Filey History

1804  A lifeboat station was established.

1852 The RNLI took over the lifeboat station.

1859 A Silver Medal was awarded to John Ruddock for ‘saving life from shipwreck’ on different occasions.

1889 A new boathouse was built on the Coble Landing.

1919 Bronze Medals were awarded to Second Coxswain William Robinson and George Boynton when they rescued the two occupants of a capsized coble, Leslie.

1966 An inshore lifeboat (ILB) station was established and a D class lifeboat arrived at the station in April.

1973 Mechanic R Appleby collapsed and died during a service launch on 23 June. He had served as mechanic at Filey and also on the Scarborough and Humber lifeboats. A crew room and look-out were built as a memorial to him.

1983 The Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum was awarded to Coxswain Frank Jenkinson when the lifeboat rescued the four crew from the motor vessel Rito.

1984 The Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum was awarded to Crew Member Malcolm Johnson for jumping into the sea and rescuing a survivor from the capsized motor boat Northwind III.

1991 A new boathouse was built for the new Mersey class lifeboat. It provides housing for the station’s D class lifeboat as well as a mechanic’s store, crew facilities and souvenir sales outlet.

2001  The Royal Humane Society Resuscitation Certificate was awarded to Third Mechanic Richard Johnson for helping to resuscitate a man saved from the sea by others on 22 May.

A Framed Letter of Thanks was awarded to Coxswain Malcolm Johnson for getting a crew member aboard and establishing a tow on the yacht, Araxian, in gale force winds. During this service the crew member, Neil Cammish, was washed off the yacht, but he was able to re-board her.

2004  A Bronze Medal was awarded to Helmsman Michael Farline for saving the lives of two swimmers at Reighton Sands on 15 August 2003. During the service the D class lifeboat almost capsized and was difficult to manoeuvre as she was full of sea water. The Shipwrecked Fishermen & Mariners Royal Benevolent Society awarded the Emile Robin Award for 2003 to Helmsman Farline for this service.

A Framed Letter of Thanks was awarded to Helmsman Michael Farline for a service, also at Reighton Sands, on 16 August 2003. Although the conditions were not quite as severe as on the previous day, it was a difficult service to undertake, two people were saved.

An Anniversary Vellum, celebrating 200 years as a lifeboat station, was awarded.

Station honours

At Filey lifeboat station the following awards have been made:

Framed Letter of Thanks 2

Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum 2

Bronze Medal 3

Silver Medal 1