Aldeburgh Lifeboat Station

Aldeburgh Lifeboat Station is located on Crag Path in Aldeburgh, a town on the East coast of Suffolk.^[1]

Aldeburgh lifeboat station
Aldeburgh lifeboat station.
Aldeburgh, Suffolk
General information
Type	RNLI Lifeboat Station
Address	Crag Path
Town or city	Aldeburgh, Suffolk IP15 5BP
Country	England
Coordinates	52°9′11″N 1°36′10″E
Opened	1851
Owner	Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Website
Aldeburgh RNLI Lifeboat Station

A lifeboat station was first established at Aldeburgh by the Royal National Institute for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (RNIPLS) in 1851. The RNIPLS became the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in 1854.^[2]

The station currently operates the B-class (Atlantic 85) Inshore lifeboat Ralph (B-949), on service from 2025, and the smaller D-class (IB1) Inshore lifeboat Susan Scott (D-808), on station since 2017. The station covers the coast between Harwich to the south, and Southwold to the North.^[3]

History

The Suffolk Association for Saving the Lives of Shipwrecked Seamen placed a 24ft Norfolk and Suffolk class lifeboat Grafton at Sizewell in 1826, but this was crewed by men from Aldeburgh. The boat was moved to a new station at Aldeburgh, shortly after the RNLI took over in 1851.

A new 32-foot unnamed boat was stationed at Aldeburgh in 1853, later to be named Pasco in 1867, after Capt. Montague G. C. Pasco, RN, collected £451 for the RNLI. ^[4]

1899 lifeboat disaster

On 7 December 1899, the lifeboat Aldeburgh (ON 304) was launched to reports of a vessel aground on Shipwash Sands. In violent seas, the boat was capsized, coming to rest on the beach, and trapping six of the 18 crew underneath.

A huge effort took place to lift the boat, but with no success. Another three hours passed until a hole was smashed through the upturned hull, but it was too late. Seven lifeboatmen perished in the disaster.^[5]

A memorial to the disaster is sited in the graveyard at the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, and bears the following inscription:

"On December 7th 1899, in response to signals of distress, a crew of 18 brave men manned the lifeboat “Aldeburgh” which was speedily launched in the teeth of an easterly gale and a heavy rolling sea. At duties call to rescue others with their own lives in their hands, these brave men went afloat, when alas! the boat capsizing seven of them met their end and lie buried here. By a large fund promptly raised to provide for those suddenly bereft, as well as by the monument, fellow townsmen and fellow countrymen near and far paid tribute to an example of noble self-forgetfulness."

Aldeburgh Mersey-class lifeboat 12-34 Freddie Cooper

The All-weather Mersey-class lifeboat 12-34 Freddie Cooper (ON 1193) was placed on station in November 1993. The 12 metres (39 ft) self-righting lifeboat was powered by two 285-hp turbo-charged Caterpillar 3208T diesel engines, capable of 16 knots, with a range of 140 nautical miles. She was purchased using a bequest to the RNLI from the late Mrs Winifred Cooper, in memory of her husband Freddie.

The current lifeboat station was built in 1994, to replace a smaller older one on the same site. For the first time, protective cover was provided, for both the station lifeboat and the Talus MB-H launch tractor. Incorporated into the design is a public viewing platform. The station has showers and toilet facilities for the crew, and a heated store for their foul weather suits. There are also further equipment storage rooms. This new boathouse was built using part of the 'Penza' bequest of Mrs Eugenie Boucher, who left £4 million to the RNLI when she died in 1992, specifically for the construction of new boathouses.

In 2007, Aldeburgh received the new D-class (IB1) lifeboat Christine (D-673). This boat was funded by the bequest of Florence Winifred Kemp, in memory of her daughter.^[2]

The RNLI announced in 2016, that Aldeburgh would be getting a new Shannon-class lifeboat to replace the Mersey-class lifeboat, due in 2021. In July 2023, the RNLI announced that the Mersey-class All-weather lifeboat (ALB) at Aldeburgh would be replaced by an B-class (Atlantic 85) Inshore lifeboat.^[6]

Christine was replaced with a new D-class (IB1) Inshore boat in 2017, and named Susan Scott (D-808) at a ceremony on Saturday 10 June 2017.^[7]

On 14 October 2024, Mersey-class lifeboat 12-34 Freddie Cooper (ON 1193) was withdrawn to the relief fleet. The All-weather lifeboat was replaced by the B-class (Atlantic 85) Inshore lifeboat Howard Bell (B-899).^[8]

Station honours

The following are awards made at Aldeburgh^[2][9]

• RNIPLS Silver Medal

Joseph Foster, Boatman, H.M. Coastguard, Sizewell Gap – 1824

Henry Hutchinson, Chief Officer, H.M. Coastguard, Orford Ness Lighthouse – 1825

Mr William Smith, fisherman – 1828

Mr Simon Fisher, Master of the Smack Alert – 1840

• RNLI Silver Medal

James Cable, Coxswain – 1891

William Mann, Second Coxswain – 1891

James Cable, Coxswain – 1893 (Second-Service clasp)

Charles Edward Ward, Bowman – 1894

Charles Edward Ward, Bowman – 1900 (Second-Service clasp)

James Cable, Coxswain – 1900 (Third-Service clasp)

• RNLI Bronze Medal

George Chatten, Coxswain – 1938

Reuben Wood, Coxswain – 1972

John Marjoram, Helms – 1977

Ian Firman, Coxswain/Mechanic – 1996

Ian Firman, Coxswain/Mechanic – 2000 (Second-Service clasp)

• The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum

Nigel Saint, Motor Mechanic – 1972

• A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution

Reuban Wood, Coxswain – 1977

Lee Firman. Coxswain – 2004

David Cook, crewman – 2004

• Binocular glass

W. J. Osborne, Honorary Secretary for 25 years – 1886

• Letter of appreciation and a monetary reward from the Committee of Management

John Sharman(16) – 1955

• Medals awarded by the Norwegian Government

Aldeburgh Lifeboat Crew – 1892

• Silver cup from the Imperial Government of Russia

James Cable, Coxswain – 1895

• Monetary Award from the Imperial Government of Russia

Aldeburgh Lifeboat Crew – 1895

• Silver Watch from The German Emperor

Coxswain – 1903

Second coxswain – 1903

Bowman – 1903

• Monetary Award from The German Emperor

Aldeburgh Lifeboat Crew – 1903

• Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE)

Lee Firman – 2017NYH^[10]

• British Empire Medal

Nigel Anthony Saint, Motor Mechanic – 1985NYH^[11]

Roll of honour

In memory of those lost whilst serving Aldeburgh lifeboat.^[5]

• • Lost when the lifeboat Aldeburgh (ON 304) capsized on service, 7 December 1899^[12]

John Pearce Butcher (52)

Charles Alfred Crisp (51)

Herbert William Downing (23)

Allen Arthur Easter (28)

Thomas Morris (36)

Walter George Ward (33)

James Miller Ward jr. (21)

Aldeburgh lifeboats

No. 1 Station

ON[a]	Op. No.[b]	Name	Built	On Station[13]	Class	Comments	Photo
Pre-118	–	Grafton	1826	1826–1851 1851–1853	24-foot Norfolk and Suffolk (P&S)	1826–1851 at Sizewell
Pre-261	–	Unnamed, Pasco	1853	1853–1870 1867–1870	32-foot Self-righting (P&S)
Pre-551	–	George Hounsfield	1870	1870–1890	40-foot Self-righting (P&S)
304	–	Aldeburgh	1890	1890–1899	46-foot 3in Norfolk and Suffolk (P&S)	Capsized 7 December 1899. 8 men died as a result this accident
270	–	Margaret	1889	1899–1902	44-foot Norfolk and Suffolk (P&S)
352	–	Bolton	1893	1902	43-foot Norfolk and Suffolk (P&S)	On load from Kessingland
482	–	City of Winchester	1902	1902–1928	46-foot Norfolk and Suffolk (P&S)
629	–	Hugh Taylor	1912	1929–1931	34-foot Norfolk and Suffolk (P&S)
751	–	Abdy Beauclerk	1931	1931–1958	41ft Watson
946	–	Alfred and Patience Gottwald	1958	1959–1979	42ft Watson
948	–	Charles Dibdin (Civil Service No.32)	1959	1979–1982	42ft Watson	Ex Walmer
1068	37-40	James Cable	1982	1982–1993	Rother	Last displacement hull boat on station
1193	12-34	Freddie Cooper	1992	1993–2024	Mersey

All-weather lifeboat withdrawn, 14 October 2024

Pre ON numbers are unofficial numbers used by the Lifeboat Enthusiast Society to reference early lifeboats not included on the official RNLI list.

No. 2 Station

ON[a]	Name	Built	On Station[14]	Class	Comments	Photo
545	Edward Z Dresden	1905	1905–1929	38-foot Liverpool (P&S)
620	William Macpherson	1912	1930	43ft Watson	Ex Campbeltown. First motor lifeboat at station
607	James Leith (Leath)	1910	1930–1936	42-foot Norfolk and Suffolk (P&S)	Ex Caister, Pakefield
665	Baltic[15]	1916	1936–1940	38-foot Liverpool (P&S)	Ex Wells
832	Lucy Lavers	1940	1940–1959	Liverpool

No.2 Station closed, 1959

Inshore lifeboats

D-class

Op. No.[b]	Name	On Station[16]	Class	Comments
D-111	Unnamed	1977–1980	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-270	Unnamed	1980–1988	D-class (RFD PB16)
D-376	Unnamed	1988–1997	D-class (EA16)
D-520	Bob Savage	1997–2007	D-class (EA16)
D-673	Christine	2007–2017	D-class (IB1)
D-808	Susan Scott	2017–	D-class (IB1)

B-class

Op. No.[b]	Name	On Station[17]	Class	Comments
B-899	Howard Bell	2024–2025	B-class (Atlantic 85)	Officially on service, 14 October 2024
B-949	Ralph	2025–	B-class (Atlantic 85)	[18]

Launch and recovery tractors

Op. No.[b]	Reg. No.	Type	On Station[19]	Comments
T66	XYP 400	Fowler Challenger III	1975
T67	YLD 792	Fowler Challenger III	1985–1987
T85	SEL 394R	Talus MBC Case 1150B	1987–1993
T116	K920 DUJ	Talus MB-H Crawler	1993–2005
T115	K499 AUX	Talus MB-H Crawler	2005–2021
T102	E387 VAW	Talus MB-H Crawler	2021–

1. ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.
2. Op. No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat carried on the hull.

Gallery

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See also

• List of RNLI stations
• List of former RNLI stations
• Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats