# Thurso Lifeboat Station

Thurso Lifeboat Station is located at Scrabster Harbour, in the NE corner of Scotland, near the town of Thurso, Highland, in the historic county of Caithness.
A lifeboat was first stationed here by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution in 1860.
Since 2004, the station has operated a Severn-class All-weather lifeboat, 17-42 The Taylors (ON 1273).

## History

In the previous 35 years, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution had awarded no less than six Silver Medals for Gallantry to Coastguards, Fishermen and other locals, for rescues performed around Thurso. In 1859, it was decided to establish a station in Thurso, and especially due to the volume of shipping now passing by.
A boathouse was commissioned to be built at Scrabster Harbour, at a cost of £103, and in October 1860, a new 30-foot 6-oar boat, Polly, costing £148-19s-0d, and built by Forrestt of Limehouse, London, arrived at Thurso. John Brims was appointed Coxswain.
Polly was only called upon 6 times in her 11 years on service, but in that time managed to save 49 lives. She was replaced in 1871 by a slightly larger 10-oar boat, Charley Lloyd, which served for another 19 years, being called out 31 times, and rescuing 255 lives.
In 1890, the third lifeboat assigned to Thurso was also the third lifeboat funded by the Co-operative Union, named Co-operator No.3 (ON 282) at a ceremony on the River Clyde, to coincide with the Co-operative Congress meeting in Glasgow.
1929 saw the arrival of Thurso's first motor-powered lifeboat. She was a 45ft 6in Watson-class lifeboat, named H.C.J. (ON 708) by the Duchess of Portland on 13 September 1929. She served Thurso for 27 years, being launched 102 times, and saving the lives of 138 people.
Dunnet Head (Civil Service No.31) (ON 920) arrived on service at Thurso in January 1956. Funded by the Civil Service charity The Lifeboat Fund, she was a 47ft Watson-class lifeboat with two 60 h.p. Gardner 5LW engines, built by Wm. Osbourne of Littlehampton, and costing £35,000. She was named in a ceremony at Scrabster Harbour in August 1956 by HM Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother.
On the night of 10 December 1956, Disaster struck, when both the boat and boathouse were fully consumed by fire. Fire crews from both Thurso and Wick attended, but the intensity was such that only one wall of the boathouse remained, along with the iron keel and engines of the boat. The destruction was so complete that no evidence was left as to the cause of the outbreak.
The boat would be replaced by the Pentland (Civil Service No.31). This time fully funded by the RNLI, she still retained the Civil Service designation.
The first RNLI lifeboat at Thurso cost just £103. 144 years later, in 2004, Thurso received their latest All-weather lifeboat, a 25-knot Severn-class lifeboat, 17-42 The Taylors (ON 1273), costing £2 million.<

## Station honours

The following are awards made at Thurso.
* RNIPLS Silver Medal
       John Morgan, Chief Boatman, H.M. Coastguard, Staxigoe – 1830
       Benjamin Sinclair, Merchant – 1835
       John Smith – 1840
       James Wishart – 1847
       Robert Williamson, fisherman – 1848
* RNLI Silver Medal
       Donald Thompson – 1856
       John Brims, Coxswain – 1886
       John Brims, Coxswain – 1894 (Second-Service Clasp)
* RNLI Bronze Medal
       Angus McPhail, Coxswain – 1931
       John McLeod, Coxswain – 1944
       William Farquhar, Coxswain – 1999
* Medal Service Certificate
       William Munro, Second Coxswain – 1999
       Duncan Munro, Assistant Mechanic – 1999
       Donald Mackay – 1999
       Gordon Munro – 1999
       John Webster – 1999
       James Brims – 1999
       Kevin Oag – 1999
       Scott Youngson – 1999
* The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum
       Angus McPhail, Coxswain – 1929
       Angus McPhail, Coxswain – 1930
       Adam McLeod, Second Coxswain – 1931
       Angus Macintosh, Coxswain – 1953
       John Manson, Second Coxswain – 1982
       Ross Farquhar, Coxswain – 1982
       William Donald Munro, Second Coxswain – 1997
       Duncan (Dougie) Munro, Second Coxswain – 2004
* Vellum Service Certificates
       William Miller, Acting Motor Mechanic – 1997
       Duncan Munro, Assistant Mechanic – 1997
       James Brims, crew member – 1997
       Thomas Davidson, crew member – 1997
       Donald McKenzie, crew member – 1997
       Gordon Munro, crew member – 1997
       Kevin Oag, crew member – 1997
       John Webster, crew member – 1997
       William Miller, Motor Mechanic – 2004
       Gordon Munro, Deputy Second Coxswain – 2004
       James Brims, Assistant Mechanic – 2004
       Bruce Farquhar, Emergency Mechanic – 2004
       Scott Youngson, crew member – 2004
       Kevin Davidson, crew member – 2004
* The Emile Robin Award for 1999 awarded by The Shipwrecked Fishermen & Mariners Royal Benevolent Society
       William Farquhar, Coxswain – 1999
* Lady Swaythling Trophy for outstanding seamanship in 2004 awarded by The Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners Royal Benevolent Society
       Duncan (Dougie) Munro, Second Coxswain – 2004
* A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution
       William Farquar, Coxswain – 2001
       William Munro, Coxswain – 2002
* Letter of Appreciation signed by the Chief Executive of the Institution
       Brian Williams, Honorary Secretary – 2001
       William Miller, Motor Mechanic – 2001
       Duncan Munro, Second Coxswain – 2001
       Gordon Munro, Deputy Second Coxswain – 2001
       James Brims, Assistant Mechanic – 2001
       Bruce Farquhar, Emergency Mechanic – 2004
       J.Webster, crew member – 2001
       Scott Youngson, crew member – 2001
* Letter of Appreciation signed by the Operations Director of the Institution
       James Brims, crew member – 2001
       Kevin Davidson, crew member – 2001
       Gordon Munro, Deputy Second Coxswain – 2004
       James Brims, Assistant Mechanic – 2004
       Scott Youngson, crew member – 2004
       Kevin Davidson, crew member – 2004
* Iron plaques and diplomas awarded by The German Government
       Coxswain, Second Coxswain and Bowman – 1928
* Certificates of appreciation awarded by The German Government
       Thurso Lifeboat Crew – 1928
* Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE)
       John Miller, Honorary Secretary – 1948
* British Empire Medal
       John McLeod, Coxswain – 1944

## Thurso lifeboats

| ON | Op.No. | Name | On Station | Class | Comments |
| Pre-368 | − | Polly | 1860−1871 | 30-foot Self-righting (P&S) | |
| Pre-554 | − | Charley Lloyd | 1871−1890 | 33-foot Self-righting (P&S) | |
| 282 | − | Co-operator No.3 | 1890−1909 | 37-foot Self-righting (P&S) | |
| 585 | − | Sarah Austin | 1909−1929 | 40-foot Watson (P&S) | |
| 708 | − | H. C. J. | 1929−1956 | 45ft 6in Watson | |
| 920 | − | Dunnet Head (Civil Service No.31) | 1956−1956 | 47ft Watson | Destroyed by fire on 10 December 1956. |
| 711 | − | James Macfee | 1956−1957 | 45ft 6in Watson | Relief lifeboat |
| 940 | − | Pentland (Civil Service No.31) | 1957−1970 | 47ft Watson | |
| 1014 | 48-011 | The Three Sisters | 1970−1988 | Solent | |
| 1052 | 54-07 | City of Bradford IV | 1988−1989 | Arun | |
| 1149 | 52-43 | The Queen Mother | 1989−2004 | Arun | |
| 1273 | 17-42 | The Taylors | 2004− | Severn | |
* ↑ ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.
* ↑ Op. No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat carried on the hull.