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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]

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]

John Fish, Acting Coxswain – 1849
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)
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
E. R. Cooper, Honorary Secretary – 1905
S. May, Coxswain – 1905
C. Jarvis, Second Coxswain – 1905
the 16 other members of the crew – 1905
The Lifeboat Crew – 1912
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. ^ a b ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.
  2. ^ a b Op. No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat carried on the hull.

See also

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.

References

  1. ^ OS Explorer Map 231 – Southwold & Bungay. ISBN 9780319238059.
  2. ^ Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2025). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2025. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. p. 117.
  3. ^ a b Bernard’s Southwold lighthouse challenge, Lowestoft Journal, 2011-08-14. Retrieved 2013-01-04.
  4. ^ a b Daring abseilers brave dizzying lighthouse heights, East Anglian Daily Times, 2011-08-15. Retrieved 2013-01-04.
  5. ^ a b Cooper, Ernest R. "The Southwold Life-Boats, 1840-1916. By Ernest R. Cooper, Hon Secretary". RNLI. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Southwold's station history". RNLI. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  7. ^ Lifeboat station faces closure, Eastern Daily Press, 2007-03-06. Retrieved 2013-01-04.
  8. ^ Southwold lifeboat crew to move back to permanent base, Eastern Daily Press, 2012-09-26. Retrieved 2013-01-04.
  9. ^ Cox, Barry (1998). Lifeboat Gallantry. Spink & Son Ltd. ISBN 0907605893.
  10. ^ "Ordinary Officer of the Civil Division of the said Most Excellent Order of the British Empire". The Gazette. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  11. ^ Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 4–45.
  12. ^ "List of Gift Lifeboats". The Lifeboat. VII (76): 353. 1 April 1870. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
  13. ^ "Mary Scott". Assoc. Dunkirk Little Ships. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  14. ^ Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 10–33.
  15. ^ Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 86–89.
  16. ^ Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 80–84.