Blyth Lifeboat Station

Blyth Lifeboat Station is located at the Port and seaside town of Blyth, in the south east corner of the county of Northumberland, approx. 13 mi north of Newcastle upon Tyne.

A lifeboat was first stationed here by the Ridley Estate Trust in 1908, but operated for only two years. Following subsequent management by the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (RNIPLS), and the Blyth Lifeboat Association (BLA), the station was finally transferred to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in 1866.

The station currently operates 2 Inshore lifeboats, the B-class lifeboat Patricia Southall (B-923), on station since 2021, and the smaller D-class Sally Forth (D-878), since 2023.

History
A lifeboat had first been based at Blyth in 1808, privately sponsored by Sir Matthew Ridley. On its first service to a number of Cullercoats fishing boats, caught in a sudden storm off St Mary's island in 1810, the lifeboat was wrecked. 15 lifeboatmen lost their lives. The lifeboat was not replaced.

The Port of Newcastle Shipwreck Association would fund a new Blyth lifeboat in 1826, which was managed and operated by the recently formed RNIPLS. This boat was also to suffer tragedy, capsizing just out of the harbour on 28 October 1841. 10 lifeboatmen lost their lives. Crewman Henry Kinch, a very strong swimmer, and one of only two survivors, was awarded the RNLI Silver Medal for his efforts to save the crew. The boat was recovered, but transferred to Amble in 1843, and not immediately replaced.

In 1845, the Port of Newcastle Shipwreck Association ordered a new lifeboat from Oliver of South Shields, a 32-foot 12-oared non-self-righting lifeboat, costing £175. It would be managed by the Blyth Lifeboat Association, who levied a toll on all ships entering Blyth to pay for its upkeep.

On 27 October 1852, the Blyth lifeboat launched to the Russian barque Victoria, wrecked near Blyth Harbour. All 14 crew were saved. H.M. Coastguard James Kearney White was awarded the RNLI Silver Clasp to his medal, his second Silver award.

In certain weather conditions, it was found difficult to getting the lifeboat out of the harbour. To resolve this, Blyth No.2 station was established in 1854, located 1 mile north of Blyth Harbour on Cambois Links. Sir Matthew Ridley would provide a site, and the funds for a boathouse. A 31-foot 12-oared lifeboat was constructed by George Redhead of Blyth. In 1870, the previously unnamed lifeboat would be named Thomas Carr.

On 1 December 1866, management of the station was transferred to the RNLI. The No.1 boathouse was renovated and lengthened, and the 20–year old lifeboat was replaced with a new 33-foot Self-righting boat, built by Woolfe of Shadwell, costing £283. A new carriage was provided for the boat, costing a further £98, and at a ceremony on 4 May 1867, the new boat was named Salford, having been provided by funds raised by the Manchester and Salford branch of the RNLI.

On service to the Norwegian vessel Fremad on 16 October 1898, the No.2 Lifeboat capsized. Some lifeboatmen made it ashore, and others regained the boat, but Second Coxswain Mark Fairhurst was swept away. Coxswain John Tinning jumped back into the sea, and managed to pull Fairhurst ashore, but he didn't survive.

Tinning was awarded the RNLI Silver Medal, and a Silver Medal from the Norwegian Government for his courageous actions. John William Tinning would be killed in action in the Second Boer War on 21 July 1900.

Blyth No.2 station was renamed Cambois Lifeboat Station on 8 March 1900. In the same year, a new lifeboat would be placed at Cambois, the 34-foot John Anthony (ON 447). Cambois Coxswain John Bushell and Acting Bowman G. Summerside would be awarded gallantry medals from the King of Norway, for their service to the barque Haabet of Svelvik on 12 November 1901. On the 9 October 1921, a motor-powered 45ft Watson-class lifeboat Joseph Adlam (ON 654) would be placed at Blyth. Cambois Lifeboat Station was closed on 30 June 1927.



In 1921, for the station's first motor lifeboat, the RNLI built a new boathouse and roller-slipway which, with modifications over the years, is still in use for the D-class inflatable today. The various motor lifeboats over the years were slipway launched until October 1982 when a Waveney-class fast afloat boat was allocated to the station. The Waveney served until replaced by the new 25-knot Trent-class lifeboat 14-06 Windsor Runner (ON 1204) in December 1995. (Unusually for the RNLI, all of Blyth's motor lifeboats had been built new for the station).

However, a review of lifeboat provision in the North East led to the decision to withdraw the All-weather lifeboat from Blyth, and the station became inshore only on 16 July 2004. Inevitably, decisions to close or downgrade stations often lead to local concerns and following the RNLI's decision, the Blyth Volunteer Lifeboat Service was set up and purchased a 38-foot-6-inch Lochin lifeboat which had been built in 1990 for the Caister Volunteer Rescue Service (a body similarly set up after withdrawal of an RNLI all-weather boat). The boat, named Spirit of Blyth and Wansbeck, went into service in 2005. By 2021, the Blyth Volunteer Lifeboat Service had ceased operations.

In 2023 the station's own crew had to be rescued, when the three members of crew were washed overboard from their D-class lifeboat while performing a search. The crew activated their Emergency position-indicating radiobeacon and fired a distress flare and were safely recovered. Their boat was rescued by Tynemouth Lifeboat.

Station honours
The following are awards made at Blyth


 * Bronze Medal for gallantry in saving life at sea
 * Anthony Nixon, Coxswain - 1913


 * RNLI Silver Medal
 * William Armstrong - 1829


 * Henry Kinch - 1841


 * James Kearney White, coastguard - 1852


 * James Kearney White, coastguard - 1852 (Second-Service Clasp)


 * John William Tinning, Coxswain - 1898


 * Anthony Nixon, Coxswain - 1913


 * John Bushell, Coxswain - 1916


 * Thomas Fawcus, Coxswain - 1963


 * Silver Medal, awarded by the Norwegian Government
 * John William Tinning, Coxswain - 1898


 * RNLI Bronze Medal
 * Josiah Wheatley, Coxswain - 1939


 * John Kerr, Bowman - 1963


 * Charles Hatcher, Coxswain - 1983


 * The Maud Smith Award 1962 (for the bravest act of lifesaving during the year by a member of a lifeboat crew)
 * John Kerr, Bowman - 1963


 * The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum
 * John Bushell, Coxswain - 1916


 * Thomas Fawcus, Coxswain - 1959


 * to the other members of the crew - 1963


 * Keith Barnard, Coxswain - 1994


 * Lifesaving Medals awarded by The King of Norway
 * John Bushell, Coxswain - 1902
 * G Summerside, Acting Bowman - 1902


 * Silver cup awarded by The King of Norway
 * Coxswain - 1917


 * Silver Medals awarded by The King of Norway
 * to each of the crew for their services - 1917


 * Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE)
 * Dr Reginald Carr - 2016

Roll of Honour
In memory of those lost whilst serving Blyth lifeboat. • :Henry Short, Coxswain
 * On service to Cullercoats Fishing Boats, 31 March 1810

• :Duncan Stewart

• :John Hall

• :Thomas Turnbull

• :John Doble

• :William Oliver

• :William Todd

• :Joseph Partis

• :Matthew Jefferson

• :Josiah Walker

• :Thomas Brown

• :John Robinson

• :George Lee

• :James Morgan

• :William Hunter

• :Robinson Byrn, Coxswain
 * Launched to the brig Sibsons on 28 October 1841

• :Henry Bebord

• :William Dixson

• :James White

• :Daniel Dawson

• :John Hudson

• :Peter Bushell

• :George Heron

• :Edward Wood

• :John Hepbell


 * On service to the Norwegian vessel Fremad on 16 October 1898
 * Mark Fairhurst, Second Coxswain

Blyth Cambois (No.2)

 * Station Closed, 1927

B-class

 * Pre ON numbers are unofficial numbers used by the Lifeboat Enthusiast Society to reference early lifeboats not included on the official RNLI list.