Dunbar Lifeboat Station

Dunbar Harbour has been a fishing and trading port since at least 1574, and for a considerable period was classified as a port of refuge. In Britain, the history of lifeboats dates (two outliers excepted) to Henry Greathead's 1790 boat at South Shields on the River Tyne in England;{{sfn|Anderson|2002|p=92}} in 1824 the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (RNIPLS) was founded, to take a nationwide interest in the provision of lifeboats, but it was relatively ineffective in its earliest years. Lifeboat provision prior to about 1850 was a matter for local communities, with little institutional support. In 1854, the RNIPLS was renamed the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).

Dunbar ranks amongst the earlier harbours to be equipped with a lifeboat, equipping itself with a boat of Henry Greathead's design and manufacture, together with a boat-carriage, boathouse and a Manby apparatus, in 1808.{{sfn|Anderson|2002|p=96}} The initiative to establish a station at Dunbar came from George Miller, a native of the town, son of a merchant and established as a bookbinder and bookseller, but having had a long fascination with seafaring. By his own account, he had as a child conceived of mortar-launched lines as a means of reaching shoreline wrecks, many years in advance of George William Manby's successful implementation of the idea, and remained fascinated by shipwreck and rescue.{{sfn|Anderson|2002|p=91}} Miller became acquainted with South Shields' lifeboat initiative, when he spent some days from 6 April 1789 undertaking work experience with a bookseller in the town. 1789 was a year in which the town was the 'epicentre of lifeboat innovation', arising out of the highly visible and protracted wrecking of a vessel, the Adventure, on the Herd Sands to the north-east of the South Shields on 14 March. The Newcastle-upon-Tyne Trinity House to hold a competition for the design of a lifeboat, which led to the adoption of Greathead's design.{{sfn|Anderson|2002|p=92}}

Miller, with others, campaigned from as early as 1793 for the establishment at Dunbar of a lifesaving operation, suggesting both a mortar and line, and a lifeboat, but their aspirations came to nothing.{{sfn|Anderson|2002|p=94}} It took until 1807, prompted by the death of a sailor on 6 September in a shoreline wreck at Thorntonlock, to the east of Dunbar,{{efn|Thorntonlock: {{coord|55.96237|N|2.39728|W|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline}}. The exact position of the wreck is not recorded}} before Miller's ideas got traction. He floated a proposal for a lifeboat in the Edinburgh Evening Courant and quickly a committee of local worthies was formed, and as quickly, a subscription raised above £366, which by 1808 yielded lifeboat, station, carriage and minimal float for expenses.{{sfn|Anderson|2002|pp=95-96}} David Anderson's 2002 paper on The Dunbar Lifeboat notes five occasions on which it responded to mariners in distress, but notes that there are no good records of its employment.

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On 18 December 1810, HMS Pallas was wrecked in the Firth of Forth. In two trips, the Dunbar lifeboat rescued 45 men. On the third trip, she was overloaded, and capsized. 11 men, including lifeboat man B. Wilson, were lost.

Lack of competent management of the affairs of the lifeboat station brought the Dunbar service to an end sometime after 1818, when damage to the Greathead boat went unrepaired, and it was found to be unavailable to assist with an 1821 wrecking.{{sfn|Anderson|2002|p=106}} From about 1830, Dunbar was served by a Rocket Brigade using Mandy apparatus. It was not until 1864 that the town petitioned to the reinvigorated RNLI for a replacement boat.{{sfn|Anderson|2002|p=109}}

On 1 October 1845, Lt. Sydenham Wylde, RN, along with five coastguard boatmen, set out to go to the aid of a fishing boat which had been wrecked. Their boat was also wrecked, and all six men were lost. The RNIPLS made donations to their families.

It was announced in the RNLI journal "The Lifeboat" of 2 October 1865, that the Institution had established a lifeboat station at Dunbar. "It is anticipated that the boat will be of great service to the fishing-boats of the place on occasions of storms, as well as to other vessels that may be wrecked in the locality. The life-boat will be available for a considerable length of coast, as there are sandy beaches, both north and south of Dunbar, with good roads leading to them, which will enable the boat to be readily transported thither on its carriage."{{cite journal |title=Additional Stations and New Life-Boats |journal=The Lifeboat |date=2 October 1865 |volume=V |issue=58 |pages=728–729 |url=https://lifeboatmagazinearchive.rnli.org/volume/05/58/additional-stations-and-new-life-boats |access-date=21 June 2025}}

A 33-foot self-righting 'Pulling and Sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, one with sails and (10) oars, along with its carriage, was transported to Dunbar free of charge by the Great Northern, North Eastern, and North British Railway Companies, arriving in Dunbar in April 1864. A new boathouse was constructed by the Victoria Harbour, at a cost of £165. The lifeboat was funded by the gift of £300 from Lady Cuningham-Fairlie, and at her request, the lifeboat was named Wallace.{{cite web |title=Haddingtonshire VII.5 |url=https://maps.nls.uk/view/82885338 |website=Maps |publisher=National Library of Scotland |access-date=21 June 2025}}

In a strong northerly gale on 7 March 1877, the steamship James was seen drifting towards Belhaven. After much effort, both horses and men dragging the lifeboat out over soft sand, the lifeboat was launched, By now, the vessel had gone ashore, but the crew of four were rescued. The vessel broke up soon afterwards.{{cite journal |title=James |journal=The Lifeboat |date=1 August 1877 |volume=X |issue=105 |page=176 |url=https://lifeboatmagazinearchive.rnli.org/volume/10/105/james |access-date=21 June 2025}}

On 13 October 1877, the Dunbar lifeboat capsized whilst out on exercise. Two crewmen, R. Clements and Robert Harkes were lost.

Three men were brought ashore by the lifeboat on 27 February 1882, when the lighter Sophia, was seen displaying a signal of distress, whilst on passage to Dunbar from Newcastle-upon-Tyne with a cargo of coal. She was riding the sea at anchor, after her tugboat broke a shaft, and was set loose, but was in danger of being lost in the poor conditions.{{cite journal |title=Sophia |journal=The Lifeboat |date=1 August 1882 |volume=XI |issue=125 |page=629 |url=https://lifeboatmagazinearchive.rnli.org/volume/11/125/sophia |access-date=21 June 2025}}

In 1901, the first boathouse was demolished, and a new one constructed on the same site at Victoria harbour by Mr A. Gordon, at a cost of £633. Since 1968, it has housed the Inshore lifeboat. It was extended and refurbished in 1996.{{cite web|title=Dunbar, Victoria Harbour, Lifeboat House|website=Canmore|access-date=6 January 2021|url=https://canmore.org.uk/site/278811/dunbar-victoria-harbour-lifeboat-house}}

In 1907, to resolve the difficulties that were encountered transporting the Dunbar lifeboat overland, it was decided that a satellite lifeboat station be established at Skateraw, {{convert|5|mi}} to the south-east of Dunbar. When required, the lifeboat would also be operated by the Dunbar crew. The station remained in service until 1943.{{cite journal |title=Additional Stations and New Life-Boats |journal=The Lifeboat |date=1 August 1907 |volume=XX |issue=225 |pages=250–251 |url=https://lifeboatmagazinearchive.rnli.org/volume/20/225/additional-stations-and-new-life-boats |access-date=25 January 2025}}

For further information, please see:–

• Skateraw Lifeboat Station

File:Dunbar lifeboat, Torness - geograph.org.uk - 2757519.jpg

14-09 Sir Ronald Pechell Bt (ON 1207) was a {{Lbc|Trent}} All-weather lifeboat that operated at Dunbar from 1995 to 2008. During the Easter weekend of 2008, the lifeboat was damaged beyond economic repair, after her moorings snapped during severe storms and she was driven ashore. The Sir Ronald Pechell Bt, valued at £208K in 2008, cost £1.05M to build in 1995 and in her 13 years of service at Dunbar had launched 206 times and rescued 171 people.

The {{Lbc|Trent}} lifeboat, 14-35 John Neville Taylor (ON 1266) from the relief fleet, was allocated to the station as a permanent replacement.

The following are awards made at Dunbar:{{cite book |last1=Cox |first1=Barry |title=Lifeboat Gallantry |date=1998 |publisher=Spink & Son Ltd |isbn=0907605893}}

• RNIPLS Silver Medal

:for the rescue of the master of the sloop Brothers, 4 March 1827

::Randal Stap, Chief Officer, H.M. Coastguard – 1827

:for the rescue of 4 from the sloop Peggy, 28 August 1830

::Lt. Charles Shaw, RN, H.M. Coastguard, Redheugh – 1830

:for rescuing the master and one of the crew of the schooner Susan, 9 January 1852.

::James Brown, Commissioned Boatman, H.M. Coastguard – 1852

:for rescuing the skipper and his nephew of the fishing yawl William and James, 28 February 1852.

::Robert Turnbull, fisherman – 1852

• RNLI Silver Medal

:for the rescue of six from the SS King Ja Ja of Swansea, 13 October 1905.

::Walter Fairbairn, Coxswain Superintendent – 1905

• RNLI Bronze Medal

:for the rescue an injured man in the water, 23 December 1970.

::David Brunton, crew member – 1970

:for the rescue of two people from their yacht Ouhm, 15 May 2009

::Gary Fairbairn, Coxswain – 2010{{cite book |title=Journal 110 - RNLI 200 |date=2024 |publisher=The Life Saving Awards Research Society |page=73 |edition=First}}

• Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum

:for the rescue an injured man in the water, 23 December 1970.

::Jonathan J A Alston – 1970

:for his seamanship and leadership searching for divers, 6 October 1990

::Robert Wight, Coxswain – 1991

• Framed Letters of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution

:for the rescue an injured man in the water, 23 December 1970.

::five crew members – 1970

• Lady Swaythling Trophy for outstanding seamanship 2010
  {{small|awarded by the Shipwrecked Mariners and Fishermen’s Royal Benevolent Society}}

:for the rescue of two people from their yacht Ouhm, 15 May 2009

::Gary Fairbairn, Coxswain – 2010

• Royal Humane Society Testimonial on Parchment

:for the rescue of a boy who had fallen over the cliffs.

::R. G. Brunton, Second Coxswain – 1953

• Letter of Appreciation from the German Government

:for the assistance given by the lifeboat to the S.S. Berkenan of Bremerhaven

::Dunbar Lifeboat – 1932

• British Empire Medal

:for services to Maritime Safety

::Kenneth John Headley, Fundraiser – 2015{{cite web |title=British Empire Medal (Civil Division) |url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/61256/supplement/B29 |publisher=The Gazette |access-date=10 February 2024}}

In memory of those lost whilst serving Dunbar lifeboat.

• Lost on service to HMS Pallas when the lifeboat capsized, 18 December 1810

::B. Wilson

• All six coastguard men drowned when their boat wrecked, attempting a rescue of a fishing boat, 1 October 1845

::Lt. Sydenham Wylde, RN – 1845

::Wiiliam Clements – 1845

::David Davey – 1845

::Peter Davey – 1845

::Wiiliam Lucas – 1845

::Wiiliam Miller – 1845

• Lost when the lifeboat Wallace capsized on exercise, 13 October 1877

::R. Clements

::Robert Harkes (36)

{{notelist}}

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

{{Reflist|group=Note}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Cite journal|title=The Dunbar Lifeboat|first=David |last=Anderson|journal=Transactions of the East Lothian Antiquarian and Field Naturalists Society |volume=25 |date=2002 |url=https://eastlothianantiquarians.org.uk/files/2018/02/2002-ELAFN-Soc-Transactions-Vol-XXV.pdf}}

• [https://rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeboat-stations/dunbar-lifeboat-station Dunbar RNLI Lifeboat Station]

{{Geographic location

|Centre = Dunbar Lifeboat Station

|North = North Sea

|Northeast = North Sea

|East = St Abbs Lifeboat Station
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|Southeast = Eyemouth Lifeboat Station
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|South =

|Southwest =

|West = North Berwick Lifeboat Station
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|Northwest = Anstruther Lifeboat Station
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}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Lifeboat stations in Scotland

Category:Dunbar

Category:1808 establishments in Scotland

Category:1864 establishments in Scotland