# Saint Peter Port Lifeboat Station

St Peter Port Lifeboat Station is located at St Peter Port, capital of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, and main port of the island of Guernsey, a self-governing British Crown Dependency and one of the Channel Islands.
A lifeboat was first placed on Guernsey in 1803, stationed at St Sampson. In 1861, management of the station was transferred to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), with operations moving to St Peter Port in 1881.
The station currently operates a Severn-class All-weather lifeboat, 17-04 Spirit of Guernsey (ON 1203), on station since 1997, and a B-class (Atlantic 85) Inshore lifeboat, Harold Hobbs (B-943), on station since 2024.

## History

In 1803, the 12 members of the St Peter Port Douzaine decided that a lifeboat was required. An order for a lifeboat costing £170 was placed with Henry Greathead. The lifeboat would be stationed at St Sampson. It is not known for how long the lifeboat operated.
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. In 1851, the RNIPLS Silver Medal was awarded to Pilot John Mitchell for the rescue of three people from the Cutter Adele. Five more RNLI Silver Medals were awarded for the efforts to save the 15 crew of the barque Boadicea, on passage from Alexandria to Antwerp, when she was wrecked on Tautenay rock on 5 January 1857. Just six of the 15 crew were rescued.
As a result of the wreck of the Boadicea, Mr Gustavus Carrington and Capt. Richard Peake arranged a public subscription for the purchase of a new lifeboat. £115-19s-10d was raised in just seven days. Rescue, a new 28-foot self-righting 'Pulling and Sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, one with sails and oars, arrived on 20 July. Without a carriage, the boat was stored at Stonelake's yard in St Sampson.
On 30 May 1861, a resolution was passed at the public meeting, to request that the RNLI take over the management of St Sampson Lifeboat Station. The request was forwarded by Mr Henri Tupper, on behalf of the Guernsey lifeboat committee, and following the visit and report of the RNLI Inspector, the request was agreed at a meeting of the RNLI committee of management on 4 July 1861. A new lifeboat carriage was ordered, along with the commissioning of a new lifeboat house, to be built on North Side Street, St Sampson, at a cost of £134.
In 1862, the RNLI supplied a replacement 30-foot (6-oared) lifeboat and carriage. Initially unnamed, the RNLI would receive the bequest of £1000 from the late Miss Louisa Hall in 1868. The funds were appropriated to the station, and the lifeboat named Louisa Hall.
Victor Hugo presented the Harbour Master Capt. Abraham Martin, as a ‘mark of esteem’ with his own design of lifejacket and belt in 1870.
In 1875, a larger 32-feet 10-oared lifeboat, along with its carriage, was sent to Guernsey. In a grand celebration, the lifeboat was drawn by 8 horses through the principle towns of the island, escorted by a band and a large crowd of spectators. At a service and naming ceremony, the lifeboat, funded by a gift to the Institution by Mrs. and the Misses Lockett of Liverpool, in memory of a deceased son and brother, was named John Lockett.
In 1878, the lifeboat house was sold to the States for £143-10s-0d, and the John Lockett was transferred to the new La Lande Lifeboat Station, established in the north-east corner of the Island, near what is now Beaucette Marina. A new boathouse had been constructed, at a cost of £334. However, after problems maintaining a crew in that location, it was decided to relocate the lifeboat once again, this time to a new station at St Peter Port. The lifeboat was returned to St Sampson in 1880 for storage, until the new station was ready.
In 1881, St Peter Port Lifeboat Station was established at Saint Peter Port Harbour castle emplacement, with the Castle slipway being amended to suit lifeboat launches.$^{:12}$ 1896 saw the introduction of maroons to summon the crew.
In June 1940 the relief lifeboat Alfred and Clara Heath ON 672 was strafed by German aircraft and Harold Hobbs, son of the Coxswain Fred Hobbs, was killed. This lifeboat stayed in Guernsey during the occupation and was used by the Kriegsmarine (Nazi German navy).
Lifeboat house built on St Julians Emplacement in 1946.
In 1952 the Flying Christine, an ex seaplane tender was brought into service by St John Ambulance as an ambulance boat, to work closely with the RNLI.
RNLI Gold Medal and Norwegian Lifeboat Service Gold Medal awarded to Hubert Petit for rescue crew of 9 from Johann Collett in 1963. In 1977 maroons were replaced by ‘bleepers’, which were followed in 1983 with pagers.
In 1978 Coxswain John Petit was awarded a silver medal and the ‘Maud Smith’ award for the bravest act of lifesaving that year following the rescue from the oil rig Orion.
RNLI Gold Medal awarded to Coxwain Michael Scales for the rescue of 29 from Bonita in December 1981 as well as the ‘Maud Smith’ Award for the bravest act of lifesaving that year.
In 1992 Coxswain Peter Bisson received a silver medal for the rescue from the yacht Sena Siorra and the ‘Maud Smith’ Award for the bravest act of lifesaving that year.
From 2015, the Guernsey Joint Emergency Services Control Centre handles all 999 emergency calls including radio Mayday, Pan-pan and Sécurité messages.
2020 saw the RNLI's 1,500th call out from Guernsey, during which time 600 lives have been saved and 2,000 people taken to safety.
In 2024, St Peter Port received a new B-class (Atlantic 85) lifeboat, Harold Hobbs (B-943), in memory of the RNLI volunteer who was killed by German forces while serving on a Guernsey lifeboat in 1940.

## Operations

Search and rescue operations are conducted and co-ordinated using the Joint Emergency Services Control Centre (JESCC) with some or all of:

## Station honours

The following are awards made at St Peter Port, Guernsey
* RNLI Gold Medal
       Hubert Ernest Petit, Coxswain – 1963
       Michael John Scales, Coxswain – 1982
* Gold Medal, awarded by the Norwegian Lifeboat Institution
       Hubert Ernest Petit, Coxswain – 1963
* Gold medal, awarded by the Greek Ministry of Merchant Marine presented by His Excellency the Greek Ambassador, Monsieur N Kyriazides
       John Hubert Petit, Coxswain – 1984
       (awarded for service in 1979)
* RNIPLS Silver Medal
       John Mitchell, Pilot – 1851
* RNLI Silver Medal
       Henry Bougourd, Pilot of Cutter Blonde – 1857
       Peter Corbet, Pilot of Cutter Blonde – 1857
       George Hughes, Pilot of Cutter Blonde – 1857
       William Pillar, Gunner, H.M. Revenue Cutter Eagle – 1857
       William Cockrom, Steward, H.M. Revenue Cutter Eagle – 1857
       (each man also awarded £2)
       John Hubert Petit, Coxswain – 1978
       Peter Bisson, Coxswain – 1992
* Silver Cup with diploma, awarded by the Norwegian Lifeboat Institution
       Eric Clifford Pattimore, Motor Mechanic – 1963
       John Hubert Petit, crew member – 1963
* Silver medal, awarded by the Greek Ministry of Merchant Marine presented by His Excellency the Greek Ambassador, Monsieur N Kyriazides
       Robert Hamon, crew member – 1984
       Eric Pattimore, crew member – 1984
       Robert Vowles, crew member – 1984
       John Robilliard, crew member – 1984
       Graham Eker, crew member – 1984
       (awarded for service in 1979)
* RNLI Bronze Medal
       Eric Clifford Pattimore, Motor Mechanic – 1963
       John Hubert Petit, crew member – 1963
       John Hubert Petit, Coxswain – 1975 (Second-Service Clasp)
       John Harry Robilliard, Emergency Mechanic – 1975
       John Hubert Petit, Coxswain – 1978 (Third-Service Clasp)
       John Hubert Petit, Coxswain – 1979 (Fourth-Service Clasp)
       Peter Nicholas Bougourd, Second Coxswain – 1982
       Robert Lewis Vowles, Mechanic – 1982
       Alan Frederick Martel, Assistant Mechanic – 1982
       Peter John Bisson, crew member – 1982
       John Philip Bougourd, crew member – 1982
       Richard James Hamon, crew member – 1982
       John Webster, crew member – 1982
       Michael John Scales, Coxswain – 1984
       Peter John Bisson, Second Coxswain – 1985 (Second-Service Clasp)
* The Maud Smith Award (for the bravest act of lifesaving during the year by a member of a lifeboat crew)
       John Hubert Petit, Coxswain – 1978
       Michael John Scales, Coxswain – 1981
       Peter John Bisson, Coxswain – 1992
* Medal Service Certificate
       Robert Hamon, crew member – 1979
       Eric Pattimore, crew member – 1979
       Robert Vowles, crew member – 1979
       John Robilliard, crew member – 1979
       Graham Eker, crew member – 1979
* The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum
       St Peter Port lifeboat crew – 1963
       John H Petit, Coxswain – 1971
       Peter Bougourd, Deputy Coxswain – 1978
       Robert Hamon, crew member – 1978
       Lloyd De Mouilpied, Deputy Coxswain – 1978
       Eric C Pattimore, Motor Mechanic – 1978
       Robert Vowles, Assistant Mechanic – 1978
       Michael Scales, crew member – 1978
       Robert Hamon, crew member – 1978
       John Webster, crew member – 1978
       John Robilliard, crew member – 1978
       Michael John Scales, Coxswain – 1983
       Peter Nicholas Bougourd, Second Coxswain – 1983
       Alan Martel, Assistant Mechanic – 1983
       Robert Vowles, Motor Mechanic – 1984
       Alan Martel, Assistant Mechanic – 1985
       Michael Guille, crew member – 1985
       John Bougourd, Second Coxswain – 1992
       James Youlton, Mechanic – 1992
       Keith Martel, Assistant Mechanic – 1992
       Philip Martel, crew member – 1992
       Gary Cook, crew member – 1992
       Andrew Le Provost, crew member – 1992
       Vincent Helmot, crew member – 1992
       James Youlton, Mechanic – 1995
       Robert Harmon, crew member – 1995
* A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution
       St Peter Port lifeboat crew – 1971
       The Master of the tug Abeille Languedoc – 1982
       Peter Bisson, Coxswain – 1995
       Anthony White, Coxswain – 2009
* A Collective Letter of Thanks signed by the Chief Executive of the Institution
       St Peter Port lifeboat crew – 2009
* Wristwatches, awarded by the owners of the ship Johann Collett
       St Peter Port lifeboat crew – 1963
* Letter of Thanks, from French Government
       St Peter Port lifeboat crew – 1931
* 1981 Silver Plate presented by the Norwegian Company responsible for the crew of the Bonita
       Coxswain Michael John Scales, Coxswain – 1981
* Special Certificate of Commendation, presented by the Commissioner of Maritime Affairs, Republic of Liberia
       St Peter Port lifeboat crew – 1985
* Letter of Thanks, from the Government of the Marshall Islands
       St Peter Port lifeboat crew – 2006
* Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE)
       John Hubert Petit, Former Coxswain, Harbourmaster – 1988NYH
       Peter Bisson, Coxswain – 1996QBH
       Robert Ramsay Hamon – 2005QBH
       Anthony Charles White, Coxswain – 2011QBH
       Celia Lois Allen, Chairman, Ladies Lifeboat Guild – 2016QBH
* British Empire Medal
       John Philip Bougourd, Former Coxswain – 2012QBH
* The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service
       St Peter Port RNLI Lifeboat Station – 2021

## St Samson lifeboats

49°29′01.7″N 2°30′58.7″W﻿ / ﻿49.483806°N 2.516306°W﻿ / 49.483806; -2.516306
| ON | Name | On Station | Class |
| – | Unknown | 1803–???? | Greathead-class |
| Pre-317 | The Rescue | 1857–1862 | 28-foot Self-righting (P&S) |
| Pre-393 | Unnamed, Louisa Hall | 1862–1868 1868–1875 | 30-foot Peake (P&S) |
| Pre-597 | John Lockett | 1875–1878 1880–1881 | 32-foot Self-righting (P&S) |
    Station Closed, 1878
    Pre ON numbers are unofficial numbers used by the Lifeboat Enthusiast Society to reference early lifeboats not included on the official RNLI list.

## La Lande lifeboat

49°30′16.8″N 2°30′20.4″W﻿ / ﻿49.504667°N 2.505667°W﻿ / 49.504667; -2.505667
| ON | Name | On Station | Class | Comments |
| Pre-597 | John Lockett | 1878–1880 | 32-foot Self-righting (P&S) | Lifeboat returned to St Sampson for storage, 1880–1881 |
    Station Closed, 1880

## St Peter Port lifeboats
### All-weather lifeboats

| ON | Op. No. | Name | On Station | Class | Comments |
| Pre-597 | – | John Lockett | 1881–1888 | 32-foot Self-righting (P&S) | |
| 165 | – | Vincent Wilkinson, Kirk Ella | 1888–1929 | 34-foot Self-Righting (P&S) | |
| 626 | – | Arthur Lionel | 1912–1929 | Liverpool (P&S) |
| 719 | – | Queen Victoria | 1929–1940 | 51-foot Barnett | motorised 9.5 knots |
| 672 | – | Alfred and Clara Heath | 1940–1945 | 40-foot Self-Righting (Motor) | |
| 719 | – | Queen Victoria | 1945–1954 | 51-foot Barnett | motorised 9.5 knots |
| 912 | – | Euphrosyne Kendal | 1954–1972 | 52-foot Barnett | 52-foot diesel 9.5 knots |
| 1025 | 52-02 | Sir William Arnold | 1973–1997 | Arun | 52-foot 18 knots |
| 1203 | 17-04 | Spirit of Guernsey | 1997– | Severn | 55-foot 25 knots |

### Inshore lifeboats

| Op. No. | Name | On Station | Class | Comments |
| B-889 | Elizabeth and Margaret Milligan | 2019–2024 | B-class (Atlantic 85) | |
| B-943 | Harold Hobbs | 2024– | B-class (Atlantic 85) | |
* 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.

## Alderney

Alderney lifeboat station was established in 1869, operating for a short period until 1884, when it was closed. The station was re-established in 1984. Between 1885 and 1984, St Peter Port Lifeboat Station provided cover.

## Charity status

The Saint Peter Port Lifeboat Station is a Guernsey registered charity. CH135.

## Media

Pictures of four Guernsey lifeboats appeared on a set of postage stamps issued by Guernsey Post to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the RNLI in 1974 and a further six lifeboats appeared on a further set of stamps to commemorate the 175th anniversary of the RNLI in 1999.
The lifeboat has also appeared on phonecards issued by Cable & Wireless.