Southend-on-Sea Lifeboat Station

Southend-on-Sea lifeboat station is a lifeboat station at Southend-on-Sea in the English county of Essex, operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) since 1879. Because of the large tidal range and extensive drying foreshore at Southend, the lifeboat station uses two boathouses. The first of these is situated at the head (outer end) of the 1.34-mile (2.16 km) long Southend Pier, and houses a B-class (Atlantic 85) lifeboat and a smaller D-class (IB1) lifeboat, both of which are launched by davit into the deep water adjoining the pier. The second boathouse is situated adjacent to the inshore end of the pier, and houses a second D-class IB1 lifeboat together with a H class hovercraft, both of which are launched down an adjacent slipway. The pier-head lifeboat house is a modern structure, which incorporates crew accommodation and offices, an RNLI shop, and a viewing gallery from which visitors can view the lifeboats. It is topped by a sun deck to which the public have access. Lifeboat crews use an electric buggy, complete with sirens and blue flashing lights, to access this boathouse along the pier from the shore. History Following application by local residents, and a report by the RNLI Inspector of Lifeboats, it was resolved at a meeting of the RNLI committee of management on 5 June 1879, to establish a station at Southend-on-Sea. It was recognised that launching a lifeboat at Southend, with the large flat expanse of shoreline, would take considerable time. The Institution were grateful that the Southend Pier Company afforded every possible assistance in allowing a lifeboat to be stationed at the end of the pier, supported on davits. A 25-foot self-righting 'Pulling and Sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, one with sails and (8) oars, was provided to the station, the cost of £352-18s-5d defrayed by the gift of £300 from Edwin J. Brett, raised through his weekly periodical magazine Boys of England. At a ceremony on the 13 November 1879, in front of a large crowd, the station was declared open, and the lifeboat named Boys of England and Edwin J. Brett. At a further meeting of the RNLI committee of management on 6 March 1884, it was decided that a second shore based station be established at Southend, for a lifeboat which could be transported along the shore to neighbouring sandbanks, should the need arise. A new 34-foot self-righting (P&S) lifeboat was provided, its cost defrayed from the legacy of the late Mrs. Frances Sophia Smith, of Lisheen, County Cork, in memory of her two sons. On 8 October 1885, the lifeboat was named Theodore and Herbert (ON 33). The No. 2 boathouse, long since demolished, was located behind Marine Parade on Hartington Road, at the junction to what is now the entrance to Seaway Car Park. The first motor lifeboat arrived in 1928. In 1935, a new lifeboat house with slipway was erected at the pier head. In 1940, the lifeboat Greater London (Civil Service No.3) (ON 704) was one of the 19 lifeboats which assisted in the evacuation of Dunkirk. In 1955 what would prove to be Southend's final All-weather lifeboat went on station. The newly built Greater London II (Civil Service No.30), a 46-foot 9in Watson-class, entered service on 3 April. From then until 1968, the Thames Estuary was covered by three similar slipway launched 46-foot 9in Watsons stationed on seaside piers at Clacton-on-Sea, Margate and Southend-on-Sea. Clacton's Watson was replaced by a 37-foot Oakley-class lifeboat in 1968. In response to an increasing amount of water-based leisure activity, the RNLI placed 25 small fast Inshore lifeboats around the country. These were easily launched with just a few people, ideal to respond quickly to local emergencies. More followed, and in 1966, a D-class (RFD PB16) Inshore lifeboat was placed at Southend. In 1969, the RNLI placed two extra lifeboats on the Thames Estuary, following a decision by the RAF to withdraw the rescue helicopters from RAF Manston. An extra D-class lifeboat went to Southend-on-Sea, and it was decided to place an All-weather lifeboat at Sheerness on evaluation. By the early 1970s, two inflatable inshore lifeboats were in use at Southend to provide assistance to the increasing number of pleasure craft. In 1974, Sheerness was allocated a fast Waveney-class lifeboat, and two years later, the Southend All-weather Watson-class lifeboat was withdrawn and replaced by the Inshore Atlantic 21-class Percy Garon (B-527). This was initially kept in the 1935 pier head boathouse, but in 1986 the coaster Kings Abbey sliced through the pier and lifeboat slipway, badly damaging the lifeboat house. A temporary station was quickly re-established at the pierhead, and officially opened by HRH Princess Anne in 1991. This temporary station was used until 2002, when today's modern boathouse was opened. A new 'Dry End' shore boathouse was completed on 16 July 2013, to accommodate the hovercraft, Vera Ravine (H-004), and second Inshore D-class lifeboat. Percy Garon MC GM Two Southend lifeboats have been named in recognition of Percy Garon (1890-1987). Garon was awarded a Military Cross for his work on the Matandu River during World War One. Invalided out of the military with cerebral malaria, he recovered to join Southend Fire Brigade, becoming Chief Officer in 1934. During World War II, he became Essex Fire Brigade Force Commander, and was awarded the George Medal for pioneering work dealing with oil fires. Percy Garon was Honorary Secretary of Southend-On-Sea Lifeboat Station from 1952-1975. Station honours The following are awards made at Southend-on-Sea: RNIPLS Silver Medal George Culmer, Chief Officer, H.M. Coastguard, Shoeburyness – 1826 Lt. Sidney King, RN, H.M. Coastguard, Shoeburyness – 1838 RNLI Silver Medal William Bradley, Light Keeper at Southend Pierhead – 1887 Sidney Harry Bartlett Page, Coxswain – 1941 RNLI Bronze Medal Sidney Harry Bartlett Page, Coxswain – 1938 Sidney Harry Bartlett Page, Coxswain – 1938 (Second Service clasp) Frank Arthur Jurgenson, Mechanic – 1941 William Arthur Deer, Second Coxswain – 1941 Herbert George Myall, Bowman – 1941 Samuel Horace Gilson Thomas, Signalman – 1941 Reginald Herbert Sanders, Assistant Mechanic – 1941 Robert Terence Fossett, Helm – 1982 John Foster, Helm – 2000 The Walter and Elizabeth Groombridge Award 1999(for the outstanding inshore lifeboat rescue of the year) John Foster, Helm – 2000 Michael Whistler, crew member – 2000 Ian Rees, crew member – 2000 The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum Sidney Page, Coxswain – 1947 Joseph Polkinghorn, Second Coxswain – 1947 Lionel Neville, Reserve Mechanic – 1947 Reginald Sanders, Assistant Mechanic – 1947 Samuel Thomas, Signalman – 1947 Edward Polkinghorn, crew member – 1947 Oliver Cotgrove, crew member – 1947 Thomas Thornton, crew member – 1947 Stanley Scrase, crew member – 1947 Cyril Day, crew member – 1947 Walter Wynn, crew member – 1947 Sidney Page, Coxswain – 1955 Coxswain P. Gilson and his Crew – 1962 Robert Chalk – 1968 Gordon Easton – 1968 D. Morgan – 1968 Robert T. Fossett, Helm – 1977 Carl Palmby – 1981 Paul Gilson, Helm – 1990 Paul Gilson, Helm – 1992 Michael Whistler, crew member – 2000 Ian Rees, crew member – 2000 A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution Duncan Clark, Helm – 1971 Clifton Warry, crew member – 1971 Harry Pavitt, crew member – 1971 Dennis Webb, Helm – 1971 Stephen Cox, crew member – 1971 Robert Chalk, Motor Mechanic – 1974 Paul Gilson, Helm – 1981 Glyn Gilson, crew member – 1981 Paul Manners, crew member – 1981 Simon Spratt, crew member – 1982 Mark Fossett, crew member – 1982 Robert Fossett, Helm – 1990 Mark Fossett, crew member – 1990 Roy Kidwell, crew member – 1990 John Foster, crew member – 1990 Clifton Warry, crew member – 1990 Clifton Warry, crew member – 1992 Duncan Clark, crew member – 1992 Southend Lifeboat Station – 1999 John Foster, Helm – 2001 Stewart Olley, Helm (B776) – 2002 Michael Whistler, Helm (D527) – 2002 Testimonial on Vellum, awarded by the Royal Humane Society Robert Chalk, Motor Mechanic – 1974 Certificate of Commendation, awarded by the Royal Humane Society Paul Gilson, Helm – 1984 Michael Whistler, crew member – 1984 Southend Borough Council Mitchell Cupawarded annually for an outstanding act of personal couragewithin the county borough of Southend-on-Sea John Foster, Helm – 2000 Michael Whistler, crew member – 2000 Ian Rees, crew member – 2000 Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE) Colin Adrian Reginald Sedgwick, Lifeboat Operations Manager – 2013NYH Michael James Whistler – 2021NYH James Mackie, J.P., Chair, Lifeboat Management Group – 2022NYH Southend-on-Sea lifeboats Pulling and Sailing (P&S) lifeboats Pre ON numbers are unofficial numbers used by the Lifeboat Enthusiasts' Society to reference early lifeboats not included on the official RNLI list. All-weather lifeboats All-weather lifeboat withdrawn, 1976 Hovercraft Inshore lifeboats D-class lifeboats B-Class lifeboats See also List of RNLI stations List of former RNLI stations Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats Notes References External links Southend-on-sea RNLI Lifeboat Station Web site of the Southend-on-Sea lifeboat station