Cullercoats History
1827 A Silver Medal was awarded to Alexander Donkin for rescuing the Master from the wrecked sloop James.
1852 An RNLI lifeboat station was established and the first boathouse was built.
1853 A Silver Medal was awarded to Coxswain John Redford (1853) for rescuing a young boy from a wrecked fishing boat. Two other people drowned.
1866 A new boathouse was built at the foot of the cliffs.
1896 A new boathouse and slipway were built from funds from the Co-operative Union, the donors of the lifeboat.
1897 All the fishermen aged between 21 and 55 years who were considered suitable were enrolled as crew members.
1898 A Silver Medal was awarded to Coxswain Andrew Taylor on his retirement.
1939 On 22 April, when out on an exercise launch, the lifeboat was caught by an exceptional sea and capsized. Of the 10 people on board, four managed to struggle ashore but the other six, including the Coxswain and the Honorary Secretary, were drowned. There is a memorial window in the local Methodist Church to those lost.
1939-1945
During the Second World War the Cullercoats lifeboat launched 15 times and saved 95 lives.
1950 On 30 May, Shore Helper Thomas Stewart tragically died from injuries received when the lifeboat slipped back as she was being placed on the carriage.
1952 A Centenary Vellum was awarded to the station.
1965 An inshore lifeboat (ILB) station was established with a D class lifeboat arriving in May.
1969 The all weather lifeboat was withdrawn from service in May.
1984 The D class lifeboat was withdrawn and replaced with a C class.
1991 The C class lifeboat was withdrawn from the station and replaced by a B class, Atlantic 21, lifeboat.
1992 The boathouse was converted to house the Atlantic 21 and launching tractor.
1995 The Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum was awarded to Helmsman Brian Gould when the lifeboat rescued five people from a speedboat which had capsized in breaking seas.
1996 The Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum was awarded to Helmsman Robert Oliver and Framed Letters of Thanks were awarded to Crew Members Mark Charlton and David Pendlington for a service to rescue a lifeguard trapped on a rocky ledge in a rising tide.
The Walter and Elizabeth Groombridge Award for the most meritorious service performed by an Atlantic 21 lifeboat during 1996 was awarded to Helmsman Robert Oliver.
2002 A Vellum was awarded to commemorate the completion of 150 years as a lifeboat station.
2003 A boathouse extension was completed.
2007 The new Atlantic 85 lifeboat Hylton Burdon was placed on service.
A boathouse extension was completed.
Station honours
At Cullercoats lifeboat station the following awards have been made:
Framed Letter of Thanks 2
Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum 2
Silver Medal 3
