# Cromer Lifeboat Station

Cromer Lifeboat Station is an RNLI station located in the town of Cromer in the English county of Norfolk. The station operates two lifeboats – one for inshore work and the other for offshore work.
The current lifeboat station on the end of Cromer Pier was re-built between 1997 and 1999 to replace the smaller 1923 one which was re-located to Southwold in Suffolk where it is used as a lifeboat museum. The new boathouse cost approximately £3 million which was funded by bequests and private donations. Cromer Lifeboat station is one of the most famous of the lifeboat stations operated by the RNLI.
There has been a lifeboat service operated from Cromer for two centuries – predating the establishment of the RNLI. The volunteer crews at Cromer have gained a record of gallantry stretching back to the beginnings of the RNLI. Some of the most notable rescues and service have been carried out by famous coxswains such as Henry George Blogg GC BEM and Henry "Shrimp" Thomas Davies BEM and their crews. To date there have been awards of 45 Bronze medals, 8 Silver medals and 3 Gold medals.

## History

In the early days of the station the lifeboats were kept outdoors on the east jetty. From 1804 the privately operated service was funded by a subscription fund which was administered by a local committee led by Lord Suffield, the third baron of Gunton Hall. Other dignitaries on the committee included George Wyndham of Cromer Hall, Thomas Mickleburgh, a local merchant, Joseph Gurney, a Cromer draper and Benjamin Rust who was a grocer. This was the situation of the service until 1857, when with the lifeboat organisation falling into financial troubles and the lifeboats falling into a bad state of repair, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution took over the Cromer station along with other Norfolk Association stations. By this time the association had built a lifeboat house which once stood some 100 yards from the high-water mark close to what is now the inshore lifeboat station. The RNLI altered and renovated this station at a cost of £46.2s.7d. but by the mid-1860s this station had outlived its usefulness and a new boathouse was planned. The new site was on the east gangway and in 1867 work started on the new station. The new boathouse work also included building an extension to the sea walls and a slipway across the top of the beach. The work cost £476.4s.0d and was carried out by a local builder by the name of E. Simmons. The cost of the station was met by Benjamin Bond Cabbell who had also bought the new lifeboat for the station.

## Station honours

The following are awards made at Cromer
* Medal of the Order of the British Empire for Gallantry (EGM)
       Henry George Blogg - 1924
* George Cross converted from EGM
       Henry George Blogg - 1941
* British Empire Medal
       Henry George Blogg, Coxswain - 1941
       Henry Thomas Davies, Coxswain - 1970
* RNLI Gold Medal
       Henry George Blogg, Coxswain - 1917
       Henry George Blogg, Coxswain - 1927 (Second Service Award)
       Henry George Blogg, Coxswain - 1941 (Third Service Award)
* RNLI Silver Medal
       Hon Auberon Herbert - 1867
       William Davies - 1917
       Private Stewart Holmes - 1917
       Henry George Blogg, Coxswain - 1932
       Henry George Blogg, Coxswain - 1934 (Second Service Award)
       Henry George Blogg, Coxswain - 1939 (Third Service Award)
       John James Davies, Second Coxswain - 1941
       Henry George Blogg, Coxswain - 1941 (Fourth Service Award)
* RNLI Bronze Medal
       George Allen, crew member - 1917
       James Allen, crew member - 1917
       Edward Allen, crew member - 1917
       William Allen, crew member - 1917
       Henry Balls, crew member - 1917
       Charles Cox, crew member - 1917
       George Cox, crew member - 1917
       Leslie Harrison, crew member - 1917
       Tom Kirby, crew member - 1917
       Gilbert Mayers, crew member - 1917
       Walter Rix, crew member - 1917
       William Rix, crew member - 1917
       Edward Allen, crew member - 1927 (Second Service Award)
       Leslie Harrison, crew member - 1927 (Second Service Award)
       George Balls, crew member - 1927
       John James Davies (Senior), crew member - 1927
       Robert Davies, crew member - 1927
       William Thomas Davies, crew member - 1927
       Richard J Baker, crew member - 1927
       George Cox, crew member - 1927
       Harry William Davies, crew member - 1927
       James William Davies, crew member - 1927
       John James Davies (Junior), crew member - 1927
       Sidney Charles Harrison, crew member - 1927
       John James Davies (Snr), Bowman - 1931 (Second Service Award)
       John Davies (Snr), Second Coxswain - 1939 (Third Service Award)
       Henry William Davies, Mechanic - 1939 (Second Service Award)
       James William Davies, Assistant Mechanic - 1939 (Second Service Award)
       Henry William Davies, Mechanic - 1941 (Third Service Award)
       Leslie James Harrison, Second Coxswain - 1941 (Third Service Award)
       Harold V Linder, Mechanic - 1941
       John James Davies (Snr), Second Coxswain - 1941 (Fourth Service Award)
       Henry William Davies, Mechanic - 1941 (Fourth Service Award)
       Edward W Allen, Signalman - 1941 (Third Service Award) (posthumous)
       James William Davies, Assistant Mechanic - 1941 (Third Service Award)
       William Thomas Davies, Bowman - 1941 (Second Service Award)
       Sidney Charles Harrison, crew member - 1941 (Second Service Award)
       John James Davies (Jnr), crew member - 1941 (Second Service Award)
       Henry Thomas Davies, crew member - 1941
       James Richard Davies, crew member - 1941
       Robert C Davies, crew member - 1941
       William H Davies, crew member - 1941
       Dr Paul Barclay MC TD - 1974
       Clive Richard Rayment, Helmsman - 1981
       Richard William Davies, Coxswain - 1994
* Medal service certificates
       Frank H Muirhead, crew member - 1981
       Christopher B Craske, crew member - 1981
* The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum
       H T Davies BEM, Coxswain - 1974
       R W Davies, crew member - 1974
       Richard Davies, Coxswain - 1989
       William Davies, Second Coxswain - 1998
       Richard Davies, Coxswain - 1999
* A Collective Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution
       R W Davies, Coxswain - 1991
       W T Davies, Second Coxswain - 1991
       R J Hannah, Mechanic - 1991
       J W H Jonas, Assistant Mechanic - 1991
       P Jefferies, crew member - 1991
       P Everitt, crew member - 1991
       H Balls, crew member - 1991
       J Howard, crew member - 1991
* Silver Medal of the Canine Defence League
       Henry George Blogg, Coxswain - 1932
* A Gold Watch awarded by The Queen of The Netherlands
       Henry George Blogg, Coxswain - 1927
* A Silver watch awarded by The Queen of The Netherlands
       Each of the other members of the lifeboat crew - 1927
* Silver medal and a diploma awarded by The Italian Government
       Henry George Blogg, Coxswain - 1932
* Bronze medals and diploma awarded by The Italian Government
       Each of the other members of the lifeboat crew - 1932
* The French Maritime Cross awarded by The French Government
       Henry Thomas Davies, Coxswain - 1948
* The Life-saving medal awarded by The French Government
       Each of the other 11 members of the lifeboat crew - 1948
* British Empire Medal
       Edwin Luckin, Boathouse Manager - 2023

## Cromer lifeboats

The station operated two offshore boats from 1923. The second boat was replaced by an inshore lifeboat (ILB) in 1967.

### All-weather lifeboats

| ON | Op. No. | Name | At Cromer | Class | Comments |
| — | — | — | 1804–1830 | Greathead | |
| | — | — | 1830–1858 | Greathead | 31 ft (9.4 m) lifeboat. |
| | — | — | 1858–1868 | Peake | 34 ft (10 m) lifeboat. |
| | — | Benjamin Bond Cabbell | 1868–1884 | Self-righter | 34 ft (10 m) lifeboat. |
| 12 | — | Benjamin Bond Cabbell II | 1884–1902 | Cromer | 35 ft (11 m) lifeboat. Sold in 1902 and became a houseboat at Great Yarmouth. |
| 495 | — | Louisa Heartwell | 1902–1923 | Liverpool | Became the station's No. 2 lifeboat in 1923. |
| 670 | — | H F Bailey | 1923–1924 | Norfolk and Suffolk | Cromer's first motor lifeboat. Transferred to Gorleston in 1924 and renamed to John and Mary Meiklam of Gladswood. Sold in 1952 and now preserved at Gorleston. |
| 694 | — | H F Bailey | 1924–1928 | Watson | |
| 714 | — | H F Bailey II | 1928–1929 | Watson | Transferred to Selsey in 1929 where it was named Canadian Pacific but was burnt out in 1937. |
| 694 | — | H F Bailey | 1929–1935 | Watson | Later used at Southend-on-Sea and Dover. Sold in 1956 and used as a yacht, reported to be at Marbella, Spain in 2019. |
| 777 | — | H F Bailey III | 1935–1945 | Watson | Later stationed at Helvic Head. Sold in 1973 and preserved at Cromer since 2009. |
| 840 | — | Henry Blogg | 1945–1966 | Watson | Initially named Millie Walton but renamed Henry Blogg in 1946. Sold in 1977 and converted to a motor cruiser but broken up in 2016. |
| 990 | 48-03 | Ruby and Arthur Reed | 1967–1984 | Oakley | 48 ft 6 in (14.78 m) Mark II Oakley design. Transferred to St Davids. Sold in 1988 but preserved at Hythe, Hampshire since 1990. |
| 926 | – | Guy and Clare Hunter | 1984–1985 | Watson | First stationed at St Mary's in 1955. Sold in 1988 and became a pleasure boat at Donaghadee. |
| 1097 | 47-006 | Ruby and Arthur Reed II | 1985–1996 | Tyne | |
| 1189 | 12-30 | Her Majesty The Queen | 1996–1999 | Mersey | Carriage-launched lifeboat used while the boathouse was being rebuilt. Retired in 2023 and put on display at the Chatham Historic Dockyard. |
| 1097 | 47-006 | Ruby and Arthur Reed II | 1999–2007 | Tyne | Sold for further use in China where it is numbered Huaying 385. |
| 1162 | 12-004 | Royal Shipwright | 2007–2008 | Mersey | Carriage-launched used while the slipway was being rebuilt for a new Tamar-class lifeboat. Sold in 2016 for use as a workboat at Mostyn. |
| 1287 | 16-07 | Lester | 2008– | Tamar | |
* ↑ The 1830 boat is number 148 in the Lifeboat Enthusiast's Society list of boats that pre-date the RNLI's Official Number list.
* ↑ The 1858 boat is number 338 in the Lifeboat Enthusiast's Society list of boats that pre-date the RNLI's Official Number list.
* ↑ Benjamin Bond Cabbell of 1868 is number 518 in the Lifeboat Enthusiast's Society list of boats that pre-date the RNLI's Official Number list.

### No. 2 lifeboat

When the station received its first motor lifeboat, a No. 2 station was established located in the old boathouse. It was closed in 1967 when the station received an inshore lifeboat.
| ON | Op. No. | Name | At Cromer | Class | Comments |
| 495 | — | Louisa Heartwell | 1923–1931 | Liverpool | Had been the station's No. 1 lifeboat since 1902. Sold in 1931 but now undergoing restoration at Chatham Historic Dockyard. |
| 514 | — | Alexandra | 1931–1934 | Liverpool | Previously stationed at Hope Cove from 1903. Sold in 1934 and now a holiday home in Siel, Scotland. |
| 770 | — | Harriot Dixon | 1934–1964 | Liverpool | Motor lifeboat. Sold in 1964 but now being restored at Stiffkey. |
| 980 | 37-13 | William Henry and Mary King | 1964–1967 | 37ft Oakley Mk I | Later stationed at Bridlington and North Sunderland. Sold in 1990 but now ina school playground in Highbury, London. |

### Inshore lifeboat

| Op. No. | Name | At Cromer | Model | Comments |
| D-101 | — | 1967–1970 | RFD PB16 | |
| D-26 | — | 1970–1971 | RFD PB16 | First stationed at Walmer in 1965. |
| D-197 | — | 1972–1984 | RFD PB16 | |
| D-307 | Spirit of Round Table | 1984–1992 | EA16 | |
| D-436 | Chloe | 1992–2001 | EA16 | |
| D-568 | Seahorse III | 2001–2010 | EA16 | |
| D-734 | George & Muriel | 2010–2022 | IB1 | |
| D-868 | Mr Eric Sharpe (Civil Service No.54) | 2022– | IB1 | |

## Gallery

* The old lifeboat station that now houses the ILB at Cromer
* The 1923 boathouse, that was replaced with the present one in 1999, can now be seen at Southwold in Suffolk
* RNLB Lester
* The Cromer Mersey-class Lifeboat "Her Majesty the Queen" (ON1189, temporarily on station during boathouse rebuilding) on the beach at Cromer near the old lifeboat station