# Southend-on-Sea Lifeboat Station

The 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 miles (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 station from the sea (the lifeboats are stored behind the red doors, and are launched by the davits)
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

The lifeboat station was first established in 1879, and was launched from davits on the pier in a similar manner to today. Between 1885 and 1891 there was a second station on the mainland, with the boat launched by horse-drawn carriage. The first motor lifeboat arrived in 1928. In 1935, a new lifeboat house and 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 46ft 9in Watson-class, entered service on 3 April. From then until 1968, the Thames Estuary was covered by three similar slipway launched 46ft 9in Watsons stationed on seaside piers at Clacton-on-Sea, Margate and Southend-on-Sea. Clacton's Watson was replaced by a 37ft Oakley-class lifeboat in 1968.
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 boat and two years later Southend's 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.
Two Southend lifeboats have been named in recognition of Percy Garon MC GM (1890-1987), who was Honorary Secretary of Southend-On-Sea Lifeboat Station from 1952-1975.

## Station honours

The following are awards made at Southend-on-Sea
* RNLI Silver Medal
       Mr George Culmer, Chief Officer of Coastguard - 1826
       Lieut Sidney King, RN - 1838
       William Bradley, Light Keeper at Southend Pierhead - 1887
       Sidney Page, Coxswain - 1941
* RNLI Bronze Medal
       Sidney Page, Coxswain - 1938
       Sidney Page, Coxswain - 1938 (Second Service Award)
       Frank Jurgenson, crew member - 1941
       William Deer, crew member - 1941
       Herbert Myall, crew member - 1941
       Samuel Thomas, crew member - 1941
       Reginald Sanders, crew member - 1941
       Robert T Fossett, Helmsman - 1982
       John Foster, Helmsman - 2000
* The Walter and Elizabeth Groombridge Award 1999 (for the outstanding inshore lifeboat rescue of the year)
       John Foster, Helmsman - 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, Helmsman - 1977
       Carl Palmby - 1981
       Paul Gilson, Helmsman - 1990
       Paul Gilson, Helmsman - 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, Helmsman - 1971
       Clifton Warry, crew member - 1971
       Harry Pavitt, crew member - 1971
       Dennis Webb, Helmsman - 1971
       Stephen Cox, crew member - 1971
       Robert Chalk, Motor Mechanic - 1974
       Paul Gilson, Helmsman - 1981
       Glyn Gilson, crew member - 1981
       Paul Manners, crew member - 1981
       Simon Spratt, crew member - 1982
       Mark Fossett, crew member - 1982
       Robert Fossett, Helmsman - 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, Helmsman - 2001
       Stewart Olley, Helmsman (B776) - 2002
       Michael Whistler, Helmsman (D527) - 2002
* Royal Humane Society Testimonial on Vellum
       Robert Chalk, Motor Mechanic - 1974
* Royal Humane Society Certificate of Commendation
       Paul Gilson, Helmsman - 1984
       Michael Whistler, crew member -1984
* Southend Borough Council Mitchell Cup awarded annually for an outstanding act of personal courage within the county borough of Southend-on-Sea
       John Foster, Helmsman - 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 - 2013
       Michael James Whistler - 2021
       James Mackie, J.P., Chair, Lifeboat Management Group - 2022

## Southend-on-Sea lifeboats
### All-weather lifeboats

| ON | Name | In service | Class | Comments |
| Pre-646 | Boys of England and Edwin J. Brett | 1879-1889 | 24ft Self-righting (P&S) | |
| 33 | Theodore & Herbert (Southend No.2) | 1885-1899 | 34ft Self-righting (P&S) | |
| 259 | Boys of England and Edwin J. Brett (Southend No.1) | 1889-1891 | 25ft Self-righting (P&S) | Previously William James Holt at Weston-super-Mare |
| 430 | James Stevens No.9 | 1899-1923 | Norfolk and Suffolk (P&S) | |
| 505 | Reserve No.7C | 1923−1924 | Watson (P&S) | Previously William Roberts at Littlehaven |
| 535 | Reserve No.7E | 1924−1928 | Watson (P&S) | Previously Charlie Medland at The Mumbles |
| 704 | Greater London (Civil Service No.3) | 1928−1941 | Ramsgate | |
| 694 | J.B.Proudfoot | 1941−1945 | 45ft Watson | Previously H.F. Bailey at Cromer |
| 704 | Greater London (Civil Service No.3) | 1945−1955 | Ramsgate | |
| 921 | Greater London II (Civil Service No.30) | 1955−1976 | 46ft 9in Watson | |
    All weather lifeboat withdrawn from station in 1976
    Pre ON numbers are unofficial numbers used by the Lifeboat Enthusiast Society to reference early lifeboats not included on the official RNLI list.

### D-class lifeboats

| Op. No. | Name | In service | Class |
| D-21 | Unnamed | 1965 | D-class (RFD PB16) |
| D-60 | Unnamed | 1965−1966 | D-class (Dunlop) |
| D-61 | Unnamed | 1966 | D-class (Dunlop) |
| D-35 | Unnamed | 1966 | D-class (RFD PB16) |
| D-63 | Unnamed | 1967 | D-class (Dunlop) |
| D-62 | Unnamed | 1967−1969 | D-class (Dunlop) |
| D-128 | Unnamed | 1969−1970 | D-class (RFD PB16) |
| D-158 | Unnamed | 1969−1975 | D-class (RFD PB16) |
| D-28 | Unnamed | 1970−1972 | D-class (RFD PB16) |
| D-146 | Unnamed | 1970−1975 | D-class (RFD PB16) |
| D-150 | Unnamed | 1975−1976 | D-class (RFD PB16) |
| D-236 | Unnamed | 1975−1987 | D-class (Zodiac III) |
| D-225 | Unnamed | 1987 | D-class (Zodiac III) |
| D-349 | Unnamed | 1987−1995 | D-class (EA16) |
| D-341 | Unnamed | 1988 | D-class (Zodiac III) |
| D-368 | Douglas Cameron | 1988−1997 | D-class (EA16) |
| D-341 | Unnamed | 1989 | D-class (Zodiac III) |
| D-487 | Foresters London Pride | 1995−2005 | D-class (EA16) |
| D-527 | Ethel Royal | 1997−2007 | D-class (EA16) |
| D-633 | Pride of London Foresters | 2005−2014 | D-class (IB1) |
| D-682 | The Essex Freemason | 2007−2017 | D-class (IB1) |
| D-771 | William Henderson | 2014− | D-class (IB1) |
| D-818 | Len Thorne GM DFC | 2018− | D-class (IB1) |

### B-Class lifeboats

| Op. No. | Name | In service | Class |
| B-527 | Percy Garon (Civil Service) | 1976−1986 | Atlantic 21 |
| B-567 | Percy Garon II | 1986−2001 | Atlantic 21 |
| B-776 | Vic and Billie Whiffen | 2001−2015 | Atlantic 75 |
| B-755 | London's Anniversary 175 | 2015−2016 | Atlantic 75 |
| B-885 | Julia & Angus Wright | 2016− | Atlantic 85 |

### Hovercraft

| Op. No. | Name | In service | Class | Comments |
| H-004 | Vera Ravine | 2004− | Hovercraft | |
* ↑ ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.
* 1 2 3 Op. No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat carried on the hull.