Littlehampton's station history

Gold Medal awarded to Lt T Macnamara and Silver Medal to Lt G Davies, coastguards, for rescuing 14 lives on 13 November 1840. After the brig Victoria with a crew of nine was driven ashore in an extremely violent storm, a line was drifted ashore and Lieutenants MacNamara and Davies, with their men, hauled a small boat out to the wreck three times and saved all the crew. Shortly afterwards, the same thins happened to the sloop Lively. In spite of huge waves crashing on the beach, they waded into the sea with lines tied around them and saved all five members of the sloops crew.

Lifeboat house constructed at a cost of £300. Gas service provided.

Water service provided.

Road exercises discontinued.

As a new coastguard station was to be erected, the site of the lifeboat house was surrendered to the Admiralty, and a new site offered to RNLI. Boathouse erected on a new site at a cost of £240.

Decided that in future horses would not be used in launching.

Station closed owing to the very little shipping at the port, no suitable men available, and the fact that a motor lifeboat was to be placed at Selsey.

Inshore lifeboat station established with the placing on service of a D class lifeboat. The cost of the ILB was defrayed by the BBC Blue Peter Appeal.

The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum accorded to crew members C R Cole and C J Pelham for flying to East Pakistan on Wednesday, 24 November 1970, to assist in the training of Pakistan nationals in the use of the 20 inshore lifeboats sold to the Red Cross for use in the disaster area. The Institution's team was the first relief workers to be sent from Britain to the disaster area. They were also recognised by the Red Cross, for their humanitarian efforts, in the form of certificates.

D class lifeboat withdrawn and replaced by an Atlantic 21.

New boathouse opened.

The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum accorded to Helmsman David William Woollven in recognition of the leadership, determination and seamanship displayed by him when the lifeboat landed four people from a sailing dinghy and the Trimaran Lara of Bosham on 19 September 1981.

A new boathouse was built to extend the station's capability, housing two boats, a D-Class and a B-Class, at a cost of £255,000. A relief D-Class was allocated to the station, and a new Atlantic 75, B-779 Blue Peter 1.

The new D class lifeboat D-631 Spirit of Juniper was placed on service in 2004.

The new D class lifeboat D-769 Ray of Hope was placed on service on 1 July 2014. This lifeboat was provided by a generous donation from Mr and Mrs Val and Ray Humby. Lifeboat D-631 Spirit of Juniper has been withdrawn.

An Atlantic 85 was allocated to succeed the last Blue Peter 1 to serve at the station.  B-891 was provided by a generous bequest and named after the donor, Mrs Renée Sherman.

The modern lifeboat station celebrated 50 years since it was established in 1967, as the home of Blue Peter 1.  Celebrations were held to commemorate the anniversary, and also to remember the original lifeboat station that operated in the town between 1884 and 1921.