The Mumbles History
1835 The first lifeboat was funded by the Swansea Harbour Trust.
Before the station was taken over by the RNLI 10 Silver Medals were awarded for Gallantry for rescues to the many wrecks off the coast.
1863 The RNLI established a lifeboat station, known as Swansea lifeboat station.
1866 The lifeboat was moved to The Mumbles.
1883 A Silver Medal was awarded to Coxswain Jenkin Jenkins for a service to barque Admiral Prinz Adalbert. During the service the lifeboat was thrown violently against the barque and four of the lifeboat crew, John and William Jenkins (sons of the coxswain), William MacNamara (son-in-law of the coxswain) and William Rogers lost their lives.
1884 A new boathouse was built.
1903 On 1 February the lifeboat capsized off the entrance to Port Talbot harbour with the loss of six of her 14 crew – Coxswain Thomas Rogers, Second Coxswain Daniel Claypitt, DJ Morgan, George Michael, James Gammon and Robert Smith. One of the rescued, Tom Michael, was a survivor of the 1883 accident.
1904 The station became known as The Mumbles lifeboat station.
1916 A new slipway was built on the north of Mumbles Pier.
1922 A boathouse was added on the Pier and the slipway was extended.
1924 The station’s first motor lifeboat was placed on service.
1935 A Centenary Vellum was presented to the station.
1941 Bronze Medals were awarded to Coxswain William J Gammon and Mechanic Robert T Williams for rescuing the 10 crew of the steamer Cornish Rose.
1944 The RNLI’s highest accolade, the Gold Medal, was awarded to Coxswain William J Gammon and Bronze Medals to Mechanic WG Davies and Bowman Thomas J Ace for rescuing the 42 crew from the frigate Cheboque during a series of 12 very hazardous approaches. The Maud Smith award for the bravest act of lifesaving in 1944 was awarded to Coxswain WJ Gammon for this service.
1947 On 23 April the Edward Prince of Wales lifeboat had gone to help the steamer Samtampa with a crew of 39 on board. The lifeboat capsized and all eight crew died – Coxswain WJ Gammon, Second Coxswain William Noel, Mechanics WG Davies and E Griffin, and Crew Members WRS Thomas, WL Howell, WR Thomas and R Smith. The 39 crew from the Samtampa also died.
1964 A Silver Medal was awarded to Coxswain Lionel Derek Scott and the Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum to Second Coxswain W Davies, Mechanic J Gammon, Assistant Mechanic W Tucker, Signalman J Bailey, K Kostromin, G Parsons, H Randall and J Whitford for rescuing the crew of the burning motor vessel Kilo on 17 November 1963.
1965 An inshore lifeboat station was established alongside the all weather lifeboat with a D class lifeboat.
1968 A Bronze Medal was awarded to Coxswain Lionel Derek Scott for rescuing seven crew from the sand dredger Steepholm.
1971 A Silver Medal was awarded to Coxswain Lionel Derek Scott BEM, for rescuing a boy from a capsized canoe in a small motor boat.
1971 Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum were awarded to Helmsman Alan Richards Jones, Crew Members Peter Allan Algie and Anthony David Lewis for rescuing three men from a cabin cruiser.
1973 A Framed Letter of Thanks was presented to Crew Member W Clements for securing a towline to the yacht Karfinn.
1981 The Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum was accorded to Coxswain Lionel Derek Scott BEM for rescuing the two crew from a capsized dinghy.
1983 The Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum was awarded to Helmsman Anthony David Lewis for swimming to an unoccupied burning cabin cruiser, which was drifting towards the pier, to secure a line to tow it to deeper water.
1985 A 150th Anniversary Vellum was presented to the station.
The Tyne class lifeboat, ON-1096 Ethel Anne Measures, was placed on service.
1994 A new ILB boathouse was built providing improved crew facilities.
2004 The new D class lifeboat, D-623 Peterborough Beer Festival, was placed on service.
Station honours
At The Mumbles lifeboat station the following awards have been made:
Framed Letter of Thanks 1
Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum 13
Bronze Medal 5
Silver Medal 13
Gold Medal 1
