Bembridge Lifeboat Station

Bembridge Lifeboat Station is located in the village of Bembridge on the Isle of Wight in the United Kingdom. The station is located on the eastern approaches to The Solent, south of the area known as Spithead. The station is on one of the busiest shipping lanes in United Kingdom waters. The main boathouse stands away from the shore on a piled platform with slipway, and is linked to the shore by a pier gangway (see picture).

A lifeboat was first stationed at Bembridge in 1867 by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).

The station currently operates two lifeboats:
 * An Tamar-class All-weather lifeboat 16-17 Alfred Albert Williams (ON 1297) which has been at the station since 2010
 * A D-class Inshore lifeboat (ILB), Norman Harvey (D-778), on station since 2015. The ILB is kept in a boathouse on the shore, next to the pier gangway of the main boathouse.

1867–1922: original service and rescues
The first lifeboat service began at Bembridge in 1867. A boathouse was built at Lane End at a cost of £165, and the first lifeboat was launched from here by means of a carriage. The first lifeboat on station was a self-righting 'pulling and sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, one with oars and sails, and was 32 ft long and 7 ft in beam. She was paid for by the subscriptions of the citizens of Worcester and was named City of Worcester.

The lifeboat Queen Victoria (ON 112), was placed at Bembridge from 1887 to 1902. In 1902, she was replaced by another lifeboat to be named Queen Victoria (ON 468). The first boathouse was enlarged between 1902 and 1903.

On 3 February 1916 the SS Empress Queen became stranded in thick fog and foul weather on the Ring Rocks, off the Foreland at the eastern extremity of the Isle of Wight. There were 1,300 troops and a large quantity of ammunition on board. A destroyer was used to take off the troops while the crew remained on board. Efforts to pull the Empress Queen off the rocks failed, and within a few hours a gale had blown up. The Queen Victoria (ON 468) was launched to assist but was unable to anchor nearby. A line thrown from the Empress Queen was finally retrieved, allowing the lifeboat to be pulled alongside. Over four trips, the Queen Victoria rescued 110 crewmen, along with the ship's cat and dog. Coxswain John Holbrook would be awarded the RNLI Silver Medal.



On the morning of 28 August 1919, there was heavy rain in a strong gale, and an American ship called the USS Wakulla (ID-3147) had been driven onto a shoal at West Wittering.

The Queen Victoria (ON 468) was towed out by a government tug until she was windward of the steamer. Finally getting along side, the lifeboat rescued 13 of her crew, landing them on shore. The lifeboat then returned to stand by, until the weather moderated. The lifeboat had been at sea for 19 hours. Coxswain John Holbrook was awarded his second RNLI Silver Medal.

1922–1939: improvements
By 1922 the RNLI had determined that Bembridge's location made it a prime candidate for a new motor lifeboat, requiring the construction of a new boathouse with a concrete pier and a steel launching slipway. A single-screw self-righting motor lifeboat, the Langham (ON 676), was funded by a legacy and was named and launched by a member of the donor's family. The 1922 improvements made Bembridge the most state-of-the-art station in the country and gave the crew the capability to be at sea in just 14 minutes. The new motor lifeboat extended the range of the station, allowing Bembridge to cover Brook and Brighstone, whose stations were closed.

In 1939, the boathouse was enlarged to accommodate a new 46ft Watson-class twin-screw motor lifeboat, the Jesse Lumb (ON 822). She was funded by a legacy and christened by the Bishop of Salisbury, Neville Lovett, on 21 July 1939.

On 29 January 1940 there was a blizzard with heavy seas in the English Channel. The Jesse Lumb put out to sea at 5:20 pm in response to a distress call. She searched Man's Fort just off Selsey, then was redirected to search between Ryde and Seaview on the Isle of Wight. Finding no vessels in distress, she was redirected to Chichester Bar outside Chichester Harbour, where she finally located HMT Kingston Cairngorm, which was flooding quickly. After several approaches, the Jesse Lumb retrieved all 21 of her crew safely. Coxswain Harry James Gawn was awarded the RNLI Bronze Medal.

The station's lifeboats continued to serve during World War II. On 8 August 1941, Jesse Lumb was launched to search for an aircraft reported to be down 10 miles south of Bembridge station. After a fruitless search for the aircraft, the lifeboat came across Royal Air Force Marine Branch high speed launch HSL 116 disabled and flying a distress signal. She had been attacked by German aircraft while on patrol. One crewman had been killed, another severely wounded, and the launch's propeller was fouled. The Jesse Lumb took the vessel under tow and brought her safely in to Portsmouth.

1964–1994: boathouse enlargements
In 1964 the RNLI established an inshore lifeboat service at Bembridge, utilising the 1867 boathouse to house the D-class ILB. In 1970, Jesse Lumb was withdrawn to the relief fleet. The boathouse was enlarged to accommodate a new lifeboat, the Solent-class Jack Shayler and the Lees (ON 1009) which served on station from 1970 until 1978.

In 1987 the station was allocated a new Tyne-class lifeboat, Max Aitken III (ON 1126), and the boathouse was again altered to accommodate the bigger boat. She was on the station from 1987 until 2010. In 1989 work was done on the slipway to extend the toe, and in 1994 major repairs were made to the slipway.

2009: major re-development
In 2009 a new Tamar-class lifeboat was allocated to the station, again requiring a major redevelopment of the offshore boathouse, projected to cost £10 million. A public appeal to raise £1million for the project was launched. Demolition of the old station began in May 2009.

The old Tyne-class Max Aitken III was retired to the RNLI relief fleet and the station was allocated the Mersey-class Peggy & Alex Caird (ON 1124) to cover whilst the new station was built.

The facility was designed to allow the lifeboat to reach 95% of casualties within 50 miles of the station, within 30 minutes of launch. The new boathouse, station and gangway was completed by October 2010 and cost £7,650,000. On 27 September 2010 the new lifeboat, the Alfred Albert Williams (ON 1297), was deployed to the station.

At the same time, work was carried out on the old onshore boathouse to provide new facilities for the Inshore Lifeboat. The portion of the structure dating back to the original 19th century boathouse were kept, whilst the newer building was carefully constructed around it.

Station honours
The following are awards made at Bembridge


 * RNLI Silver Medal
 * John Holbrook, Coxswain - 1916


 * John Holbrook, Coxswain - 1919 (Second Service Award)


 * RNLI Bronze Medal
 * Harry James Gawn, Coxswain - 1940


 * The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum
 * Charles Searle, Coxswain - 1877


 * Alan Attrill, Helmsman - 1994


 * A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution
 * Archibald Henley, Coxswain - 1993


 * Alan Attrill, Helmsman - 1994
 * Graeme White, crew member - 1994
 * Geoffrey Attrill, crew member - 1994


 * A Framed Letter of Appreciation
 * Martin S Humphrey, inshore lifeboat crew member - 1970
 * Barry L Dyer, inshore lifeboat crew member - 1970


 * Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE)
 * Martin John Woodward, Former Coxswain - 2004


 * Capt Graham Hall, Lifeboat Operations Manager - 2011


 * British Empire Medal
 * Peter Smith, Coxswain - 1972