1867

The Royal National Life-boat Institution placed a lifeboat at Bembridge because of the removal of the Nab Light Vessel to a greater distance from the shore and as a result of the rescue of the crew of the Norwegian Barque Egbert by the fishermen of Bembridge in an ordinary open boat.

In July 1867 the Committee of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution decided to base a lifeboat at Bembridge using £524 donated to the RNLI by the citizens of Worcester.  The life-boat was named for its donors, the City of Worcester, was delivered in October of that year.  In November she was called out for the first time, in rough weather, to assist the brig Bessie, of Sunderland, seen to anchor dangerously nearby. (She was guided safely into Bembridge Harbour, the RNLI later awarding £7 4s 0d to the lifeboat crew). [The Life-boat, January 1868 (6/67)]

The first lifeboat was launched off a carriage with the aid of oil flares on dark nights, and messages had to be passed by foot messenger or a man on horseback.

The first Lifeboat house was constructed the same year, at a cost of £165.

1877

A ‘Testimonial Inscribed on Vellum’ was presented by the RNLI to Coxswain Charles Searle in recognition of his gallantry and determination during services at the wreck of the brigantine John Douse on 11 November.’

It was reported that a vessel was ashore off Sandown. It was blowing a hurricane from the south with thick rain. The City of Worcester lifeboat was taken over land and arrived about midnight, and launched at about 0130. After having difficulty in locating the John Douse because of the intense darkness, the lifeboat succeeded in saving the master and the mate. A tremendous sea then swept the boat off before any others could be rescued. As the steer-oar touched the ground when the boat was in the hollow of the surf, Coxswain Searle deemed it inadvisable to approach the wreck again until daylight. The lifeboat remained near the vessel during the night. Coxswain Searle was washed over board in the night and was rescued with great difficulty due to darkness and heavy seas. At dawn the lifeboat was backed towards her, when it was discovered that a coastguard galley had by that time been launched and was rescuing the other four men.

1888

New lifeboat launched by Duchess of Edinburgh, named Queen Victoria to mark Her Majesty’s Golden Jubilee.

James Arnold was killed when his cart used for collecting seaweed was thrown over by a rope used in launching the lifeboat; the horse was also killed.

The Brooke lifeboat was launched on 9 March on service to the ship Sirenia but was thrown back on the beach. The second coxswain and another man were washed overboard and lost. Word reached Bembridge and Coxswain Attrill of the Bembridge lifeboat set off on foot and walked to Brooke, some 15 miles, in heavy leather sea boots and offered himself as a volunteer to replace the man who had been killed. The lifeboat was again launched and rescued the crew of the ship.

1899

The Lifeboat rescued 14 men from the Naval Torpedo Boat No 059 grounded on the corner of Bembridge Ledge during a gale on 16 December. It is worth noting that the young naval officer in command was later well known as Admiral of the Fleet Earl Beatty who commanded the Cruiser Squadron at the Battle of Jutland.

1902

New lifeboat launched by HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh, who came over from Osborne in the royal yacht Alberta, and was accompanied by her husband HRH Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh.

1905

Gas Service was provided for the first time

1908

Harness and pushing poles were returned to London.

1915

When the lifeboat was launched on service to the schooner Theodora on 19 March, she was thrown back broadside onto the rocks and slightly damaged. She was not refloated until the next tide.

1916

Silver Medal awarded to Coxswain John Holbrook for the rescue of 110 men from HM Transport Empress Queen that was stranded on the Ledge carrying ammunition on 3 February.  The lifeboat made four trips and on the third she was driven on the rocks and damaged.

1919

Silver Medal (Second-Service Clasp) awarded to Coxswain John Holbrook for the rescue of 13 people from the SS Wakulla of Los Angeles that was driven ashore on the West Wittering shoal on 28/29 August in a strong southerly gale and heavy seas.

1922

The first motor lifeboat to be delivered to the Isle of Wight was stationed at Bembridge; this necessitated major changes since a boathouse, slipway and concrete pier extending some 250 yards from the shore to the outer ledge of rocks had to be constructed, this in order that the lifeboat could be launched at all states of the tide. With the advent of power at Bembridge it was considered that the stations at Brooke and Brightstone Grange were no longer needed and they were therefore closed.  Adaptation of the station cost approximately £5,000.

1939

The boathouse was enlarged to accommodate a more powerful lifeboat.

1940

Bronze Medal awarded to Coxswain Harry J Gawn for rescuing the crew of the Naval minesweeper Kingston Cairngorm that was flooding in a blizzard and heavy seas on Chichester Bar on 29/30 January 1940.  In an operation involving several approaches her crew of 21, including the Institution’s Chief Inspector who had been recalled to the Navy, was taken off and landed at Portsmouth.  The lifeboat had been at sea for fourteen hours with the coxswain at the wheel all throughout and with the weather so atrocious that at the end of the service the lifeboat’s deck was covered in ice. 

In the early days of the war it was necessary to warn the artillery batteries on the cliffs before the lifeboat was launched on service.  The lifeboat herself was provided with a couple of rifles to repel any attack by the enemy. 

An ex Honorary Secretary of the station, Captain Flack, was rescued from the Goodwin Sands by the RNLI.
 

1964

A D-class lifeboat was received in May.  Cost of the Inshore Lifeboat was defrayed by a collection from HMS Mohawk’s ships company.

1967

Centenary Vellum awarded to station.

1970

A Framed Letters of Appreciation was sent to inshore lifeboat crew members Martin S Humphray and Barry L Dyer for the rescue of two men from two motor boats on 10 September.

1972

BEM awarded to Coxswain Peter Smith in Her Majesty’s New Years Honours List.

1987

Boathouse adapted in order to accommodate the new Tyne class lifeboat.  Major slipway repairs were also carried out.

1989

Work completed on extending the slipway enabling the lifeboat to be recovered at low tides.

1990

The North East corner of the boathouse suffered damage during the night of 28 January as a result of heavy seas.  Temporary repairs were swiftly carried out prior to the permanent replacement of missing cladding sheets.

1993

A 'Framed Letter of Thanks' signed by the Chairman of the Institution was presented to Coxswain Archibald Henley in recognition of the contribution made by the Bembridge lifeboat Max Aitken III in the rescue of seventeen people from the yacht Donald Searl, which was in difficulties close to the Chichester Bar in atrocious conditions on 25 October.  For this service the Second-Service Clasp to the Silver Medal was awarded to Roderick James, Helmsman of the Hayling Island lifeboat, and a Silver Medal to Helmsman Frank Dunster of the rigid inflatable Hayling Rescue (see Hayling Island history).

Work was carried out on the re-cladding of the ALB boathouse. 

A major programme of repair works to the concrete of both the boathouse and slipway sub-structures was carried out.  Southern Water Services granted approval to connect the station to the sewerage system at Lane End.

1994

The ‘Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum’ was accorded to Helmsman Alan Attrill in recognition of his skill and high standard of seamanship when, in a south-westerly near gale, confused seas and darkness on the night of the 11 August 1993, the D-class lifeboat rescued the crew of three from the stricken yacht Bari.  The yacht had run aground on Bembridge Ledge, was holed and taking water.

Framed Letters of Thanks signed from the Chairman of the Institution was awarded to Helmsman Alan Attrill and crew members Graeme White and Geoffrey Attrill in recognition of their courage and fine teamwork when the D-class lifeboat rescued the crew of three from the motor cruiser Jade on 2 May 1994.  The Jade was aground on the Bembridge Ledge in an easterly Force 5 wind and moderate seas.  The three survivors were rescued just as their vessel began to break up.

Work was carried out in the roof space of the ILB boathouse in order to provide the station with improved crew facilities.  Major slipway repair works were carried out together with the installation of a new Bigland boathouse winch.

1996

New D-class lifeboat D-503 was placed on service on 20 June.

2004

Former coxswain, Martin Woodward was appointed MBE by Her Majesty The Queen in this year’s New Year’s Honours.

2005

The new class of lifeboat IB1, D649 Dorothy Beatrice May Gorman was placed on service on Wednesday 10 August.  This lifeboat was funded by a generous bequest from Mrs D Gorman.  D503 (relief) has been withdrawn to the Relief Fleet.

2009

Max Aitken III was retired to the relief fleet and temporarily replaced by a Mersey Class lifeboat, stationed at the Point in Bembridge and launched across the beach by tractor.

It had also become clear that the old station was no longer fit for the requirements of the station’s lifeboats and crew and it needed replacing.

The RNLI has put in motion plans to provide a new Tamar Class lifeboat, and build a new station fit for the 21st century, at the cost of £10M. The station launched an appeal to the public, to raise £1M towards that cost.