Thurso History
Five Silver Medals were awarded for gallantry between 1830 and 1856.
1860 The lifeboat station at Thurso was established and a boathouse was built costing £103.
1886 A Silver Medal was awarded to Coxswain John Brims for his long and valuable services in the lifeboat.
1894 Coxswain John Brims was awarded a Silver Medal on his retirement after 35 years as coxswain and helping to rescue 304 lives.
1906 A new boathouse and slipway were built just outside Scrabster Harbour.
1931 A Bronze Medal was awarded to Coxswain Angus McPhail for rescuing four crew from the schooner Pet. The Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum was awarded to Second Coxswain Adam McLeod.
1944 A Bronze Medal was awarded to Coxswain John McLeod, for rescuing two survivors from two rafts of the Norwegian steamer Freidberg. Coxswain McLeod was also awarded the British Empire Medal.
1955 The Thurso ladies’ lifeboat guild and the lifeboat crew organised a gala week which raised over £1,000 for the service.
1956 On 10 December the lifeboat Dunnet Head (Civil Service No.31) and lifeboat house were totally destroyed by fire.
1957 A new boathouse and slipway were built.
1960 A Centenary Vellum was awarded.
1970 The boathouse was adapted for the new Solent class lifeboat.
1971 HM Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother named the new lifeboat The Three Sisters.
1982 The Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum was awarded to Second Coxswain John Manson for assisting the fishing vessel Coronella.
The Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum was awarded to Coxswain William Farquhar for assisting the trawler Arctic Crusader.
1989 HM Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother named the new lifeboat The Queen Mother.
1997 The Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum was awarded to Second Coxswain William Donald Munro when the fishing vessel Aztec was disabled in storm force 10 winds.
1999 A Bronze Medal was awarded to Coxswain William Farquhar for a service to the burning chemical tanker Multitank Ascania on 10 March. The 102m tanker was close inshore at Dunnet Head before the lifeboat was able to slowly tow it seawards.
Coxswain Farquhar also received the Emile Robin Award from the Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners’ Royal Benevolent Society.
2001 On 8 September four crew and the fishing vessel Poseidon were saved.
A Framed Letter of Thanks was awarded to Coxswain William Farquhar while two crew members and the Lifeboat Operations Manager Brian Williams received Letters of Appreciation.
2002 A Framed Letter of Thanks was presented to Coxswain William Munro for saving five crew and the fishing vessel Faith Ann.
2004 The new Severn class lifeboat, The Taylors, was placed on service on 7 April. This lifeboat was funded by the generous bequest of Mrs Vera Rita Eliza Taylor together with the bequest of Miss Agnes Anita Cluness.
A new pontoon berth for the new lifeboat was completed.
The Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum was awarded to Second Coxswain Duncan Munro after towing the live fish carrier Arnøytrans to safety on 27 August.
Station honours
At Thurso lifeboat station the following awards have been made:
Framed Letter of Thanks 2
Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum 5
Bronze Medal 3
Silver Medal 7
