Fleetwood's station history

Lifeboat house constructed at a cost of £175.

Silver Medals awarded to Captain Edward Wasey RN of the Coastguard and Coxswain John Fox for putting off and rescuing after several attempts one man of the crew of the schooner Ann Mitchell of Montrose which was wrecked during a gale on 22 January 1860.

Silver Second-Service Clasp awarded to Captain Wasey RN for the rescue by lifeboat of four men of the schooner Catherine wrecked off Fleetwood in a gale and heavy snow squalls on 19 February 1860.

Silver Third-Service Clasp awarded to Captain Wasey RN for the rescue by lifeboat of the crew of 15 and a pilot from the barque Vermont of Halifax, stranded in a gale on Barnett’s Bank on 20 October 1860.

Silver Medals awarded to Mr W Swarbrick, Master of the Steam Tug Wyre and Mr Robert Gerrard, pilot, for the rescue by means of the Tug, of 17 people from the barque Pudyona which had stranded in a gale and high seas in Morecambe Bay on 27 October 1862.

In a heavy gale on 20 January the foundations of the lifeboat house were undermined and the house almost washed away.  Lifeboat and carriage were got out with great difficulty.  New lifeboat house erected at a cost of £162.

New wooden lifeboat house on piles constructed on a new site with a slipway at a coast of £450.

Old lifeboat house sold to the owner of the site for £40.

Silver Medal awarded to Coxswain Robert Wright who had held that office for 12 years, and had been connected with the service for more than 30 years, having formerly been one of the crew.

Silver Medals awarded to Mr James Fogg, Master of the fishing smack Osprey and Mr George Wilkinson, one of the crew, for their gallantry in attempting to save the lives of the crew of the schooner Jean Campbell on 7 November 1890.  Two of the Osprey’s crew James Abram and George Greenall were drowned in this attempt.  A memorial to them was erected in ornamental gardens near to the North Euston Hotel.

Decided to remove present pulling lifeboat, leaving only one boat on the station.

Owing to the extension of the works of the Lancashire and Yorkshire and London and North Western Railway, it was necessary to construct a new lifeboat house and slipway at a cost of £1,630.

Water service provided.

Silver Second-Service Clasp awarded to Robert Wright on his retirement for his long and valuable service.

Owing to difficulty of keeping slipway free of sand, a new site was obtained.  The Railway Companies took down lifeboat house and re-erected it near the new slipway.

Silver Medals awarded to Coxswain Jeffrey Wright and Mechanic Sydney Hill for the rescue of the crew of eight of the schooner Stella Marie on 5 August 1941 in a strong gale and in high and very confused seas.  The schooner had drifted on to a sandbank and was hard and fast on it.  The seas were breaking right over her decks.  Her crew of eight had been forced to climb into the rigging.  It was difficult and very skilful rescue carried out with great dash and promptness, and the eight men were rescued only in the nick of time.  Second Coxswain James Leadbetter, Assistant Mechanic Richard Wright and Crew Members William Houston and David Wright were all accorded the Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum for their contribution to this service.

Death of Head Launcher Wright attributed to injury received on service on 4 June.  His widow was granted a pension by the Institution.

Three keepers of the Wyre Lighthouse were rescued when the lighthouse was destroyed by fire.

Bronze Medal awarded to Coxswain James Leadbetter for the rescue in a strong wind and heavy rain showers on 30 April 1949, the crew of eight of the ketch Alpha.  Six of the crew of the ketch later walked across the sands and returned to the vessel in spite of warnings.  The vessel later went aground on another large sandbank and, for a second time, the crew were taken off.  Both had been carried out with skill and speed.  The second was the more difficult of the two and could not have been accomplished but for the coxswain’s and crew’s intimate knowledge of the sandbanks.

Centenary Vellum awarded.

D class lifeboat sent to station in May.

The RNLI’s President, HRH The Duke of Kent, named the new lifeboat Lady of Lancashire on 20 July.

Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum was accorded to Second Coxswain Stephen James Musgrave, in recognition of his great skill and determination when the D class lifeboat rescued a man and recovered his sailboard after had had got into difficulties and was being blown out to sea three and a half miles south west of Fleetwood in a south-easterly gale and a rough sea on 23 March.

The Ralph Glister Award for the most meritorious service carried out in 1984 by the crew of a lifeboat under 10 metres was awarded to Helmsman Stephen Musgrave and crew members Barrie Farmer and David Owen in recognition of the above service.

Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum accorded to Coxswain William Fairclough in recognition of his seamanship and boat handling skill when the relief lifeboat Arthur and Blanche Harris rescued the crew of two from the sinking fishing vessel Galilean on the night of 14/15 September.

The new station D class lifeboat D556 Saddleworth was placed on service on 13 September 2000.  This lifeboat was funded by an appeal organised by Saddleworth Ladies Lifeboat Guild.  D 424 has been withdrawn to Poole Depot.

RSPCA Bronze Medal awarded to Mechanic Steve Carroll for the rescue of a 13 stone Japanese Akita Dog on 31 August 2004.

Pen repair/cathodic protection completed in March at a cost of £500,00.

The Trustees of the RNLI voted on 5 November to award Fleetwood Lifeboat Station an Anniversary Vellum to mark 150 years of service in 2009.

For services to Maritime Safety Coxswain Christopher Hurst has been honoured by Her Majesty the Queen in the recent Birthday Honours; - Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE).

The new station D Class lifeboat D719 Mary Elizabeth Barnes was placed on service on 5 November. This lifeboat was funded by the generous bequest of Mrs Mary Preston in memory of her family ‘Barnes’ and named after her late grandmother.

The Tyne class lifeboat, William Street, was replaced by the all-weather Shannon class lifeboat, Kenneth James Pierpoint. This followed a generous bequest from Kathleen Pierpoint, who’s brother, Kenneth, died in a traffic accident in 1942, whilst training with 605 Squadron of the RAF.

Wing Commander Paul Bell of 605 Squadron was present at the naming ceremony.