# Dungeness Lifeboat Station

Dungeness Lifeboat Station is located on Dungeness Road, about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) south-east of the town of Lydd, on the cuspate foreland of Dungeness, on the Kent coast.
A lifeboat was first stationed at Dungeness in 1826, supplied by the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (RNIPLS), and managed by the Dover and District Lifeboat Association.
The station is currently one of 238 Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboat stations, and operates the Shannon-class All-weather lifeboat, 13-02 The Morrell (ON 1309), launched using the Shannon Launch and Recovery System.

## History

In August 1824, just three months after the formation of the RNIPLS, Major-General Bowles of the Coast Blockade for the Suppression of Smuggling, which was run by the Admiralty from a chain of Martello towers on the Kent and Sussex coast, requested the placement of a lifeboat at Dungeness. This was agreed, and a 20-foot 6-oared non-self-righting lifeboat was ordered from William Plenty of Newbury, Berkshire, arriving on 30 August 1826. Stationed at Martello tower No.27, (51°00′42.6″N 0°58′57.5″E﻿ / ﻿51.011833°N 0.982639°E﻿ / 51.011833; 0.982639), the station was named Dungeness No.27 Tower.
The first service of the lifeboat was in a severe gale on 27 August 1832. Launched the aid of the Richmond which had run aground, the lifeboat then spotted the brig Osiris, on passage from Ostend to Liverpool, which was also in trouble nearby. When she too ran aground, the crew of 10 managed to get aboard the Richmond, and were rescued from there by the lifeboat. The master of the Richmond declined assistance. Lt. Frederick John Francis Henslow, RN, of H.M. Coastguard was awarded the Silver Medal.
In 1836, the lifeboat was badly damaged on service, and had to be withdrawn. A replacement Palmer-type lifeboat, built by Harton, arrived at the station on 12 December 1836. The station name was then changed to Dymchurch Lifeboat Station. This lifeboat station would close just 2 years later in 1838, the new boat having never been launched on service. Martello tower no.27 was demolished in 1841.
In the following few years without an official lifeboat, rescues were still carried out by the men from H.M. Coastguard, and no fewer than six Silver Medals were awarded.
During a violent storm of 27 December 1852, a day which claimed at least 85 vessels, see Shipwrecks 27 December 1852, coastguard men rescued 39 people from the barque Louisa and Emelia of Hamburg, but 45 people were lost.
As a result of this disaster, the RNIPLS decided to reopen a station at Dungeness. A site for a boathouse was provided by H.M. Board of Ordnance at the Dungeness No.1 Battery, which was constructed at a cost of £97-6s-0d. A 27-foot 8-oared self-righting 'pulling and sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, one with oars and sails, was built by Forrestt of Limehouse, along with a carriage from Ransome and Simms, costing a further £170. Both arrived on station on 25 March 1854, the station being named Dungeness Lifeboat Station.
The service of this boat was very short. Launched just once, and ultimately not required that day, the 2-ton boat was found to be too heavy and difficult to launch, in that location. A replacement boat was ordered, a slightly longer, but much lighter, 28-foot 6-oared lifeboat, weighing just 1 ton 5 cwts, arriving in January 1857. On 5 October 1854, the RNIPLS formally changed name to become the RNLI.
Of course, the replacement lifeboat was found to be too light for the sea conditions, On her first call on 19 October 1858, the lifeboat launched to the schooner Jane May, but found the casualty vessel abandoned. Returning to shore, the lifeboat was capsized, but fortunately no-one was lost.
This lightweight boat would be replaced in 1861. Providence was a 30-foot (6-Oared) Self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, built by Forrestt of Limehouse. To resolve the launching issue with a heavier boat, the station was relocated to Littlestone-on-Sea. The boathouse at No.1 Battery was dismantled and rebuilt at Littlestone, but the station retained the name Dungeness Lifeboat Station.
The first call for the Providence was to the barque Cruz V of Portugal, on passage from Hamburg to Porto, when she was driven ashore at Dungeness point. Battling 4 miles (6.4 km) through rough seas, the lifeboat rescued all 14 men from the vessel.
In a severe gale of 6 January 1867, the French lugger Courrier, on passage from Dunkerque to Dieppe, ran aground off Dymchurch. In the rough conditions, the 6-oared Dungeness lifeboat Providence had been unable to reach the wreck.
RNLI Inspector of Lifeboats, Capt. John Ward, visited the station on 11 January 1867 to investigate the incident. Having been to heavy to launch, to light for the conditions, and then relocated, he concluded that the Dungeness lifeboat still wasn't good enough, and a more powerful lifeboat was required; in other words, one with more oars, more manpower. In July 1871, a new 32-foot 10-oared lifeboat, was transported to Littlestone-on-Sea, where a new boathouse, costing £266-1s-0d, had been constructed at the end of Marine Parade, next to the coastguard station. After a service of dedication by Rev. R. Smith, vicar of New Romney, the boat was named Dr. Hatton.
However, on 22 January 1873, while at anchor in thick fog 3 miles (4.8 km) off Dungeness, the full-rigged ship Northfleet was rammed by the Murillo, which didn't stop. 293 lives were lost. After a careful review by the RNLI, it was decided to once again place a lifeboat further down the coast at Dungeness, whilst leaving the lifeboat currently at Littlestone. The station at Littlestone-on Sea would be renamed 'New Romney Lifeboat Station' in 1874.
A new station, Lydd (Dungeness) Lifeboat Station, was created near Lydd-on-Sea, with a boathouse constructed by W. Robins, costing £277-1s-0d, on land provided by Sir Henry Tufton, Bt.. A 33-foot 10-oared lifeboat arrived on 9 September, and the station was formally opened on 14 September 1874, with the boat being named David Hulett after a gift to the Institution.
On service to the brigantine Aeolus of Sweden on 11 November 1891, the Lydd (Dungeness) lifeboat R. A. O. B. (ON 130) capsized, throwing out five lifeboatmen. Three men were quickly recovered, but two, Henry Reeves and Daniel Nichollson, were lost. The crew of the Aeolus were rescued by the New Romney lifeboat. James Lucas, Coxswain of the R. A. O. B., was awarded the RNLI Silver Medal. Both crews were awarded silver medals by the King of Sweden.
On 25 November 1891, following the capsize of the Lydd lifeboat, and also the Hythe, Sandgate & Folkestone lifeboat, which had also cost the life of a lifeboatman, it was decided to place a second larger lifeboat at the Lydd (Dungeness) station, and create a No.2 station. On 13 October 1892, the station name was changed back to Dungeness Lifeboat Station. A 44-foot 12-oared lifeboat constructed by Woolfe, Thomas Wilcox (ON 312), arrived at Lydd (Dungeness) No.2 station on 29 December 1892, and was moored afloat.
In 1894, it was decided to bring the 44-foot Thomas Wilcox ashore. To assist launching in different locations, the boat was mounted on a rail carriage, and could be transport along 1 mile (1.6 km) of special railway track, that was constructed from the old lighthouse, past the Britannia Inn. The total cost was £1,494-3s-4d. The system was short lived. Thomas Wilcox was launched for the first time only on 30 December 1899. By 1905, the system had been abandoned, and hard standing was created for the lifeboat, which remained outside. In 1912, the hardstanding, now with a turntable, was moved nearer to the water, following a build up of shingle.
A motor-powered lifeboat would be placed at the No.2 station in 1931. Charles Cooper Henderson (ON 761) was a 41ft Watson-class lifeboat, constructed by Groves and Guttridge, capable of 7.66 knots. It was decided to build a boathouse for this larger boat, costing £1,934-13s-10d, and ON 761 was removed from the station during construction in April 1938, returning to Dungeness on 12 January 1939. On 31 March 1939, the No.1 Station boat Mary Theresa Boileau (ON 635) was withdrawn, and the No.1 station was closed. No.2 station then became the primary station.
With the ever changing nature of the coast at Dungeness, in 1977, the station was moved once again. A new boathouse was constructed just to the south of Lydd-on-Sea, at a cost of £45,000. For the first time, the lifeboat was kept on a special launching carriage, pulled by a Talus MBC Case 1150B Amphibious Tractor (T85). A new Rother-class lifeboat 37-35 Alice Upjohn (ON 1048) arrived on station on 23 September 1977, but whilst training on launch procedures took place, the 42ft Watson-class lifeboat Mabel E. Holland (ON 937) remained on service, finally departing on 27 January 1979.
Between 1992 and 2014, the station operated the Mersey-class lifeboat 12-27 Pride and Spirit (ON 1186). In 2014, the station was one of the first to receive the new Shannon-class lifeboats. 13-02 The Morrell (ON 1309), which cost in the region of £2.2M, and is launched with a special tractor and trailer system know and the Shannon Launch and Recovery System, or SLARS.

## Station honours

The following are awards made at Dungeness
* RNLI Silver Medal
       Lt. John Somerville, RN, H.M. Coastguard – 1835
* RNLI Silver Medal
       Lt. Frederick John Francis Henslow, RN, H.M. Coastguard – 1832
       Lt. William Pedder, RN, H.M. Coastguard – 1835
       Lt. Matthew Combe, RN, H.M. Coastguard – 1845
       John Wilcox, Chief Officer, H.M. Coastguard – 1851
       Thomas Rivers, Boatman, H.M. Coastguard – 1851
       Arthur Brookes, Chief Boatman, H.M. Coastguard – 1853
       John Sims, Boatman, H.M. Coastguard – 1853
       Peter Smith, Chief Boatman, H.M. Coastguard – 1859
       Richard Billett, Chief Boatman, H.M. Coastguard, Coxswain – 1876
       James Lucas, Coxswain – 1891
       Tom Richard Tart, Coxswain – 1974
       Gary Clark, crew member – 2012
* Silver Medal, awarded by The King of Sweden
       Each of the crew of the Lydd (Dungeness) Lifeboat R. A. O. B. (ON 130) – 1891
* The Maud Smith Award 1974 (for the bravest act of lifesaving during the year by a member of a lifeboat crew)
       Tom Richard Tart, Coxswain – 1974
* RNLI Bronze Medal
       Douglas Oiller, Coxswain – 1929
       George Tart, Coxswain – 1956
       Peter Edward Thomas, Assistant Mechanic – 1974
* The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum
       Joseph Oiller, Second Coxswain – 1929
       Tom Tart, Bowman – 1929
       Percy Oiller – 1929
       John BIgnall – 1929
       George Tart – 1929
       George Haines – 1929
       John Oiller – 1929
       John W. Oiller – 1929
       William Tart – 1929
       Edwin Fair – 1929
       Douglas Oiller, Coxswain – 1932
       The Women of Dungeness – 1932
       Alexander Oiller – 1956
       W. Thomas – 1956
       George Tart, Coxswain – 1962
       Albert Haines, Second Coxswain – 1974
       Alec Clements, Motor Mechanic – 1974
       William Richardson – 1974
       Colin Haines – 1974
       Arthur Oiller – 1974
       Mark Richardson, Deputy Second Coxswain – 2012
       Trevor Bunney, Mechanic/Deputy Second Coxswain – 2012
* A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution
       William Richardson, Coxswain – 1991
       Kenneth Coleman, Tractor Driver – 1991
* A Collective Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution
       William Richardson, Coxswain and the crew of the Dungeness Lifeboat – 1991
* British Empire Medal
       Judith Ann Richardson, Lifeboat Press Officer – 2023KBH

## Roll of honour

In memory of those lost whilst serving Dungeness lifeboat.
* Lost when the lifeboat R. A. O. B. (ON 130) capsized on service to the brigantine Aeolus of Sweden, 11 November 1891
       Henry Reeves
       Danial Nichollson
* Died from exposure whilst on service, 1898
       George Campbell

## Dungeness lifeboats
### Dungeness (No. 27 Tower) / Dymchurch

| ON | Name | On Station | Class | Comments |
| Pre-121 | Unnamed | 1826−1836 | 20-foot Norfolk & Suffolk | |

### Dymchurch

| ON | Name | On Station | Class | Comments |
| Pre-161 | Unnamed | 1836−1838 | 25-foot Palmer | |

### Dungeness (No. 1 Battery)

| ON | Name | On Station | Class | Comments |
| Pre-278 | Unnamed | 1854−1856 | 27-foot Peake | |
| Pre-304 | Unnamed | 1857−1861 | 28-foot Self-righting (P&S) | |

### Dungeness (Littlestone)

| ON | Name | On Station | Class | Comments |
| Pre-372 | Providence | 1861−1871 | 30-foot Self-righting (P&S) | |
| Pre-558 | Dr. Hatton | 1871–1874 | 32-foot Self-righting (P&S) | |
    Station renamed New Romney Lifeboat Station in 1874

### Lydd (Dungeness) / Dungeness (from 1892)
#### No.1 Station

| ON | Name | On Station | Class |
| Pre-583 | David Hulett | 1874–1887 | 33-foot Self-righting (P&S) |
| 130 | R. A. O. B. | 1887–1894 | 34-foot Self-righting (P&S) |
| 374 | R. A. O. B. | 1894–1912 | 34-foot Self-righting (P&S) (Rubie) |
| 635 | Mary Theresa Boileau | 1912–1939 | 34-foot Self-righting (P&S) (Rubie) |
    Station Closed, 1939

#### No.2 Station

| ON | Op.No. | Name | On Station | Class |
| 312 | – | Thomas Simcox | 1892–1915 | 44-foot Self-righting (P&S) |
| 644 | – | David Barclay of Tottenham | 1915–1933 | 42-foot Self-righting (P&S) |
| 761 | – | Charles Cooper Henderson | 1933–1938 | 41ft Watson |
| No.2 Station Temporarily Closed for reconstruction work, 1938–1939 ||||||
| 761 | – | Charles Cooper Henderson | 1939–1957 | 41ft Watson |
| 937 | – | Mabel E. Holland | 1957–1979 | 42ft Watson |
| 1048 | 37-35 | Alice Upjohn | 1977–1992 | Rother |
| 1186 | 12–27 | Pride and Spirit | 1992–2014 | Mersey |
| 1309 | 13–02 | The Morrell | 2014– | Shannon |

### Launch and recovery tractors

| Op. No. | Reg. No. | Type | On Station |
| T85 | SEL 394R | Talus MBC Case 1150B | 1977–1985 |
| T95 | B188 GAW | Talus MB-H Crawler | 1985–1996 |
| T93 | A496 CUX | Talus MB-H Crawler | 1996–2005 |
| T116 | K920 DUJ | Talus MB-H Crawler | 2005–2014 |
| SC-T03 | HK63 BVW | SLARS (Supacat) | 2014– |
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 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.
    Pre ON numbers are unofficial numbers used by the Lifeboat Enthusiast Society to reference early lifeboats not included on the official RNLI list.