Blyth Lifeboat Station

Blyth Lifeboat Station is located on Quay Road, in the Port and seaside town of Blyth, in the south east corner of the county of Northumberland, approx. 13 miles (21 km) north of Newcastle upon Tyne. A lifeboat was first stationed at Blyth by the Ridley Estate Trust in 1808, but operated for only two years. Following subsequent management by both the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (RNIPLS), and the Blyth Lifeboat Association (BLA), the station was finally transferred to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in 1866. The station currently operates two Inshore lifeboats, the B-class (Atlantic 85) lifeboat Patricia Southall (B-923), on station since 2021, and the smaller D-class (IB1) Sally Forth (D-878), since 2023. History A lifeboat had first been based at Blyth in 1808, privately sponsored by Sir Matthew Ridley. On its first service to a number of Cullercoats fishing boats, caught in a sudden storm off St Mary's island in 1810, the lifeboat was wrecked. 15 lifeboatmen lost their lives. The lifeboat was not replaced. The Port of Newcastle Shipwreck Association (NSA) would fund a new Blyth lifeboat in 1826, which was managed and operated by the recently formed RNIPLS. This boat was also to suffer tragedy, capsizing just out of the harbour on 28 October 1841. 10 lifeboatmen lost their lives. Crewman Henry Kinch, a very strong swimmer, and one of only two survivors, was awarded the RNLI Silver Medal for his efforts to save the crew. The boat was recovered, but transferred to Amble in 1843, and not immediately replaced. In 1845, the Port of Newcastle Shipwreck Association ordered a new lifeboat from Oliver of South Shields, a 32-foot 12-oared non-self-righting lifeboat, costing £175. It would be managed by the Blyth Lifeboat Association, who levied a toll on all ships entering Blyth to pay for its upkeep. On 27 October 1852, the Blyth lifeboat launched to the Russian barque Victoria, wrecked near Blyth Harbour. All 14 crew were saved. H.M. Coastguard James Kearney White was awarded the RNLI Silver Clasp to his medal, his second Silver award. In certain weather conditions, it was found difficult to getting the lifeboat out of the harbour. To resolve this, Blyth No.2 station was established in 1854, located 1 mile north of Blyth Harbour on Cambois Links. Sir Matthew Ridley would provide a site, and the funds for a boathouse. A 31-foot 12-oared lifeboat was constructed by George Redhead of Blyth. In 1870, the previously unnamed lifeboat would be named Thomas Carr. On 1 December 1866, management of the station was transferred to the RNLI. The No.1 boathouse was renovated and lengthened, and the 20–year old lifeboat was replaced with a new 33-foot Self-righting boat, built by Woolfe of Shadwell, costing £283. A new carriage was provided for the boat, costing a further £98, and at a ceremony on 4 May 1867, the new boat was named Salford, having been provided by funds raised by the Manchester and Salford branch of the RNLI. On service to the Norwegian vessel Fremad on 16 October 1898, the No.2 Lifeboat Oswald, Sarah & Jane (ON 250) capsized. Some lifeboat men made it ashore, and others regained the boat, but Second Coxswain Mark Fairhurst was swept away. Coxswain John William Tinning jumped back into the sea, and managed to pull Fairhurst ashore, but he didn't survive. Tinning was awarded the RNLI Silver Medal, and a Silver Medal from the Norwegian Government for his courageous actions. He would later be killed in action, in the Second Boer War, on 21 July 1900. Blyth No.2 station was renamed Cambois Lifeboat Station on 8 March 1900. In the same year, a new lifeboat would be placed at Cambois, the 34-foot John Anthony (ON 447). Cambois Coxswain John Bushell and Acting Bowman G. Summerside would be awarded gallantry medals from the King of Norway, for their service to the barque Haabet of Svelvik on 12 November 1901. On the 9 October 1921, a motor-powered 45-foot Watson lifeboat Joseph Adlam (ON 654) would be placed at Blyth. Cambois Lifeboat Station was closed on 30 June 1927. In 1921, for the station's first motor lifeboat, the RNLI built a new boathouse and roller-slipway. The various motor lifeboats over the years were slipway launched until October 1982, when a Waveney-class fast afloat boat was allocated to the station. The Waveney served until replaced by the new 25-knot Trent-class lifeboat 14-06 Windsor Runner (ON 1204) in December 1995. (Unusually for the RNLI, all of Blyth's motor lifeboats had been built new for the station). However, a review of lifeboat provision in the North East led to the decision to withdraw the All-weather lifeboat from Blyth, and the station became an Inshore Lifeboat Station on 16 July 2004. Inevitably, decisions to close or downgrade stations often lead to local concerns, and following the RNLI decision, the independent "Blyth Volunteer Lifeboat Service" (BVLS) was established. With the help of a loan from a local man, a 38-foot-6-inch Lochin Marine lifeboat was purchased, constructed in 1990 for the Caister Volunteer Lifeboat Service (CVLS), (another independent lifeboat service, similarly set up after withdrawal of their RNLI All-weather lifeboat). At a ceremony on Sunday 22 March 2005, the boat was named Spirit of Blyth and Wansbeck. In 2014, the service acquired the former St Peter Port gold-medal winning lifeboat 52-02 Sir William Arnold (ON 1025), by then in private hands and known as Samuel J. The boat was in service at Blyth until operations ceased in 2019, and the boat was sold. Blyth Volunteer Lifeboat Service formally ceased in 2021. In 2023, three members of crew of the RNLI D-class (IB1) Inshore lifeboat had to be rescued, when they were washed overboard during search operations in Seaton Sluice harbour. The crew activated their Emergency position-indicating radiobeacon and fired a distress flare, and were soon rescued. Their boat was recovered by Tynemouth lifeboat. Station honours The following are awards made at Blyth Bronze Medal for gallantry in saving life at sea Anthony Nixon, Coxswain – 1913 RNIPLS Silver Medal William Armstrong, Pilot – 1829 Henry Kinch, lifeboat crew member – 1841 James Kearney White, Chief Officer, H.M. Coastguard – 1852 James Kearney White, Chief Officer, H.M. Coastguard – 1852 (Second-Service Clasp) RNLI Silver Medal John William Tinning, Coxswain (No. 2) – 1898 Anthony Nixon, Coxswain (Cambois) – 1913 John Bushell, Coxswain – 1916 Thomas Fawcus, Coxswain – 1963 Silver Medal, awarded by the Norwegian Government John William Tinning, Coxswain – 1898 RNLI Bronze Medal Josiah Wheatley, Coxswain – 1939 John Kerr, Bowman – 1963 Charles Hatcher, Coxswain – 1983 The Maud Smith Award 1962(for the bravest act of lifesaving during the year by a member of a lifeboat crew) John Kerr, Bowman – 1963 The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum John Bushell, Coxswain – 1916 Thomas Fawcus, Coxswain – 1959 to the other members of the crew – 1963 Keith Barnard, Coxswain – 1994 Lifesaving Medals, awarded by The King of Norway John Bushell, Coxswain – 1902 G. Summerside, Acting Bowman – 1902 Silver cup, awarded by The King of Norway Coxswain – 1917 Silver Medals awarded by The King of Norway to each of the crew for their services – 1917 Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE) Dr Reginald Carr – 2016 Roll of honour In memory of those lost whilst serving Blyth lifeboat. On service to Cullercoats Fishing Boats, 31 March 1810 Lifeboat Blythe, launched to the brig Sibsons, capsized on 28 October 1841 Oswald, Sarah & Jane (ON 250) capsized on service to the Norwegian vessel Fremad, 16 October 1898. Mark Alfred Fairhurst, Second Coxswain (40) Blyth lifeboats Blyth (No.1) Pulling and Sailing lifeboats Pre ON numbers are unofficial numbers used by the Lifeboat Enthusiast Society to reference early lifeboats not included on the official RNLI list. Motor lifeboats All-weather lifeboat withdrawn, 2004 Blyth (No.2) Cambois Pulling and Sailing lifeboats Station Closed, 1927 Blyth Volunteer Lifeboat Service (BVLS) Operations of BVLS ceased, 2019 Inshore lifeboats D-class B-class See also List of RNLI stations List of former RNLI stations Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats Notes References External links Blyth RNLI Lifeboat Station