St Peter Port History
1803 The first station on the island was established at St Sampson’s with a lifeboat built by Henry Greathead.
1850s Six Silver Medals were awarded for two rescues (one in 1851; five in 1857).
1861 The station was taken over by the RNLI and a boathouse was built on north side of St Sampson Harbour.
1881 The lifeboat was moved to St Peter Port and a new boathouse was built on the south side of the harbour.
1929 The station’s first motor lifeboat was placed on service at moorings in the harbour.
1931 A Centenary Vellum was awarded to the station.
1940 During the Second World War St Peter Port lifeboat went to Jersey to meet with the St Helier lifeboat as both were to be evacuated to England. On the way she was machine-gunned by three German aircraft and a member of the crew, the coxswain’s son, was killed. Both boats fell into German hands.
1963 The RNLI’s highest accolade, a Gold Medal, was awarded to Coxswain Hubert Petit, Bronze Medals to Motor Mechanic Eric Pattimore and John Petit for rescuing the nine crew from the motor vessel John Collett. Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum were awarded to the remaining members of the crew.
1971 The Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum was awarded to Coxswain John H Petit and Framed Letters of Thanks to the crew for saving the yacht Solstice and her two crew.
1975 Bronze Medals were awarded to Coxswain John Petit and Emergency Mechanic John Robilliard when the lifeboat rescued six crew from the tanker Point Law.
1978 A Bronze Medal was awarded to Coxswain John Petit for rescuing the four crew from the yacht Canopus in a violent storm on 11/12 November 1977. Deputy Coxswain Peter Bougourd and Crew Member Robert Hamon were each awarded the Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum and the remainder of the crew were presented with framed certificates.
A Silver Medal and the Maud Smith Bequest for the bravest act of lifesaving in 1978 was awarded to Coxswain John Petit for rescuing two crew from the oil rig Orion which had broken its tow and was drifting out of control on 1 February 1978. The crew was each accorded the Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum.
1979 A fourth Bronze Medal was awarded to Coxswain John Petit for recovering two bodies from the cargo vessel Cantonad that had sunk during a hurricane.
1982 A Gold Medal was awarded to Coxswain Michael Scales and Bronze Medals to Second Coxswain Peter Nicholas, Mechanic Robert Vowles and Crew Members Alan Martel, Peter Bisson, John Bougourd, Richard Hamon and John Webster for rescuing 29 crew from the vessel Bonita in winds gusting to hurricane force on 13 December 1981. The master of the tug Abeille Languedoc, who rescued one of the Bonita’s crew, was awarded a Framed Letter of Thanks. Coxswain Michael Scales also received the Maud Smith Bequest for the bravest act of lifesaving in 1981.
1983 The Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum was awarded to Coxswain Michael John Scales, Second Coxswain Peter Nicholas Bougourd and Assistant for rescuing the seven crew from the yacht Wild Rocket.
1984 A Bronze Medal was awarded to Coxswain Michael Scales when nine crew were rescued from the sinking cargo vessel Radiant Med. The Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum was awarded Mechanic Robert Vowles.
At a ceremony on 12 July, His Excellency the Greek Ambassador presented a gold gallantry medal to the then Coxswain, Captain John Petit and Silver Medals to the rest of the on behalf of the Greek Ministry of Merchant Marine for their service to the Greek motor vessel Cantonad which sank in the English Channel in a hurricane on 4 January 1979.
1985 A Bronze Medal was awarded to Second Coxswain Peter Bisson and the Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum to Assistant Mechanic Alan Martel and Crew Member Michael Guille for rescuing the three crew from the yacht Matam II.
1992 A Silver Medal and the Maud Smith Award for the bravest act of lifesaving in 1992 were awarded to Coxswain Peter Bisson for rescuing six people from the stricken yacht Sena Sioria and for the coolness he displayed after the mizzen mast from the yacht collapsed across the foredeck injuring two members of the lifeboat crew. Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum were awarded to Second Coxswain John Bougourd, Mechanic James Youlton, Assistant Mechanic Keith Martel and Crew Members Philip Martel, Gary Cook, Andrew Le Provost and Vincent Helmot.
1995 Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum were awarded to Mechanic James Youlton and Crew Member Robert Harmon for rescuing the sole occupant of the yacht Keranne using the lifeboat’s Y boat. A Framed Letter of Thanks was awarded to Coxswain Peter Bisson.
1996 Coxswain Peter Bisson was awarded an MBE in Her Majesty The Queen's Birthday Honours.
1997 The Severn class lifeboat, ON-1203 Spirit of Guernsey, was placed on service.
2003 The station was awarded a Bicentenary Vellum to commemorate the completion of 200 years service.
2005 Former Second Coxswain Robert Hamon was awarded the MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours.
Station honours
At St Peter Port lifeboat station the following awards have been made:
Framed Letter of Thanks 2
Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum
Bronze Medal 15
Silver Medal 8
Gold Medal 2
