Cromer History
1804 A lifeboat station was established and funded by local subscriptions.
1857 The RNLI took over the lifeboat station from the Norfolk Shipwreck Association.
1867 A Silver Medal was awarded to the Honourable Auberon Herbert for helping to rescue the crew of the wrecked sloop Sutcliffe.
1868 A new boathouse was built at the East Gangway.
1902 A larger boathouse was built.
1917 A Gold Medal was awarded to Coxswain Henry George Blogg, Silver Medals to Acting Second Coxswain William Davies and Private Stewart Holmes, and Bronze Medals were awarded to the other 12 crew members for the service to the steamer Fernebo. The crew had just returned from saving 16 men from the vessel Pyrin when they tried to launch again in a north-easterly gale and heavy surf. Hundreds of servicemen helped but it was impossible to get past the heavy surf and the lifeboat was driven back onto the beach. The lifeboat was eventually launched and rescued 11 people. This was the first time Bronze Medals had been awarded.
1923 The station’s first motor lifeboat arrived and was housed in a new boathouse, with slipway at the end of the Pier.
A second lifeboat (No. 2) was kept in the original boathouse.
1924 Coxswain Blogg was awarded the Empire Gallantry Medal by HM The King in the RNLI’s Centenary Year.
1927 A Gold Medal was awarded to Coxswain Henry George Blogg and Bronze Medals to the other 12 crew members for rescuing 15 men from the oil tanker Georgia which had broken in two at 8.30pm on the South Haisborough Sands.
1928 A Centenary Vellum was awarded to the station.
1931 A Bronze Medal was awarded to Bowman Jack Davies (Snr) for his attempts to save a man in the water from the capsized fishing boat Welcome Home; unfortunately the man died.
1932 A Silver Medal was awarded to Coxswain Henry George Blogg for rescuing 30 men and a dog from the steamer Monte Nevoso aground on the Haisborough Sands. Coxswain Blogg was awarded the Silver Medal of the Canine Defence League.
1934 A Silver Medal was awarded to Coxswain Henry George Blogg for rescuing two men from the barge Sepoy. For five hours the No. 2 lifeboat tried to launch and reach the casualty but the seas were too rough. Coxswain Blogg, returning from another casualty in the No.1 lifeboat, reached the vessel and managed to save the two crew in spite of heavy seas breaking over her.
1939 A Silver Medal was awarded to Coxswain Henry George Blogg; Bronze Medals to Second Coxswain Jack Davies (Snr), Mechanic Henry W Davies and Assistant Mechanic James W Davies for rescuing 29 from the wrecked steamer Mount Ida.
1941
August:
A Gold Medal was awarded to Coxswain Henry George Blogg, Silver Medal to Second Coxswain Jack J Davies and Bronze Medal to Mechanic Henry W Davies (all from No. 1 lifeboat); and Bronze Medals to Second Coxswain L Harrison and Mechanic HV Linder (No.2 lifeboat) for rescuing 88 people from six steamers of a convoy, which had been wrecked on the Haisborough Sands. Coxswain Blogg was also awarded the BEM for this service.
Shortly before the award of the BEM for this service, it was announced that the George Cross was to be substituted for the Empire Gallantry Medal awarded in 1924. Coxswain Blogg received his George Cross in October.
October:
A Silver Medal was awarded to Coxswain Henry George Blogg, and 10 Bronze Medals were awarded to all the crew members for rescuing the crew from the English Trader. Coxswain Blogg and four other crew members were washed out of the lifeboat. They were all recovered but Signalman Edward W Allen collapsed and died later. He was awarded the Bronze Medal posthumously.
1954 Former Coxswain Henry George Blogg died. He had been on the Cromer lifeboat for 53 years, 38 of them as Coxswain, had launched 387 times and had rescued 873 people. He was awarded three Gold Medals and four Silver Medals. He also held the George Cross and the British Empire Medal.
1967 An inshore lifeboat (ILB) station was established with a D class lifeboat. The No. 2 station closed in June.
1974 A Bronze Medal was awarded to Dr Paul Barclay MC TD for treating an injured man on the trawler Boston Jaguar. Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum were awarded to Coxswain HT Davies BEM and Crew Member RW Davies.
1981 A Bronze Medal was awarded to Helmsman Clive Richard Rayment for the rescue of two crew from the sinking fishing boat George William.
1984 A new ILB house was built on the Promenade.
1989 The Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum was awarded to Coxswain Richard Davies for towing to safety the yacht Phaedra and saving two people. The service lasted 12 hours in force 10 winds and 7m seas.
1991 A collective Framed Letter of Thanks was presented to Coxswain RW Davies, Second Coxswain WT Davies, Mechanic RJ Hannah, Assistant Mechanic JWH Jonas and Crew Members P Jefferies, P Everitt, J Balls and J Howard for a service to the cargo vessel Stavroula aground on the Mid Haisbro Sand.
1994 A Bronze Medal was awarded to Coxswain Richard William Davies for the rescue of five crew form the yacht Happy Bear. The launch of the lifeboat was the roughest that the station had experienced in the 30 years that the coxswain had been involved.
1996 A carriage-launched lifeboat operated from Cromer while a new boathouse and slipway were built.
1998 The all weather lifeboat house and slipway were completed in October.
The Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum was awarded to Second Coxswain William for saving three crew from the yacht Tange of Whitby.
1999 The Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum was awarded to Coxswain Richard Davies for saving a man being swept away by the tide.
2004 A bicentenary Vellum was awarded to the station to celebrate 200 years as a lifeboat station.
2006 The adaptation of the old museum to house an inshore lifeboat was completed in March.
Station honours
At Cromer lifeboat station the following awards have been made:
Framed Letter of Thanks 1
Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum 5
Bronze Medal 45
Silver Medal 8
Gold Medal 3
