Arbroath's station history

Gold Medal awarded to Lieut. Christopher Jobson RN, coastguard officer, for a service to the Clyde Packet when she was wrecked in a strong snow filled gale on rocks at Arbroath Harbour entrance on 2 January 1827.  The Manby apparatus was used in a successful attempt to get a boat to the wreck, during her return the boat was swamped and capsized throwing three men, two women, and two children into the water.  Lieutenant Jobson and a coastguard team rushed into the water and got them all ashore.

Gold Medal in the form of a gold lifeboat was awarded to Lieut. Jobson for rescuing the master of the vessel Alice that was driven ashore near Arbroath at 0200 in a severe gale accompanied by snow on the morning of 8 March 1827.

New lifeboat house built by town authorities (cost £179) on site of old house in road leading to harbour known as East Grimsby.

On 24 September, Bowman Peter Swankie, aged 64, fell beneath the carriage when the lifeboat was being taken to the slipway to be launched on service and was killed.  Committee of Management granted his daughter £50 and grand-daughter £10.

A Centenary Vellum awarded.

Bronze Medal awarded to Coxswain William Swankie for going to the assistance of the barge Foremost of Aberdeen that was being attacked by a German aircraft on 9 February 1940.  As the lifeboat approached, the attack was continued by two aircraft but despite machine gun fire and bombs the lifeboat went alongside the barge rescued the seven survivors and landed them at Arbroath.  Coxswain Swankie was also awarded the British Empire Medal.

Lifeboat capsized whilst crossing the Harbour Bar after a launching to reported flares on 27 October, with the loss of six of her crew of seven.  Pensions on service scale paid to dependants.  More than £35,000 raised by the local disaster fund, including a contribution of £500 from the Institution.  A commemorative bronze plaque erected on the storm wall of the Fish Quay.  A stained glass window erected in St John’s Methodist Church to the memory of the Coxswain gifted by his widow, and a memorial plaque in the Old Church to the six men, gifted by Mr and Mrs Cargill who lost two sons.  The names of the six men are Coxswain D Bruce and crew members T Adams, C Cargill, D Cargill, H Swankie and W Swankie (Jnr).

A 150th Anniversary Commemorative Vellum awarded.

Commemorative bronze plaque erected on the storm wall of the Fish Quay in 1953 transferred to the outside wall of the lifeboat house.

Arbroath lifeboat ON934 The Duke of Montrose, exhibited at the International Lifeboat Conference held in Edinburgh from 4-6 June.

A D class inflatable lifeboat sent to station.

An extension to the D class boathouse was completed.  Facilities included a new boat store and improved crew facilities.

Modifications to the boathouse and slipway were carried out at a cost of £85,000 in order to accommodate the station’s new Mersey class lifeboat.

A new Mersey class lifeboat ON1194 Inchcape sent to station 26 August replacing the Rother class lifeboat.

A new D class lifeboat D471 Coachmakers of London was placed on service on 19 October.

Over the years a gradual build-up of silt has been occurring in the proximity of the slipway and remedial dredging was carried out in 1987.  In order to remedy this problem, proposals were drawn up for the construction of a 10 metre extension to the slipway.  In November 1995 the Crown Estate granted approval for the extension to the slipway and planning approval followed from Angus Council in November 1996.  Work commenced in May and was successfully completed in June 1997.

Framed Letters of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution Mr Peter Nicholson presented to Mechanic Allan Russell, Second Coxswain Thomas Yule and crew member Peter Willis who manned the relief D class inshore lifeboat and saved the crew of three of the yacht Grouse on the morning of 8 June 2002.  The yacht was aground at Danger Point in fog, being pounded onto rocks by a large two metre swell which was further complicated by a large backwash returning from a nearby breakwater.

The Trustee Meeting held on 27 November decided that Arbroath Lifeboat Station be awarded a Vellum to commemorate the completion of 200 years service in 2003.

The new class of lifeboat IB1, D621 Duncan Ferguson was placed on service on Monday 2 August.  This lifeboat was funded by a generous gift from Andrew Ferguson in memory of his father.  D471 has been withdrawn to the Relief Fleet.

A new station lifeboat D-759 Robert Fergusson was placed on service on 20 June 2013. Lifeboat D621 Duncan Ferguson has been withdrawn.