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 here in 1803. By 1857, the station was operating from St Samson, and was transferred to the management of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in 1861. St Peter Port station was re-opened 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 Inshore lifeboat, Harold Hobbs (B-943), on station since 2024.

History
Established in 1803 and based in Saint Sampson, Guernsey, a tidal harbour.

6 Silver medals awarded before the RNLI took over the station, the first in 1851 to John Mitchell for the rescue of 3 from the Cutter Adele. Five were awarded for the 1857 rescue of 6 crew from the barque Boadicea.

In 1861 the station was taken over by the RNLI and a shed was built at St Sampson's.

Victor Hugo presented the Harbour Master Capt. Abraham Martin, as a ‘mark of esteem’ with his own design of lifejacket and belt in 1870.

1875 a new lifeboat arrived, the John Lockett. in 1878 the lifeboat was moved to Les Landes but problems in finding sufficient crew in the area resulted in the boat returned to St Sampson’s.

In 1881 the station relocated to Saint Peter Port Harbour castle emplacement with the Castle slipway being amended to suit lifeboat launches. 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 ‘Maude 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 ‘Maude 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 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:


 * Lifeboat stations in Alderney, Jersey and France
 * Jersey Coastguard
 * Channel Islands Air Search spotter plane
 * Guernsey Fire and Rescue Service
 * Guernsey Ambulance and Rescue Service


 * UK Maritime and Her Majesty's Coastguard
 * French Maritime Authorities and Maritime Gendarmerie
 * Royal Navy
 * French Navy

Records and awards

 * RNLI Medals awarded:
 * Med 1.png 2 Gold medals
 * Med 2.png 14 Silver medals
 * Med 3.png 15 Bronze medals


 * Over 1,500 launches
 * Over 600 lives saved


 * Foreign gallantry awards received from:
 * France
 * Norway
 * Greece
 * Liberia
 * Marshall Islands

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)


 * RNLI Silver Medal
 * John Mitchell, Pilot - 1851


 * 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


 * British Empire Medal
 * John Philip Bougourd, Former Coxswain - 2012QBH


 * The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service
 * St Peter Port RNLI Lifeboat Station - 2021

All-weather lifeboats

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

Alderney
In 1865 Gunner James Moore of the Royal Artillery in Alderney was awarded a silver medal for rescuing 17 people from the Carioca following which in 1869 a lifeboat station was established in Alderney, the first boat being the ‘Mary and Victoria’. The station closed in 1885 due to a shortage of crew.

In 1986 the Alderney station was re-opened with the 44 ft Waveney-class lifeboat ON 1045 Louis Marchesi of Round Table (44-019) based there from 1987. The current boat is the 46 ft Trent-class lifeboat ON 1199 Roy Barker I (14-04).

Between 1885 and 1986 the Saint Peter Port Lifeboat Station provided cover around Alderney.

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.