Teignmouth's Station history

Lifeboat stationed at Teignmouth by Shipwrecked Fisherman's and Mariners' Royal Benevolent Society.

SFMRBS boats taken over by RNLI.

New boathouse built on The Den, with doors facing The Ness, at a cost of £223.3s 0d

Boathouse pulled down and rebuilt with doors facing the harbour so making for easier and speedier launching. The RNLI’s experimental iron lifeboat “China” arrived for trials.

Silver Medal awarded to Coxswain John B Bulkeley for a long and gallant service. The iron-hulled experimental lifeboat was replaced by a conventional wooden-hulled, ten-oared lifeboat, also called the “China”. Both of the China’s were defrayed by money donated by the staff of Gilman and Company who traded in Shanghai and Hong Kong.

Silver Medal to Second Coxswain William Stuggins on his retirement for long and gallant service.

The China was renamed Arnold in recognition of fund-raising efforts by Mr B Arnold, Chairman of the Devon & Cornwall Lifeboat Bazaar.

A new 34ft ten oared self-righting lifeboat Alfred Staniforth was delivered but never entered service. The Arnold remained the Teignmouth lifeboat.

A second Alfred Staniforth took up lifeboat duties. This new lifeboat was provided by a legacy of Mrs Staniforth of Broomhill, Sheffield (£481 0s 0d).

After the annual lifeboat day on 15 August a man named Thomas Chaffe, while helping to haul the carriage, was knocked down and run over. The man died five days afterwards, not as a result of his injuries, which were not serious.  Institution defrayed funeral expenses.

Silver Medal awarded to Honorary Secretary Mr William Burden and to Coxswain George Rice, together with a copy of the Vote on Vellum and gave additional monetary awards to the lifeboat crew, when on 10 October 1907 the schooner Tehwija of Riga dragged her anchors in a strong south south westerly gale with a very heavy sea and ran aground on the outer part of the Pole Sands.  Exmouth lifeboat, being to leeward, launched but could not get near her, so Teignmouth launched.  One heavy sea broke in the lifeboat, knocking down every man, and every oar went overboard, the boat being driven towards harbour.  A fresh start was made and this time the dangerous task of crossing the bar was accomplished in safety.  The crew of the Tehwija were in the fore-rigging as the waves were making clean breach over her.  With great difficulty communication was established, and the whole of the crew of eight were rescued by means of rope.  The schooner became a complete wreck 15 minutes after the rescue was effected.  Mr W J Burden, the Honorary Secretary, took part in this service and, during the critical time when crossing the Teignmouth bar, he steered the lifeboat which enabled the coxswain and bowman to assist in double banking the oars.

Henry Finlay (ON618) came on station.

Station closed.  The lifeboat remained in the boathouse until it was sold in 1945 for £200.

Station re-opened in March for evaluation trials.  Station became operational on 3 November.  Atlantic 21 class lifeboat placed on service, B-538 Lord Brotherton

Atlantic 21 class B588 came onto station.

A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution awarded to Daniel McCarthy (17) and his brother Luke (19), in recognition of their quick thinking and selfless actions when they launched their rowing dinghy from Shaldon Beach on 21 August to assist two men whose small motor boat Nutshell had sunk.  They recovered one man and also assisted a lifeboat crew member who was being swept up river by the strong tide.

A Centenary Vellum awarded to the station in celebration of 100 years of service.

Following the visit on 24 October 2001 by the Coast Review delegation, led by Admiral Sir Jock Slater, it was agreed by the Search and Rescue Committee on 6 February 2002 and resolved by the Executive Committee at their meeting on 10 April 2002 that the present Atlantic 21 be replaced by an FIBI in due course.

A new class lifeboat B-809 The Two Annes was placed on service on 1 August.  Lifeboat B-588 Frank and Dorothy has been withdrawn to ILC Cowes.

A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution was presented to Helmsmen Humphrey Vince, Charlie Woolnough, Nicola White and Adam Truhol in recognition of their actions when the B class lifeboat recovered an unconscious swimmer from the sea on 24 July 2008.  The award was in recognition of Helmsman Vince’s seamanship in violent sea conditions and Helmsman Truhol’s courage and skill.  He entered the sea from the lifeboat to recover the unconscious man, and led the resuscitation efforts during a very uncomfortable passage back to station.

A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution was presented to Helmsman William Burton, Richard Boss, Kevin Clifton and Dave Matthews in recognition of his actions when the lifeboat saved the life of a young man who had been swept into the sea at Spray Point on 28 December 2009. The rescue was performed in dangerous confused seas, in shoaling waters close to the sea wall.

A new class lifeboat Arancia IRB A-78 was placed on serviced 20 June 2013.