mechanic

David Beale, crew member - 1996

Ian Everson, crew member - 1996

Geoffrey Wing, crew member - 1996

• Freedom of the Borough of Great Yarmouth

More than 100 lifeboat crew - 1983

• American Cross of Honour

S J Harris, Coxswain - 1912

• A silver watch awarded by the Queen of The Netherlands

William G Fleming, Coxswain - 1927

• A letter of thanks from the Queen of The Netherlands

The Lifeboat Crew - 1927

• The Thanks of the Royal Danish Navy

The Institution and the crew of the lifeboat - 1952

• Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE)

Margaret Bibby-Cheshire - 2000^[15]

• British Empire Medal

Reverend Albert Thomas Cadmore - 2024^[16]

• Gorleston
• Great Yarmouth
• List of RNLI stations
• Royal National Lifeboat Institution
• Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats

• Official website
• RNLI Great Yarmouth and Gorleston Lifeboat Station