# Angle Lifeboat Station

Angle Lifeboat Station is located near the village of Angle, on the southern side of the entrance to the Milford Haven Waterway, in Pembrokeshire, Wales.
A lifeboat was first stationed here by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in 1868. Originally called Milford Lifeboat Station, the name was changed to Angle, Milford Haven Lifeboat Station in 1892.
The station currently operates a Tamar-class lifeboat, 16-11 Mark Mason (ON 1291), on station since 2009.

## History

Ever since its founding in 1824, the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (RNIPLS), later to become the RNLI in 1854, would award medals for deeds of gallantry at sea, even if no lifeboats were involved. Three silver medals were awarded for local rescues prior to the establishment of a lifeboat station at Angle. On 19 November 1850, Thomas Landells, Tide Surveyor for H.M. Customs, would rescue eight people from the schooner Maria.
In 1867, Commander Harvey, RN, of H.M. Coastguard, wrote to the RNLI requesting that a lifeboat station be established at Milford Haven, which was agreed. A stone boat house and wooden slipway were constructed at Angle Point by Mr. P James, at a cost of £170-4s-0d, and a 33-foot self-righting 'pulling and sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, one with oars and sails, was built by Woolfe of Shadwell. at a cost of £281-17s6d. The lifeboat was funded by Titus Salt Jr., son of Bradford philanthropist Sir Titus Salt, and was named Katherine at a ceremony on 28 November 1868.
In 1887, it was decided to replace the old wooden slipway with a new and longer slipway, 200 feet in length, and a new 37-foot lifeboat, Henry Martin Harvey (ON 227) was placed at the station in 1888. The new boat would be sent to London for the addition of a drop-keel in 1891, returning in 1892. In October 1892, the station name was changed from 'Milford', to 'Angle, Milford Haven'.
Plans were announced in 1926 to place a motor-lifeboat at Angle, and construction began of a new larger boathouse and deep-water slipway, to the west side of the existing boathouse. It was completed in January 1929, at a cost of £20,000. On 10 January, a 45-foot 6in Watson-class lifeboat Elizabeth Elson (ON 713), arrived on station. With twin 40 hp petrol engines, she was capable of 8.23 knots. In her 28 years on service at Angle, she would be launched 58 times, and rescue 144 lives.
Coxswain James Watkins was awarded the RNLI bronze medal for rescuing 28 people on 26 November 1929, from the single-screw steamship Molesley, which had been caught by a sudden wind change and a poor decision by its captain. Watkins went on to be awarded the RNLI Silver Medal for rescuing 6 people in 1944 from the motor boat Thor, and a year later, a second bronze medal (clasp) for a difficult rescue of nine people from the steamer Walter L M Russ. (This steamer had been seized from the Germans and sank on 15 July before it could be renamed the Empire Concourse.) James Watkins finally retired in 1946 after 24 years service as coxswain and 13 years as second coxswain.
For over 9 hours on 5–6 August 1973, the lifeboat Richard Vernon & Mary Garforth of Leeds (ON 931) stood by the oil tanker Donna Marike, which was carrying high-octane fuel, and at risk of explosion. On 1 December 1978, in gale-force conditions, 3 people were rescued from the fishing boat Cairnsmore, one of them from the water. For these two services, Coxswain William John Rees Holmes was awarded the RNLI Bronze Medal and second service clasp.
A Tyne-class class lifeboat was placed on service in 1987, 47-011 The Lady Rank (ON 1114), and would serve Angle for the next 21 years. In 1991, construction began of a new, larger, boathouse and slipway adjacent to the 1927 structure. Following completion in 1992, the old boathouse and slipway were demolished. A D-class Inshore lifeboat was first placed at the station in 1994, and in 1996, the D-class (EA16) lifeboat Isabella Mary (D-493) began service at the station.
On 5 May 1997, the motor boat, Dale Princess was blown on to cliffs on Skomer Island. For rescuing four people in gale-force winds and stormy seas, Coxswain Jeremy R. Rees was awarded the RNLI bronze medal
The Lady Rank was withdrawn to the Relief fleet in 2008, later to serve as ADES 20 Bicentenary BSE with the lifeboat service in Uruguay. After a brief spell with another Tyne-class lifeboat on station, 47-010 RFA Sir Galahad (ON 1112), the 1992 boathouse was modified, and in 2009, the station received a new Tamar-class lifeboat 16-11 Mark Mason (ON 1291).
In May 2024, it was reported that difficulties maintaining crew and helpers may force the relocation of the Angle lifeboat. A declining local population has meant for 12 years, the crew is primarily from Milford Haven, and transported to the station when called. If travelling by road, a distance of 17 miles (27 km).
On 31 July 2024, a six-month trial was announced, with the Angle lifeboat operating from the port authority jetty at Milford Haven.

### Loch Shiel

In 1894, 33 people were saved from the 1878-built Loch Shiel which had run onto rocks at Thorn Island. 27 people had managed to scramble on to the rocks, but were still at the mercy of the weather. The lifeboat rescued the 6 people still on board the Loch Shiel. Three lifeboatmen were then landed elsewhere on the island, climbing around Thorn Island to a position above the 27 survivors, and using ropes, eventually hauling all of them up to safety. Two lifeboat crew members and the honorary secretary were each awarded the RNLI Silver Medal, including Thomas Rees, who would later become Coxswain.
The rescue is described as Wales' "Whisky Galore". The Loch Shiel was carrying goods from Scotland to Adelaide and included gunpowder, beer, and 7,500 (some say 7,000) cases of Glasgow whisky. The cargo was partially recovered by HM Customs and Excise, but some of the bottles are still amongst the wreck and are described as "undrinkable". In 1999, bottles of beer from the wreck were auctioned for £1,000 per bottle.

## Station honours

The following are awards made to the crew of Angle Lifeboat Station
* RNIPLS Silver Medal
       William Field, farmer, former Master Mariner - 1833
       Thomas Landells, Tide Surveyor, H.M. Customs - 1850
* RNLI Silver Medal
       John Large, Master Gunner, RA - 1861
       Maj. Richard William Mirehouse, Honorary Secretary - 1894
       Edward Ball, crew member - 1894
       Thomas Rees, crew member - 1894
       James Watkins, Coxswain - 1944
* RNLI Bronze Medal
       James Watkins, Coxswain - 1929
       James Watkins, Coxswain - 1945 (Second Service award)
       William John Rees Holmes, Coxswain - 1973
       William John Rees Holmes, Coxswain/Mechanic - 1979 (Second Service award)
       Jeremy Richard Rees, Coxswain - 1997
* Medal Service Certificate
       Gerald Edwards, Second Coxswain - 1973
       Michael Eynon, Assistant Mechanic - 1973
       Anthony Stewart, Crew member - 1973
       Roger Callaghan, Crew member - 1973
       William Watkins, Crew member - 1973
       Gerald Edwards, crew member - 1979
       Roger O'Callaghan, crew member - 1979
       Norman Knowles, crew member - 1979
       Jeffrey Stringer, crew member - 1979
       Danny Richards, crew member - 1979
       Stephen O'Leary, crew member - 1979
* The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum
       Col. Mirehouse, Honorary Secretary - 1893
       Albert Rees, Mechanic - 1944
       William John Rees Holmes, Coxswain/Mechanic - 1977
* Vellum Service Certificates
       Brian Brown, Second Coxswain - 1977
       Michael Eynon, Assistant Mechanic - 1977
       Anthony Stewart, Second Assistant Mechanic - 1977
       Peter Jones, crew member - 1977
       Daniel Richards, crew member - 1977
* A special framed certificate
       Coxswain and Crew - 1977 (Fastnet Race)
* A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution
       The crew of The Lady Rank - 1997
* Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE)
       Michael John Eynon - 2000

## Angle lifeboats
### Pulling and Sailing lifeboats

| ON | Name | At Station | Class |
| Pre-512 | Katherine | 1868–1888 | 33-foot Self-righting (P&S) |
| 223 | Henry Martin Harvey | 1888–1906 | 37-foot Self-Righting (P&S) |
| 46 | Charlotte | 1906–1910 | 37-foot 12 oared Self-Righting (P&S) |
| 438 | James Stevens No. 11 | 1915–1919 | 35-foot Self-Righting (P&S) |
| 434 | Henry Dundas | 1919–1927 | 38-foot Watson (P&S) |
| 462 | Thomas Fielden | 1927–1929 | 40-foot Watson (P&S) |
    Pre ON numbers are unofficial numbers used by the Lifeboat Enthusiast Society to reference early lifeboats not included on the official RNLI list.

### Steam lifeboat

| ON | Name | At Station | Class | Comments |
| 420 | James Stevens No. 3 | 1908–1914 1915 | Steam | Damaged on rocks after breaking her moorings in 1914. Repaired and returned to service, but withdrawn in August 1915 |

### Motor lifeboats

| ON | Op. No. | Name | At Station | Class |
| 713 | – | Elizabeth Elson | 1929–1957 | 45ft 6in Watson |
| 931 | – | Richard Vernon & Mary Garforth of Leeds | 1957–1987 | 46ft 9in Watson |
| 1114 | 47-011 | The Lady Rank | 1987–2008 | Tyne |
| 1112 | 47-010 | RFA Sir Galahad | 2008–2009 | Tyne |
| 1291 | 16-11 | Mark Mason | 2009– | Tamar |

### Inshore lifeboats

| Op. No. | Name | In service | Class | Comments |
| D-336 | Unnamed | 1994–1996 | D-class (EA16) | Temporary assignment from the relief fleet, |
| D-493 | Isabella Mary | 1996–2004 | D-class (EA16) | |
| D-638 | Richard John Talbot Hillier | 2004–2015 | D-class (IB1) | |
| D-776 | Super G II | 2015–2020 | D-class (IB1) | Inshore boat withdrawn 2020. Service coverage by Boarding Boat (BB-695) |
* 1 2 3 ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.
* 1 2 Op. No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat carried on the hull.