Amble's station history

Inshore lifeboat station established in May with D class lifeboat.  Operational summer months only.

Bronze Medals awarded to Coxswain William Henderson and crew members James Stewart, Andrew Scott and Robert Stewart.  Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum accorded to Second Coxswain John Connell, Acting Bowman Ronald Falcous, Mechanic Ronald Sabiston, Assistant Mechanic Hugh Matthews and crew member Hugh R Matthews.  Framed Letters of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution awarded to skin divers J B Sample and E Bramhan for a service on 29 September 1969.  These awards were made for the combined operation of the all weather and inshore lifeboat for the help given to the RAF pinnace No 1386 that capsized off Amble Head.  When two men were spotted clinging to a lifebuoy the ILB went through heavily breaking sea, at great personal risk to the crew, pulled the two survivors aboard and landed them at the harbour.  The all weather lifeboat after spotting a man with seas breaking over him, clinging to the pinnace went alongside enabling James Stuart to jump onto the hull of the casualty and help the man into the lifeboat.  Knocking was heard from inside the craft and as she could not be righted she was towed, with great difficulty, into the harbour where after a number of unsuccessful attempts RN divers using cutter gear cut through the bottom of the pinnace and freed the man inside.  Three bodies were recovered later from among the rocks.  The awards to Robert Stewart and Andre Scott were the first medals for a service carried out in an inshore lifeboat.

The Ralph Glister Award for the most meritorious service of the year carried out by the crew of an inshore lifeboat of the Institution was awarded to Robert Stewart and Andrew Scott for their part in the above service.

Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum was accorded to Helmsman Matthew Stuart and crew member Ian Matthew in recognition of the skill and determination they displayed when the inshore lifeboat carried out a search in a rocky area for a boy who had been washed off the South Pier in a fresh northerly wind and a confused sea and recovered the body in dangerous conditions close in under the sea wall on 19 August 1977.

Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum was accorded to Second Coxswain Rodney Burge in recognition of his high standard of seamanship and boat handling skill when the lifeboat Thomas James King on temporary station duty at Amble under his command rescued the crew of four from the fishing coble Treasure in difficulties approximately two miles off Alnmouth and also rescued the crew of two of the yacht Fair Beagle and saved the yacht in a violent storm steep seas and heavy rain on 6 October 1990.

The new station lifeboat D-447 Thomas Campbell was placed on service.

The Institution’s last Waveney class lifeboat, ON1004, Margaret Graham left the station, and the service of the institution on 24 July.  At the helm was Coxswain Rodney Burge who retired on 22 August 1999 after 30 years of service.  A Mersey class lifeboat ON1176 The Four Boys was placed on service at on 22 July 1999.

Work commenced in May on a new pontoon berth.

A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution, Mr Peter Nicholson, presented to Coxswain John Connell in recognition of his leadership and boathandling skills when he put a crew member and a pump on board the historic sailing drifter Reaper in gale force conditions in the early hours of the morning of 8 August 2001.  The Amble all weather lifeboat then escorted the Reaper to the safety of Amble Harbour.

The new station D class lifeboat D-569 Rosemary Palmer was placed on service. Lifeboat D-447 Thomas Campbell has been withdrawn.

A new D class boathouse and crew facilities constructed at a cost of £304,049 and completed in December.

An individual Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman on the Institution, Mr Peer Nicholson was presented to Helmsman John Sim, crew member Esmond Coulter and crew member Christopher Nisbet in recognition of their determination and courage in attempting the rescue of a man swept into the sea.  The lifeboat was taken into an area notorious for its extreme sea conditions and was capsized during the attempted rescue.

The new station D class lifeboat D-736 Mildred Holcroft was placed on service 23 July 2010. This lifeboat was funded by the legacy of Mr John Louis Holcroft. Lifeboat D-569 Rosemary Palmer has been withdrawn.