Eastbourne History
1822 The first lifeboat was kept in a wooden boathouse.
1824 A Gold Medal was awarded to Lieut J Clark RN for rescuing six people from the wrecked brigantineJuno.
1840 A Silver Medal was awarded to Lieut H Blair RN for rescuing four men from a wrecked French lugger.
1843 A Silver Medal was awarded to Lieut JA Gilson RN for rescuing four crew from the schooner L'Unione Fortunata.
1853 The RNLI took over the lifeboat station.
1921 The station’s first motor lifeboat was placed on service.
1940 The lifeboat Jane Holland was one of the 19 lifeboats that took part in the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk.
Bronze Medals were awarded to Crew Members Thomas Allchorn and Alec Huggett for rescuing the Master of the burning steamer Barnhill, which had been attacked by German aircraft.
1955 A Bronze Medal was awarded to Coxswain Allchorn for rescuing 16 men from the steamer Germania and four men from the salvage boats Moonbeam and Endeavour. The Maud Smith award for the bravest act of lifesaving in 1955 was awarded to Coxswain Allchorn for the Germania rescue.
1964 An inshore lifeboat (ILB) station was established with a D class lifeboat.
1966 The Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum was awarded to Coxswain J Bassett for rescuing an injured keeper from the Beachy Head lighthouse.
1971 A 150th Anniversary Vellum was awarded to the station.
1983 The Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum was awarded to Crew Member John D Cooper for entering the water to rescue a woman and two children from a capsized sailing dinghy.
1987 A Bronze Medal was awarded to Helmsman Ian Stringer and the Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum to Crew Member Derek Tucker for rescuing three men from a capsized dory off Beachy Head.
1990 A Framed Letter of Thanks was awarded to Coxswain/Mechanic Graham Cole for assisting the ILB crew who were in difficulties whilst on service to a car that had been driven over the cliffs east of Beachy Head Lighthouse.
1993 The all weather lifeboat moved to Sovereign Harbour.
The new Mersey class lifeboat, ON-1195 Royal Thames, was named by Her Royal Highness Princess Michael of Kent.
1994 New crew facilities were completed at Sovereign Harbour.
1995 The boathouse at Fishing Station was converted to house the ILB.
1997 A Silver Medal was awarded to Helmsman Ian Stringer, Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum to Crew Member Gary Mead and Mr Tom Hobdel and Framed Letters of Thanks to Crew Members Mark Chessell, Dawn Mead and to Auxiliary Coastguard Stuart McNabb for rescuing a man clinging to Eastbourne pier.
2003 A Silver Medal was awarded to Coxswain Mark Sawyer and Bronze Medal to Mechanic Dan Guy for saving the two crew from the yacht Paperchase in October 2002. Coxswain Sawyer received a James Michael Bower Endowment Fund Award, and the Emile Robin Award from the Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners’ Royal Benevolent Society for this service.
The new station D class lifeboat, D-605 Joan and Ted Wiseman 50, was placed on service on 15 August.
Station honours
At Eastbourne lifeboat station the following awards have been made:
Framed Letter of Thanks 4
Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum 5
Bronze Medal 5
Silver Medal 4
Gold Medal 1
