Swanage Lifeboat Station

Swanage Lifeboat Station is a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) station located on Peveril Point in the town of Swanage in Dorset, England. It operates two lifeboats, the Shannon-class All-weather lifeboat 13-13 George Thomas Lacy (ON 1320) and the D-class inshore lifeboat (ILB) Roy Norgrove (D-884).

The station underwent extensive re-development in 2015/16 with a new purpose built boat house to accommodate its new Shannon-class all-weather lifeboat (AWB), and was opened in 2017.

History
On 4 March 1875, prompted by the recent wreck, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution's (RNLI) Committee of Management agreed to form a lifeboat station at Swanage. The ship's first service was on 13 March 1876, when it saved a ketch, the William Pitt of Poole, when it drifted ashore near Bournemouth. In 1890, the slipway was lengthened. In 1902, gas was laid onto the lifeboat house, and the station's first motor lifeboat was sent in 1928.

1992 renovation
In 1992, to make room for the station's new Mersey-class lifeboat, work was carried out on the boathouse, which included an extension to the side of the boathouse and an increase in the roof's height. Work was also undertaken on the slipway.



On 3 September 1992, the new boat was officially named the Robert Charles Brown (ON 1182), in honour of Robert Charles Brown BEM, who was a lifeboatman at the station for over fifty years.

Inshore lifeboats
On 3 April 1993 a D-class Inshore lifeboat (ILB) was sent to the station for evaluation, and a new slipway was built the following year to accommodate it. In 1995, the ILB was permanently stationed and was named Phyl Clare 2 (D-475), and was placed on service on 8 April.

In 2002, a shoreworks project including extra parking which cost £13,333 was completed in July.

On 27 August 2003, a new ILB, the Jack Cleare (D-613) was placed on service, with Phyl Clare 2 (D-475) being withdrawn.

On 12 July 2012, the D-class Phyl & Jack (D-752) was placed on service, with the Jack Cleare (D-613) being withdrawn. This lifeboat was funded in part by a gift and bequest from Mrs Phyl Cleare.

In December 2023, Swanage Lifeboat station welcomed Roy Norgrove (D-884) as their new Inshore Lifeboat, replacing Phyl & Jack which had been on service for 12 years.

2016 rebuild
In November 2014, the RNLI's contractors (BAM Nuttall) arrived on site to start modifications of the boathouse. The Mersey-class Robert Charles Brown had its final slipway launch on 1 February 2015.

On 8 April 2016, the Shannon-class lifeboat arrived, and was officially placed on service on 20 April. The Mersey-class Robert Charles Brown (ON 1182) left Swanage for the last time on 22 April, after more than 23 years of service. On 8 November, trials for the new Shannon class slipway began, and the boat moved into its boathouse on 14 December. On 13 February 2017, the ''Phyl & Jack (D-752) was moved into its new boathouse.

On 29 April 2017, the Shannon-class lifeboat 13-13 was officially named the George Thomas Lacy (ON 1320), and the new lifeboat station was officially opened. The new lifeboat station was opened to the public on 1 May. The new station cost a total of £8 million, more than £465,000 of which was raised locally.

Rescues and awards
Over the years, Swanage Lifeboat Station crew have been involved in many rescues. Ten RNLI medals for gallantry, five silver and five bronze have been awarded, the last in 1996.


 * RNLI Silver Medal
 * Lt. William Parsons RN, Officer of the Coastguard - 1839


 * Lt. George Davies, RN - 1839
 * Edward Leggett, Gunner, RN - 1839
 * Charles Stubbs, Seaman, RN - 1839
 * (all of the Revenue Cutter Tartar)


 * Mr John Lose, Chief Officer of Coastguard - 1875


 * RNLI Bronze Medal
 * Robert Charles Brown, Assistant Motor Mechanic - 1934


 * Ronald Hardy, Coxswain - 1970


 * Ronald Hardy, Coxswain - 1977 (Second Service award)
 * Victor Albert Marsh, Second Coxswain/Mechanic - 1977


 * Christopher Haw, Coxswain - 1996


 * The Maude Smith Award 1996 for the most outstanding act of lifesaving during 1996
 * Christopher Haw, Coxswain - 1996 (Swanage)


 * The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum
 * Robert C Brown, Coxswain - 1936


 * The crew of the lifeboat - 1965


 * D Dyke, Second Coxswain - 1970
 * P Dorey, crew member - 1970


 * Alec Edmonds, crew member - 1971


 * Ronald Hardy, Coxswain - 1976
 * Philip Dorey, Emergency Mechanic - 1976


 * Dr William Tudor-Thomas, Honorary Medical Adviser - 1979
 * John Corben, crew member - 1979
 * Christopher Haw, crew member - 1979


 * Philip Dorey, Acting Coxswain - 1981


 * Victor Marsh, Coxswain/Mechanic - 1988
 * Martin Steeden, Emergency Mechanic - 1988


 * Christopher Haw, Coxswain - 1990


 * Christopher Haw, Coxswain - 1993


 * Thanks of the Committee of Management inscribed on a Vellum certificate
 * Dr D I Aitken - 1966


 * A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution
 * Victor Marsh, Coxswain/Mechanic - 1978
 * George Bishop, Second Assistant Mechanic - 1978
 * Thomas Haw, crew member - 1978


 * Christopher Haw, Coxswain - 1994
 * Terry Pond, crew member -1994


 * A Collective Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution
 * Malcolm Turnbull, crew member - 1992
 * Anthony Byron, crew member - 1992
 * Christopher Coe, crew member - 1992


 * Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE)
 * Captain Neil Michael Hardy, Lifeboat Operations Manager - 2015


 * David Graham Corben, Chair, Lifeboat Management Group - 2024KBH


 * British Empire Medal
 * Robert Charles Brown, Former Coxswain - 1977

FOREIGN AWARDS (All for services to the motor launch Chasseur 5 of the French Naval Forces, December 1943)


 * Letter of Thanks from the Commander in Chief French Naval Forces in UK
 * Swanage Lifeboat Station - 1944


 * French Government Medals
 * Swanage Lifeboat Crew - 1946


 * French Lifeboat Society Medals
 * Coxswain, Mechanic and Bowman - 1946

All-weather lifeboats

 * 'ON' is the Official Number used in RNLI records from 1884.

Inshore lifeboats

 * 'Op. No.' is the Operational Number displayed on the boat.