Holyhead Lifeboat Station

Holyhead Lifeboat Station (Gorsaf Bad Achub Caergybi) is a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboat station in the coastal town of Holyhead, Anglesey, Wales. It is one of the three oldest lifeboat stations situated on the North Wales coast, a disused building of which houses the Holyhead Maritime Museum.

History
Holyhead Lifeboat Station was first mentioned in 1825 when it was decided a lifeboat would be built for the coastal town of Holyhead. A local committee was formed three years later and the first lifeboat arrived at the station shortly afterwards. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) took over control of the station in 1855 and an lifeboat house was built three years later. The station covered the shipping lane in and out of Liverpool.

In 1892, Holyhead Lifeboat Station received its first steam lifeboat, which was one of six to serve in the RNLI. The lifeboat was involved in an operation to rescue crew members of the SS Harold in 1908 which anchored near rocks between North Stack and South Stack. The third steam Lifeboat to serve at Holyhead, James Stevens No.3, was retired in 1928 when it was replaced by a motor-powered Watson-class lifeboat, H.C.J. (ON 708)

Twenty-one years later, a new boathouse and slipway were constructed on Salt Island. The boathouse and slipway were used until 1980, when a new Arun-class boat was allocated to the station and kept afloat in the harbour. Unfortunately, wash from the ferry traffic led to the boat's GRP hull being damaged, and as a temporary measure a steel-hulled Waveney-class boat was placed on station while the boathouse and slipway were reconditioned and a new Tyne-class boat was constructed for the station. The new boat entered service in 1985, and slipway launching continued until 1997 when a new, more protected, berth was found for another Arun-class boat, 52-37 Kenneth Thelwall (ON 1123) to take over.

In 2003, the Arun-class was replaced by the present Severn-class Lifeboat, 17–41	Christopher Pearce (ON 1272)

An inshore lifeboat station was established on the site in 1967. The boathouse was expanded in 1987 to fit a D-class lifeboat (EA16) and its launching trolley. Its current inshore boat, (D-791) Mary & Archie Hooper, entered service in 2016. Lead was stolen from the station's roof in the morning of 16 June 2011. In February 2015 the station appointed its first female helm.

Station honours
The following are awards made at Holyhead Holyhead have been awarded 49 medals. 4 Gold, 32 Silver and 13 Bronze


 * RNLI Gold Medal
 * Rev James Williams - 1835


 * Captain William Owen - 1835


 * William Owen, Coxswain - 1908


 * Lieut Commander Harold Harknett Harvey VRD,
 * RNR, Inspector of Lifeboats for the North West area - 1967


 * RNLI Silver Medal
 * Thomas Hughes - 1929


 * Robert Stables, Coxswain - 1833
 * Captain William Owen - 1833
 * Oliver Anthony, Master Mariner - 1833


 * Richard Morris, Coxswain - 1835


 * Henry Parry, Coxswain - 1840


 * William Rowlands, Coxswain - 1866


 * William Rowlands, Coxswain - 1867 (Second Service Award)


 * Thomas Roberts, Coxswain - 1833 (This service was carried out in the Rhosneigr lifeboat).


 * Coxswain Roberts - 1886 (Second Service Award)


 * Edward Jones, Coxswain - 1887


 * John O Williams, Chief Officer of HM Coastguard, Hon. Secretary - 1888


 * Edward Jones, Coxswain - 1889 (Second Service Award)


 * Robert Jones, Second Coxswain - 1889


 * John O Williams, Chief Officer of HM Coastguard, Hon. Secretary - 1890 (Second Service Award)
 * William Owen, Pilot - 1890
 * George Jones, Boatman - 1890
 * John Roberts, Farmer and Fisherman - 1890
 * John Morris, Farmer - 1890


 * Thomas W Brooke, crewman - 1908
 * George Jones, crewman - 1908
 * Lewis Jones, crewman - 1908
 * Richard Jones, crewman - 1908
 * Samuel Jones, crewman - 1908
 * James Lee, crewman - 1908
 * William McLaughlin, crewman - 1908
 * Charles H Marshall, crewman - 1908
 * William Owen Jnr, crewman - 1908
 * Lewis Roberts, crewman - 1908


 * Thomas Alcock, Coxswain - 1967
 * Eric Samuel Jones, Motor Mechanic - 1967


 * William Jones, Coxswain - 1977


 * RNLI Bronze Medal
 * Richard Jones, Coxswain - 1943
 * John Jones, Motor Mechanic - 1943


 * Richard Jones, Coxswain - 1949 (Second Service Award)


 * William John Jones, Second Coxswain - 1967
 * Francis Ward, Acting Bowman - 1967
 * Jack Sharpe, Acting Assistant Mechanic - 1967
 * John Michael Hughes, crew member - 1967
 * David Graham Drinkwater, crew member - 1967
 * Brian Gordon Stewart, crew member - 1967


 * Donald Malcolm Forrest, Mechanic - 1971
 * Gareth Ogwen-Jones, crewmember - 1971
 * John Michael Hughes, crew member - 1971 (Second Service Award)


 * William Jones, Coxswain, - 1977 (Second Service Award)


 * The Thanks of the Institution on Vellum
 * Awarded to each of the 15 crew - 1883 (This service was carried out in the Rhosneigr lifeboat).


 * All the lifeboat crew - 1978


 * The Sugar Manufacturer’s Association (of Jamaica) Ltd Case of Rum 1954 for the longest continuous service during the winter months of 1953/54
 * Holyhead lifeboat crew - 1954


 * Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE)
 * Thomas Brian Thomson, Coxswain - 2007