Hayling Island History

1862 Silver Medals were awarded to William Goldring, James Spraggs and David Farmer for rescuing three crew from the sloop Cygnet.

1865 The first Hayling Island lifeboat station opened with the lifeboat Olive Leaf.

A Silver Medal was awarded to Major F W Festing for rescuing three crew from the schooner Ocean.

1888 The lifeboat Charlie and Adrian was placed on service.

1913 A new boathouse was built near the site of the current Coastguard station.

1914 The lifeboat Proctor was placed on station.

1924 Hayling Island lifeboat station closed when motor lifeboats were placed at Bembridge and Selsey.

1975 The lifeboat station re-opened on the current site to meet the increased incidents in the vicinity of Chichester Harbour. An inshore B class Atlantic 21 lifeboat was placed on service.

1976 The Atlantic 21 Aldershot arrived on station.

1978 For rescuing two people from Tomey Too: Framed Letters of Thanks to Patrick Lamperd, Dr Richard Newman, and Frank Dunster and Brian Quinton.

1981 For rescuing four crew from the yacht Fitz’s Flyer: Bronze Medal to Frank Dunster; Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum to Trevor Pearce and Graham Wickham; the Ralph Glister Award.

1982 For rescuing a teenage boy in extreme conditions: Silver Medal to Roderick James; Bronze Medal to Frank Dunster; Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum to Graham Raines and Trevor Pearce and Nigel Roper; the Ralph Glister Award.

1987 For bringing a craft and injured person safely ashore in difficult conditions: Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum to David Sigournay.

1988 Framed Letters of Thanks to Roderick James and Frank Dunster for rescuing nine people from the ketch Seaway Endeavour. Letters of Appreciation were sent to the other crew members.

1989 For rescuing one person from the yacht Dingaling: Bronze Medal to Graham Raines; Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum to Frank Dunster and Roderick James; the Ralph Glister Award and the Walter Groombridge Award.

1993 For rescuing nine crew from the yacht Donald Searle: Silver Medals to Roderick James and Frank Dunster; Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum to Christopher Reed, Warren Hayles, Evan Lamperd and Damien Taylor; Framed Letter of Thanks to Richard Mumford; the Ralph Glister Award and the Walter and Elizabeth Groombridge Award to Roderick James and Warren Hayles and Christopher Reed.

1994 The boathouse was enlarged for the B class and D class lifeboats.

1995 A D class lifeboat Victory Wheelers was placed on temporary station duty in March.

The B class Atlantic 75 lifeboat Betty Battle was placed on service in June.

1996 A new D class lifeboat Leonard Stedman was placed on service in May.

2001 For rescuing two people from a RIB: Framed Letters of Thanks to Graham Raines and Evan Lamperd; Letters of Appreciation to Ian Harris and Darren Dancer.

2004  Graham Raines was made a Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE).

2005  The D class Amanda, James and Ben was placed on service in March.

2006 The lifeboat station was granted the Freedom of Chichester Harbour. It was only the second organisation ever to get this honour.

Station honours

At Hayling Island lifeboat station the following awards have been made:

Framed Letter of Thanks 9
Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum 12
Bronze Medal 3
Silver Medal 10