Civil Service lifeboats
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Civil Service lifeboats are a group of lifeboats belonging to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution which have been funded by The Lifeboat Fund. They usually have the Civil Service designation and number included in the name, such as RNLB E-001 Public Servant (Civil Service No. 44), which was on service at Tower lifeboat station on the Thames between 2002 and 2012.
Since it was formed, The Lifeboat Fund has donated over £26 million to the RNLI, making it the most regular and significant donor for the institution. Civil servants across the UK organise fundraising collections and promote the lifesaving work of the RNLI. All money raised by the fund goes directly to support the RNLI.
The Lifeboat Fund is an official charity, formerly CISPOTEL, established in 1866 by civil servants, and is run by the Civil Service. It raises funds through donations from both serving and retired employees, from Royal Mail and BT staff, and from legacies.
In addition to providing (so far) 55 lifeboats of all different class types, the money is also put towards training, purchasing kit, and refurbishing lifeboat stations, most recently providing a £400,000 contribution to the new Tower lifeboat station and pontoon on the Thames.[1][2]
Numbering[edit]
The first 29 lifeboats share the designation (Civil Service) and numbers 1–11. When a boat was replaced, the new boat would receive the number from the previous boat, and often carry the same name. In the 1950s, this was changed, so that the boats were consecutively numbered, starting with Greater London II (Civil Service No. 30).
Fleet[edit]
| ON[a] | Op. No.[b] | Name | C.S.No. [3] | Class | In service [4] | Station | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | – | Civil Service | (No. 1) | 32ft Self-righting (P&S) | 1866–1878 | Wexford | [Note 1] |
| 301 | – | Civil Service No. 1 | No. 1 | 34ft Self-righting (P&S) | 1878–1897 | Wexford No. 2 | [Note 2] |
| 415 | – | Civil Service No. 1 | No. 1 | 40ft Self-righting (P&S) | 1898–1925 | Margate No. 2 | |
| 688 | – | The Lord Southborough | No. 1 | 45ft Watson | 1925–1951 1951–1955 | Margate Relief fleet | |
| – | – | Charles Dibdin | No. 2 | 37ft Self-righting (P&S) | 1875–1888 | Tynemouth | [5] |
| 204 | – | Charles Dibdin | No. 2 | 37ft Self-righting (P&S) | 1889–1905 | Tynemouth No. 2 | |
| 552 | – | Charles Dibdin | No. 2 | 43ft Self-righting (P&S) | 1905–1932 | North Deal | |
| 762 | – | Charles Dibdin | No. 2 | 41ft Watson | 1933–1959 | Walmer | |
| 284 | – | Civil Service No. 3 | No. 3 | 37ft Self-righting (P&S) | 1877–1899 | Portpatrick | |
| 437 | – | Civil Service No. 3 | No. 3 | 37ft Self-righting (P&S) | 1900–1922 1922–1924 1924–1926 1926–1927 | Portpatrick Relief fleet Montrose Relief fleet | |
| 704 | – | Greater London | No. 3 | Ramsgate | 1928–1941 1941–1943 1943–1945 1945–1955 1955–1957 | Southend-on-Sea Relief fleet Yarmouth Southend-on-Sea Relief fleet | |
| 34 | – | Civil Service No. 4 | No. 4 | 40ft Self-righting (P&S) | 1884–1895 | Walmer | [Note 3] |
| 394 | – | Civil Service No. 4 | No. 4 | 40ft Self-righting (P&S) | 1897–1912 | Walmer | [Note 4] |
| 756 | – | Civil Service No. 4 | No. 4 | 35ft 6in Self-righting motor | 1932–1948 | Whitehills | [Note 5] |
| 867 | – | Lady Scott | No. 4 | 46ft 9in Watson | 1949–1981 1981–1986 | Portrush Relief fleet | |
| 80 | – | Civil Service No. 5 | No. 5 | 34ft Self-righting (P&S) | 1886–1905 | Maryport | |
| 544 | – | Civil Service No. 5 | No. 5 | 38ft Watson | 1905–1931 | Maryport | |
| 753 | – | Civil Service No. 5 | No. 5 | 45ft 6in Watson | 1932–1950 1950–1956 1956–1958 | Donaghadee Port St Mary Relief fleet | |
| 273 | – | Civil Service No. 6 | No. 6 | 42ft Self-righting (P&S) | 1890–1895 | Douglas No. 2 | [Note 6] |
| 384 | – | Civil Service No. 6 | No. 6 | 42ft Self-righting (P&S) | 1896–1924 | Douglas | |
| 784 | – | Civil Service No. 6, Swn-Y-Mor | No. 6 | 46ft Watson | 1936–1963 1964–1967 1967–1972 | St Davids Eyemouth Relief fleet | |
| 289 | – | Civil Service No. 7 | No. 7 | 42ft Self-righting (P&S) | 1890–1895 | Kingstown No. 2 | [Note 7] |
| 409 | – | Dunleary | No. 7 | 45ft Watson (P&S) | 1898–1913 | Kingstown No. 2 | |
| 658 | – | Dunleary | No. 7 | 45ft Watson | 1919–1938 1939–1951 | Kingstown Lytham St Annes | |
| 828 | – | The Princess Royal | No. 7 | 46ft Watson | 1939–1968 1968–1969 1969–1976 | Hartlepool Humber No. 2 Relief fleet | |
| 853 | – | Winston Churchill | No. 8 | 46ft 9in Watson | 1948–1979 1979–1982 | Blyth Relief fleet | |
| 884 | – | St Cybi | No. 9 | Barnett | 1950–1980 1981–1986 | Holyhead Relief fleet | |
| 897 | – | St. Andrew | No. 10 | 41ft Watson | 1952–1959 1959–1961 1961–1968 1968–1973 1973–1976 1976–1977 1977–1982 | Whitehills Relief fleet Girvan Arklow Relief fleet Girvan Relief fleet | |
| 888 | – | North Foreland | No. 11 | 46ft 9in Watson | 1951–1978 1978–1981 | Margate Relief fleet | |
| 921 | – | Greater London II | No. 30 | 46ft 9in Watson | 1955–1976 1977–1989 | Southend-on-Sea Beaumaris | |
| 920 | – | Dunnet Head | No. 31 | 47ft Watson | 1956 | Thurso | [Note 8] |
| 940 | – | Pentland | No. 31 | 47ft Watson | 1957–1970 1970–1974 1974–1985 1986–1990 | Thurso Relief fleet The Mumbles Workington | [Note 9] |
| 948 | – | Charles Dibdin | No. 32 | 42ft Watson | 1959–1975 1975–1977 1977–1979 1979–1982 1982–1988 | Walmer Relief fleet Eastbourne Aldeburgh Relief fleet | |
| 952 | – | Duke of Cornwall | No. 33 | Barnett | 1960–1984 1984 1984–1989 | Lizard-Cadgwith Padstow Relief fleet | |
| 971 | – | Joseph Soar | No. 34 | 47ft Watson | 1963–1985 1986–1988 1988–1990 | St Davids Dunbar Shoreham Harbour | |
| 987 | 70-001 | Charles H. Barrett | No. 35 | Clyde | 1966–1968 1968–1975 1975–1988 | Trials Clovelly Relief fleet | |
| 1026 | 44-008 | Eric Seal | No. 36 | Waveney | 1974–1996 | Eyemouth | Eric Seal |
| 1037 | 54-03 | Edward Bridges | No. 37 | Arun | 1975–1994 | Torbay | |
| 1046 | 37-33 | Silver Jubilee | No. 38 | Rother | 1978–1991 1991–1993 | Margate Relief fleet | |
| – | B-527 | Percy Garon | No Number | B-class (Atlantic 21) | 1976–1986 1986–1996 1996 1996–1998 1998 | Southend-on-Sea Relief fleet Red Bay Relief fleet Arran (Lamlash) | [Note 10][6] |
| 1070 | 52-16 | Richard Evans | No. 39 | Arun | 1981–2000 2000–2003 | Portrush Relief fleet | |
| 1095 | 47-004 | St Cybi II | No. 40 | Tyne | 1985–1997 1997–2006 | Holyhead Relief fleet | |
| 1167 | 12-009 | The Princess Royal | No. 41 | Mersey | 1990–2015 2015–2016 | St Ives Relief fleet | |
| 1204 | 14-06 | Windsor Runner | No. 42 | Trent | 1995–2004 2004–2008 2008 2008– | Blyth Relief fleet Dunbar Relief fleet | |
| 1237 | 17-17 | Fraser Flyer | No. 43 | Severn | 1999– | Relief fleet | |
| – | E-001 | Public Servant | No. 44 | E-class Mk1 | 2002–2012 | Tower | |
| – | H-003 | The Hunstanton Flyer | No. 45 | Hovercraft | 2003– | Hunstanton | |
| – | D-654 | Angel of Holyhead | No. 46 | D-class (IB1) | 2005–2016 2017– | Holyhead Boarding Boat (BB-654) | |
| – | D-655 | Guardian Angel | No. 47 | D-class (IB1) | 2005–2015 2015– | Relief fleet Training | |
| – | B-806 | Mudeford Servant | No. 48 | B-class (Atlantic 85) | 2006– | Mudeford | |
| – | D-697 | Stranraer Saviour | No. 49 | D-class (IB1) | 2008–2019 2019– | Stranraer Boarding Boat (BB-697) | |
| – | B-826 | Sgt. Bob Martin | No. 50 | B-class (Atlantic 85) | 2008– | Poole | |
| – | B-837 | Charles Dibdin | No. 51 | B-class (Atlantic 85) | 2009– | New Brighton | |
| – | D-738 | David Roulston | No. 52 | D-class (IB1) | 2010–2022 2022– | Portrush Relief fleet | |
| 1353 | 13-46 | Duke of Edinburgh | No. 53 | Shannon | 2023– | Wells-next-the-Sea | |
| – | D-868 | Mr Eric Sharpe | No. 54 | D-class (IB1) | 2022– | Cromer | [7] |
Notes[edit]
- ^ Not numbered, but it was the first Civil Service funded lifeboat. Later named Harriott Forteath at Whitby
- ^ Later named Helen Blake at Fethard
- ^ Damaged beyond repair, 1895
- ^ Later in Reserve fleet to 1919, and at Selsey as Reserve No. 3, and then as James William and Caroline Courteney at Fowey
- ^ Damaged beyond repair, 1948
- ^ Wrecked, 1895
- ^ Damaged beyond repair, 1895
- ^ Dunnet Head (Civil Service No. 31) was destroyed by a fire on 10 December 1956 at the boathouse in Thurso, in its first year on service. It was replaced by Pentland (Civil Service No. 31), keeping the same Civil Service number, but this time funded entirely by the RNLI.
- ^ Provided by the RNLI to replace Dunnet Head (ON 920)
- ^ The 1981 Report of the Civil Service and Post Office Lifeboat Fund has Percy Garon listed as No 39. However, 52-16 Richard Evans was designated No. 39 in 1981, Percy Garon now designated (Civil Service) with no number.
See also[edit]
- List of RNLI stations
- Royal National Lifeboat Institution
- Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats
References[edit]
- ^ "The Lifeboat Fund and the RNLI". RNLI. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ "The Lifeboat Fund". Civil Service LF. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ "125 years of CISPOTEL support for the RNLI" (PDF). CISPOTEL. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
- ^ Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2024). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2024. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 4–132.
- ^ "The Civil Service Life-Boats". The Lifeboat. 28 (312). November 1932. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
- ^ "Annual Report of the Civil Service and Post Office Lifeboat Fund" (PDF). Civil Service. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
- ^ Parker, Clare. "Cromer RNLI's new inshore lifeboat named during special ceremony". The Lifeboat Fund. Retrieved 13 February 2024.