Shoreham Harbour History
1843 A Silver Medal was awarded to Coastguard Abraham Young for rescuing five men from the smack Prince Rupert.
1845 A lifeboat was placed on service by the Shoreham Harbour Commissioners.
1865 The RNLI established a station and a boathouse was built on Kingston Beach.
1870 A slipway was built to improve launching.
1875 A Silver Medal was awarded to William Sheader for attempting to rescue Robert Brasier who had drowned when the lifeboat capsized on exercise on 16 December 1874.
1924 The station closed when the harbour’s entrance silted up.
1929 The station was re-opened when the sand bar had disappeared. The station’s first motor lifeboat was placed on service.
1933 A new boathouse and slipway were built on Kingston Beach.
1940 The Shoreham lifeboat Rosa Woodand Phyllis Lunn took part in the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk in May.
1941 A Silver Medal was awarded to Acting Coxswain James Upperton and Bronze Medal to Motor Mechanic Henry Philcox for rescuing 22 people from the minesweeper President Briand.
1948 A Silver Medal was awarded to Coxswain James Upperton for rescuing six crew from the yacht Gull.
1965 The station was presented with a Centenary Vellum.
1967 An inshore lifeboat (ILB) station was established in July with a D class lifeboat.
1968 A Framed Letter of Thanks was sent to the Coxswain and crew for saving the two crew from the yacht Jean Ann.
1972 A Bronze Medal was awarded to Coxswain John Fox and the Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum to Assistant Mechanic Ken L Everard for rescuing the five crew from the drilling rig William Allpress on 19 October 1971.
1973 5 August:
A Bronze Medal was awarded to Coxswain John Fox for rescuing three crew from the yacht Albin Ballad. Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum were awarded to Assistant Mechanic Ken Everard and Crew Member Geoff Tugwell who leapt aboard the yacht to secure a towline.
20 September:
The Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum was awarded to Coxswain John Fox for rescuing the two crew from the yacht Lugger.
1977 The Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum was awarded to Helmsman Michael Fox for rescuing three people from the capsized sailing dinghy Serendippy.
1980 A Silver Medal was awarded to Coxswain Kenneth Voice and The Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum were awarded to Second Coxswain Kenneth Everard, Motor Mechanic Jack Silverson, Assistant Mechanic Michael Fox, Emergency Mechanics Geoff Tugwell and John Landale and Crew Member Peter Huxtable for rescuing the 26 crew from the cargo vessel Athina B. The rescue took 15 hours in gale force winds and violent seas.
1990 The boathouse was adapted for the new Tyne class lifeboat, ON-1158 Hermione Lady Colwyn, which arrived at the station on 30 September.
1996 The D class lifeboat, D-501 Forest Row Choir, was placed on service on 14 May.
1999 The Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum was awarded to Coxswain Peter Huxtable for locating and towing in the yacht Trimley Maid in very rough seas and gusting force 9 winds.
2001 A Framed Letter of Thanks was presented to Coxswain Peter Huxtable when the lifeboat rescued two people and saved the fishing vessel Stephanie B on 25 October 2000.
2005 Coxswain Peter Huxtable was awarded the MBE in the Queen's New Year's Honours.
The new D class lifeboat Barry Lazell was placed on service.
Station honours
At Shoreham Harbour lifeboat station the following awards have been made:
Framed Letter of Thanks
Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum 11
Bronze Medal 3
Silver Medal 5
