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Cromer Lifeboat Station

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Cromer Lifeboat Station is an RNLI station located in the town of Cromer in the English county of Norfolk.[1] The station operates two lifeboats – one for inshore work and the other for offshore work.

Cromer Lifeboat Station
Cromer All-weather Lifeboat Station
Cromer Lifeboat Station is located in Norfolk
Cromer Lifeboat Station
Cromer, Norfolk
General information
TypeLifeboat Station
LocationCromer Lifeboat Station, Cromer Pier, Cromer, Norfolk
CountryEngland
Coordinates52°56′3.4″N 1°18′5.84″E / 52.934278°N 1.3016222°E / 52.934278; 1.3016222
Opened1804 by Norfolk Shipwreck Association
OwnerRoyal National Lifeboat Institution
Technical details
MaterialFabricated steelwork and concrete
Website
Cromer Lifeboat Station

The current lifeboat station on the end of Cromer Pier was re-built between 1997 and 1999 to replace the smaller 1923 one which was re-located to Southwold in Suffolk where it is used as a lifeboat museum. The new boathouse cost approximately £3 million which was funded by bequests and private donations.[2] Cromer Lifeboat station is one of the most famous of the lifeboat stations operated by the RNLI.[3]

There has been a lifeboat service operated from Cromer for two centuries – predating the establishment of the RNLI. The volunteer crews at Cromer have gained a record of gallantry stretching back to the beginnings of the RNLI. Some of the most notable rescues and service have been carried out by famous coxswains such as Henry George Blogg GC BEM and Henry "Shrimp" Thomas Davies BEM and their crews. To date there have been awards of 45 Bronze medals, 8 Silver medals and 3 Gold medals.[4]

History

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In the early days of the station the lifeboats were kept outdoors on the east jetty. From 1804 the privately operated service was funded by a subscription fund which was administered by a local committee led by Lord Suffield, the third baron of Gunton Hall.[3] Other dignitaries on the committee included George Wyndham of Cromer Hall, Thomas Mickleburgh, a local merchant, Joseph Gurney, a Cromer draper and Benjamin Rust who was a grocer.[3] This was the situation of the service until 1857, when with the lifeboat organisation falling into financial troubles and the lifeboats falling into a bad state of repair, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution took over the Cromer station along with other Norfolk Association stations.[3] By this time the association had built a lifeboat house which once stood some 100 yards from the high-water mark close to what is now the inshore lifeboat station. The RNLI altered and renovated this station at a cost of £46.2s.7d.[5] but by the mid-1860s this station had outlived its usefulness and a new boathouse was planned. The new site was on the east gangway and in 1867[3] work started on the new station. The new boathouse work also included building an extension to the sea walls and a slipway across the top of the beach. The work cost £476.4s.0d[3] and was carried out by a local builder by the name of E. Simmons.[3] The cost of the station was met by Benjamin Bond Cabbell[3] who had also bought the new lifeboat for the station.

Station honours

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The following are awards made at Cromer[6][4]

Henry George Blogg - 1924[7]
Henry George Blogg - 1941
Henry George Blogg, Coxswain - 1941[8]
Henry Thomas Davies, Coxswain - 1970
Henry George Blogg, Coxswain - 1917
Henry George Blogg, Coxswain - 1927 (Second Service Award)
Henry George Blogg, Coxswain - 1941 (Third Service Award)
Hon Auberon Herbert - 1867
William Davies - 1917
Private Stewart Holmes - 1917
Henry George Blogg, Coxswain - 1932
Henry George Blogg, Coxswain - 1934 (Second Service Award)
Henry George Blogg, Coxswain - 1939 (Third Service Award)
John James Davies, Second Coxswain - 1941
Henry George Blogg, Coxswain - 1941 (Fourth Service Award)
George Allen, crew member - 1917
James Allen, crew member - 1917
Edward Allen, crew member - 1917
William Allen, crew member - 1917
Henry Balls, crew member - 1917
Charles Cox, crew member - 1917
George Cox, crew member - 1917
Leslie Harrison, crew member - 1917
Tom Kirby, crew member - 1917
Gilbert Mayers, crew member - 1917
Walter Rix, crew member - 1917
William Rix, crew member - 1917
Edward Allen, crew member - 1927 (Second Service Award)
Leslie Harrison, crew member - 1927 (Second Service Award)
George Balls, crew member - 1927
John James Davies (Senior), crew member - 1927
Robert Davies, crew member - 1927
William Thomas Davies, crew member - 1927
Richard J Baker, crew member - 1927
George Cox, crew member - 1927
Harry William Davies, crew member - 1927
James William Davies, crew member - 1927
John James Davies (Junior), crew member - 1927
Sidney Charles Harrison, crew member - 1927
John James Davies (Snr), Bowman - 1931 (Second Service Award)
John Davies (Snr), Second Coxswain - 1939 (Third Service Award)
Henry William Davies, Mechanic - 1939 (Second Service Award)
James William Davies, Assistant Mechanic - 1939 (Second Service Award)
Henry William Davies, Mechanic - 1941 (Third Service Award)
Leslie James Harrison, Second Coxswain - 1941 (Third Service Award)
Harold V Linder, Mechanic - 1941
John James Davies (Snr), Second Coxswain - 1941 (Fourth Service Award)
Henry William Davies, Mechanic - 1941 (Fourth Service Award)
Edward W Allen, Signalman - 1941 (Third Service Award) (posthumous)
James William Davies, Assistant Mechanic - 1941 (Third Service Award)
William Thomas Davies, Bowman - 1941 (Second Service Award)
Sidney Charles Harrison, crew member - 1941 (Second Service Award)
John James Davies (Jnr), crew member - 1941 (Second Service Award)
Henry Thomas Davies, crew member - 1941
James Richard Davies, crew member - 1941
Robert C Davies, crew member - 1941
William H Davies, crew member - 1941
Dr Paul Barclay MC TD - 1974
Clive Richard Rayment, Helmsman - 1981
Richard William Davies, Coxswain - 1994
  • Medal service certificates
Frank H Muirhead, crew member - 1981
Christopher B Craske, crew member - 1981
  • The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum
H T Davies BEM, Coxswain - 1974
R W Davies, crew member - 1974
Richard Davies, Coxswain - 1989
William Davies, Second Coxswain - 1998
Richard Davies, Coxswain - 1999
  • A Collective Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution
R W Davies, Coxswain - 1991
W T Davies, Second Coxswain - 1991
R J Hannah, Mechanic - 1991
J W H Jonas, Assistant Mechanic - 1991
P Jefferies, crew member - 1991
P Everitt, crew member - 1991
H Balls, crew member - 1991
J Howard, crew member - 1991
  • Silver Medal of the Canine Defence League
Henry George Blogg, Coxswain - 1932
  • A Gold Watch awarded by The Queen of The Netherlands
Henry George Blogg, Coxswain - 1927
  • A Silver watch awarded by The Queen of The Netherlands
Each of the other members of the lifeboat crew - 1927
  • Silver medal and a diploma awarded by The Italian Government
Henry George Blogg, Coxswain - 1932
  • Bronze medals and diploma awarded by The Italian Government
Each of the other members of the lifeboat crew - 1932
  • The French Maritime Cross awarded by The French Government
Henry Thomas Davies, Coxswain - 1948
  • The Life-saving medal awarded by The French Government
Each of the other 11 members of the lifeboat crew - 1948
Edwin Luckin, Boathouse Manager - 2023[9][10]

Cromer lifeboats

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The station operated two offshore boats from 1923. The second boat was replaced by an inshore lifeboat (ILB) in 1967.

All-weather lifeboats

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ON Op. No. Name At Cromer Class Comments
— — — 1804–1830 Greathead [11]
[a] — — 1830–1858 Greathead 31 ft (9.4 m) lifeboat.
[b] — — 1858–1868 Peake 34 ft (10 m) lifeboat.[11]
[c] — Benjamin Bond Cabbell 1868–1884 Self-righter 34 ft (10 m) lifeboat.[11]
12 — Benjamin Bond Cabbell II 1884–1902 Cromer 35 ft (11 m) lifeboat. Sold in 1902 and became a houseboat at Great Yarmouth.[12]
495 — Louisa Heartwell 1902–1923 Liverpool Became the station's No. 2 lifeboat in 1923.[13]
670 — H F Bailey 1923–1924 Norfolk and Suffolk Cromer's first motor lifeboat. Transferred to Gorleston in 1924 and renamed to John and Mary Meiklam of Gladswood. Sold in 1952 and now preserved at Gorleston.[14]
694 — H F Bailey 1924–1928 Watson [15]
714 — H F Bailey II 1928–1929 Watson Transferred to Selsey in 1929 where it was named Canadian Pacific but was burnt out in 1937.[16]
694 — H F Bailey 1929–1935 Watson Later used at Southend-on-Sea and Dover. Sold in 1956 and used as a yacht, reported to be at Marbella, Spain in 2019.[15]
777 — H F Bailey III 1935–1945 Watson Later stationed at Helvic Head. Sold in 1973 and preserved at Cromer since 2009.[17]
840 — Henry Blogg 1945–1966 Watson Initially named Millie Walton but renamed Henry Blogg in 1946. Sold in 1977 and converted to a motor cruiser but broken up in 2016.[18]
990 48-03 Ruby and Arthur Reed 1967–1984 Oakley 48 ft 6 in (14.78 m) Mark II Oakley design. Transferred to St Davids. Sold in 1988 but preserved at Hythe, Hampshire since 1990.[19]
926 – Guy and Clare Hunter 1984–1985 Watson First stationed at St Mary's in 1955. Sold in 1988 and became a pleasure boat at Donaghadee.[20]
1097 47-006 Ruby and Arthur Reed II 1985–1996 Tyne [21]
1189 12-30 Her Majesty The Queen 1996–1999 Mersey Carriage-launched lifeboat used while the boathouse was being rebuilt. Retired in 2023 and put on display at the Chatham Historic Dockyard.[22]
1097 47-006 Ruby and Arthur Reed II 1999–2007 Tyne Sold for further use in China where it is numbered Huaying 385.[21]
1162 12-004 Royal Shipwright 2007–2008 Mersey Carriage-launched used while the slipway was being rebuilt for a new Tamar-class lifeboat. Sold in 2016 for use as a workboat at Mostyn.[23]
1287 16-07 Lester 2008– Tamar [24]
  1. ^ The 1830 boat is number 148 in the Lifeboat Enthusiast's Society list of boats that pre-date the RNLI's Official Number list.
  2. ^ The 1858 boat is number 338 in the Lifeboat Enthusiast's Society list of boats that pre-date the RNLI's Official Number list.
  3. ^ Benjamin Bond Cabbell of 1868 is number 518 in the Lifeboat Enthusiast's Society list of boats that pre-date the RNLI's Official Number list.

No. 2 lifeboat

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When the station received its first motor lifeboat, a No. 2 station was established located in the old boathouse. It was closed in 1967 when the station received an inshore lifeboat.

ON Op. No. Name At Cromer Class Comments
495 — Louisa Heartwell 1923–1931 Liverpool Had been the station's No. 1 lifeboat since 1902. Sold in 1931 but now undergoing restoration at Chatham Historic Dockyard.[13]
514 — Alexandra 1931–1934 Liverpool Previously stationed at Hope Cove from 1903. Sold in 1934 and now a holiday home in Siel, Scotland.[13]
770 — Harriot Dixon 1934–1964 Liverpool Motor lifeboat. Sold in 1964 but now being restored at Stiffkey.[17]
980 37-13 William Henry and Mary King 1964–1967 37ft Oakley Mk I Later stationed at Bridlington and North Sunderland. Sold in 1990 but now ina school playground in Highbury, London.[19]

Inshore lifeboat

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Op. No. Name At Cromer Model Comments Image
D-101 — 1967–1970 RFD PB16 [25]
D-26 — 1970–1971 RFD PB16 First stationed at Walmer in 1965.[25]
D-197 — 1972–1984 RFD PB16 [26]
D-307 Spirit of Round Table 1984–1992 EA16 [27]
D-436 Chloe 1992–2001 EA16 [28]
D-568 Seahorse III 2001–2010 EA16 [29]  
D-734 George & Muriel 2010–2022 IB1 [30]
D-868 Mr Eric Sharpe
(Civil Service No.54) 		2022– IB1 [31]
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  •  
    The old lifeboat station that now houses the ILB at Cromer
  •  
    The 1923 boathouse, that was replaced with the present one in 1999, can now be seen at Southwold in Suffolk
  •  
    RNLB Lester
  •  
    The Cromer Mersey-class Lifeboat "Her Majesty the Queen" (ON1189, temporarily on station during boathouse rebuilding) on the beach at Cromer near the old lifeboat station

See also

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Notes

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References

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  1. ^ OS Explorer Map 252 – Norfolk Coast East. ISBN 978-0-319-23815-8.
  2. ^ Cromer lifeboat history Archived 28 January 2010 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 2 March 2010
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Cromer Lifeboat, A pictorial history, By Nicholas Leach & Paul Russell, Pub; Landmark Collector’s Library, ISBN 978-1-84306-363-6
  4. ^ a b Cox, Barry (1998). Lifeboat Gallantry. Spink & Son Ltd. ISBN 0 907605 89 3.
  5. ^ "Cromer Lifeboats 1804-2004", Leach, Nicholas & Russell, Paul, Pub: Tempus Publishing, 2004, ISBN 0-7524-3197-8
  6. ^ "Cromer's station history". RNLI. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  7. ^ "Medal of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for Gallantry" (PDF). London Gazette. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  8. ^ "The British Empire Medal (Civil Division)" (PDF). London Gazette. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  9. ^ "British Empire Medal (Civil Division)". The Gazette. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  10. ^ Stagg, Clare (31 December 2022). "Cromer RNLI volunteer recognised in King's New Year Honours". RNLI.
  11. ^ a b c Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2021). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2021. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 2–18.
  12. ^ Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2024). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2024. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 4–5.
  13. ^ a b c Leonard & Denton 2024, pp. 22–23.
  14. ^ Leonard & Denton 2024, pp. 28–29.
  15. ^ a b Leonard & Denton 2024, pp. 30–31.
  16. ^ Leonard & Denton 2024, pp. 32–33.
  17. ^ a b Leonard & Denton 2024, pp. 34–35.
  18. ^ Leonard & Denton 2024, pp. 36–37.
  19. ^ a b Leonard & Denton 2024, pp. 44–45.
  20. ^ Leonard & Denton 2024, pp. 40–41.
  21. ^ a b Leonard & Denton 2024, pp. 50–51.
  22. ^ Leonard & Denton 2024, pp. 54–55.
  23. ^ Leonard & Denton 2024, pp. 52–53.
  24. ^ Leonard & Denton 2024, p. 57.
  25. ^ a b Leonard & Denton 2024, p. 72.
  26. ^ Leonard & Denton 2024, p. 75.
  27. ^ Leonard & Denton 2024, p. 77.
  28. ^ Leonard & Denton 2024, p. 79.
  29. ^ Leonard & Denton 2024, p. 82.
  30. ^ Leonard & Denton 2024, p. 84.
  31. ^ Leonard & Denton 2024, p. 86.
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