Great Yarmouth and Gorleston lifeboat station
Encyclopedia
Great Yarmouth and Gorleston lifeboat station 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.
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. The station closed in 1919.
During 1897 the station received its first steam lifeboat City of Glasgow and during 1921 its first motor lifeboat.
In 1975 a B class Atlantic 21 lifeboat was sent to the station.
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. The boathouse was further extended in 2002.
In 1996 Princess Alexandra, The Hon Lady Ogilvy
officially named the station’s new Trent class lifeboat
Samarbeta, Swedish for ‘working together’.
The current lifeboats on station are the Trent class Samarbeta and the B class Seahorse IV.
wrecked on Scroby Sands
.
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.
The lifeboat Louise Stephens was one of 19 lifeboats involved in the Dunkirk evacuation of 1940.
Over 100 lifeboat crew were given the Freedom of the Borough of Great Yarmouth in 1982.
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. There were originally two separate stations at Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth, often known to locals as Yarmouth, is a coastal town in Norfolk, England. It is at the mouth of the River Yare, east of Norwich.It has been a seaside resort since 1760, and is the gateway from the Norfolk Broads to the sea...
and Gorleston
Gorleston
Gorleston-On-Sea, also known colloquially as Gorleston, is a settlement in Norfolk in the United Kingdom, forming part of the larger town of Great Yarmouth. Situated at the mouth of the River Yare it was a port town at the time of the Domesday Book. The port then became a centre of fishing for...
- two coastal towns either side of the River Yare
River Yare
The River Yare is a river in the English county of Norfolk. In its lower reaches the river connects with the navigable waterways of The Broads....
. These were merged in 1926.
Great Yarmouth
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. The station closed in 1919.
Gorleston
The Gorleston lifeboat station was established by the RNLI in 1866. In 1881 a new boathouse was built at Gorleston for £329 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.During 1897 the station received its first steam lifeboat City of Glasgow and during 1921 its first motor lifeboat.
Great Yarmouth and Gorleston
In 1963 an inshore lifeboat station was established with a D class lifeboat that remained in service until 1978.In 1975 a B class Atlantic 21 lifeboat was sent to the station.
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. The boathouse was further extended in 2002.
In 1996 Princess Alexandra, The Hon Lady Ogilvy
Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy
Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy is the youngest granddaughter of King George V of the United Kingdom and Mary of Teck. She is the widow of Sir Angus Ogilvy...
officially named the station’s new Trent class lifeboat
Trent class lifeboat
The Trent class lifeboat is an all-weather lifeboat operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution from 30 stations around the coasts of Great Britain and Ireland to provide coverage up to out to sea...
Samarbeta, Swedish for ‘working together’.
The current lifeboats on station are the Trent class Samarbeta and the B class Seahorse IV.
Notable rescues
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 SS HopelynSS Hopelyn
SS Hopelyn was a Merchant vessel from Newcastle which became stranded and then wrecked on Scroby Sands of the Norfolk coast on the 17 October 1922.-History:...
wrecked on Scroby Sands
Scroby Sands
Scroby Sands is a sandbank or shoal, off the coast of Norfolk, England which runs near shore, north to south from Caister south towards Great Yarmouth. The sands are now clearly marked by the Wind turbines of Scroby Sands wind farm which were erected in 2003-4...
.
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.
The lifeboat Louise Stephens was one of 19 lifeboats involved in the Dunkirk evacuation of 1940.
Lifeboat disasters
The stations suffered four major lifeboat disasters between 1866 and 1888:- In 1866 twelve Gorleston boatmen died when their private lifeboat Rescuer capsized in a storm.
- In 1867 while returning to harbour after a rescue a fishing lugger collided with Rescuer. She capsized and six of her crew and 19 other people drowned.
- In 1881 six lifeboatmen from the Great Yarmouth lifeboat Abraham Thomas drowned when their vessel overturned in heavy seas while attempting to rescue a seaman from a stranded schooner.
- In 1888 four crew from the private Gorleston lifeboat Refuge drowned whilst on a rescue to a steamer.
Honours
The station has been awarded 1 gold medal, 21 silver medals, 24 bronze medals, 5 vellum inscriptions and 9 framed letters of thanks.Over 100 lifeboat crew were given the Freedom of the Borough of Great Yarmouth in 1982.