Campbeltown History

1861 The RNLI established a lifeboat station and a boathouse was built at the New Quay.

1898 A new boathouse, with a stone slipway, was built at Quarry Green.

1908  A Silver Medal was awarded to Captain Duncan Martin who rescued two men from the schooner Janes.

1912 Campbeltown’s first motor lifeboat William MacPherson arrived at the station.

1929 The lifeboat was placed on moorings near the Old Quay.

1942 A Silver Medal and British Empire Medal were awarded to Coxswain James Thomson and Bronze Medals to Crew Members Duncan Newlands, Duncan Black, John Lister, James Lang, Joseph McGeachy, Duncan McLean and Neil Speed for rescuing 44 from the vessel Mobeka.

1946 A Bronze Medal was awarded to Coxswain Duncan Newlands for rescuing 54 people from the grounded steamer Byron Darnton. The service lasted 17 hours.

1957 The Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum was awarded to Coxswain Duncan Newlands for rescuing 10 crew from the steamship Gracehill.

1961 A Centenary Vellum was awarded to the station.

1979 An Arun class lifeboat was placed on service.

1980 A boarding pontoon was installed.

1982 A Silver Medal was awarded to Coxswain/Mechanic Alexander Gilchrist for rescuing 14 crew from the trawler Erlo Hills. Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum were awarded to the remainder of the lifeboat crew and Captain S Hamilton Nixon of the coaster Ceol Mor for re-floating the trawler prior to the lifeboat rescuing her crew.

1983 A new crew room was built on the quay.

1988 The Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum was awarded to Coxswain/Mechanic Alexander Gilchrist for rescuing the three crew from the fishing vessel John Hannah VC. The lifeboat crew hauled the last survivor on board after he jumped too late, missed his footing, but clung on to the bow.

1991 A Framed Letter of Thanks was awarded to Acting Coxswain John D Stewart for searching for the yacht Ra without the aid of radar in dense fog.

1993 An inshore lifeboat station was established for one season’s evaluation.

1994 The inshore lifeboat station was officially established on 31 January with a D class lifeboat.

1995 The Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum was awarded to Coxswain Jim McPhee for rescuing the skipper trapped in the wheelhouse of the capsized Gille Brighde.

1996 A new D class boathouse was completed providing improved crew facilities.

1999 A new Severn class lifeboat Ernest and Mary Shaw was placed on service on 30 May.

2001 A Bronze Medal was awarded to Coxswain John Stewart for rescuing two men from the grounded fishing vessel Sincerity on 29 November 2000. The weather was so bad that a helicopter had been unable to stay on scene. The Maud Smith Award for the most outstanding act of lifesaving during the year 2000, and the Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners’ Royal Benevolent Society’s Lady Swaythling Trophy for outstanding seamanship, was awarded to Coxswain Stewart for this service.

The new D class lifeboat, D-571 Three Brothers was placed on service.

Station honours

At Campbeltown lifeboat station the following awards have been made:

Framed Letter of Thanks 1

Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum

Bronze Medal 9

Silver Medal 3