Peep into the past Fascinating excerpts from the Lifeboat archives … 100 years ago The May 1907 Journal reported on experiments to improve life-belts and the early days of a new era in lifeboat crew kit: ‘The life-belt produced by the experiments is made of kapok and is fitted closely to the body by means of straps and buckles, allowing full freedom for the arms besides affording warmth and protection. The crews of the life-boat stations who have tried and tested the kapok life-belts have reported on them in most favourable terms and it has therefore been decided to adopt the belt generally, the existing cork belts being replaced as they wear out or deteriorate.’ … 50 years ago An account of a lifesaving service carried out by the Sheringham lifeboat crew featured prominently in the March 1957 Journal. The lifeboat launched on the morning of 31 October to the 1,598-ton SSWimbledon, which was taking on water and being washed ashore. A fresh gale was blowing and the heavy seas had already claimed the life of the ship’s master, who had been washed overboard. The Journal reported that the Sheringham Coxswain, HE West, faced a difficult rescue: ‘There was a high confused sea; little of the Wimbledon remained above water; and to manoeuvre the boat both the coxswain and the mechanic, EC Craske, had to work in the closest and most exact unison. The mechanic was up to his arm-pits in water more than once and had to hold the radiotelephone microphone above his head to keep it dry.’ Sheringham’s lifeboat crew, under Coxswain West, managed to take off the remaining 18 crew before the ship sank (see the Sheringham lifeboat after the service, pictured left). The Coxswain was awarded an RNLI Silver Medal for Gallantry in recognition of his part in the service.

In ‘New Ways of Raising Money’, it was reported that Miss Marian Tonge gave a hair styling demonstration to raise funds for the RNLI’s Blackpool branch. … 25 years ago The Spring 1982 Journal began on a sorrowful note, reporting on the loss of the Penlee lifeboat and her crew (also see the Lifeboat Winter 2006/07).

‘The loss […] stunned people throughout Great Britain and Ireland and thousands of messages of sympathy from many parts of the world were received by the bereaved families.’ December 1981 had been a tragic month for the Danish lifeboat service too. The Journal reported that the RNLI had sent a message of deep sympathy to the Danish lifeboat authority on the loss of six of its lifeboatmen. The men died when their boat capsized in rough seas as they went to the aid of three men on a wrecked fishing vessel off north west Jutland. On a far happier note, the Journal also reported on the1982 London Boat Show,which had been opened by the Beaumaris lifeboat crew and the ‘fix it for you’ broadcaster Jimmy Saville, an honorary member of the crew..