Llandudno (Orme's Head) History
1861 A lifeboat station was established by the RNLI and a boathouse was built close to the railway station. The station was called Ormes Head.
The first coxswain, Hugh Jones, was a copper miner. When a lifeboat was needed his daughter would rush to the top of the mine shaft and signal to her father by tapping with a stone.
1887 Second Coxswain Edward Jones died as a result of a cold thought to have been caught after the launch of the new lifeboat on 3 December.
1890 Helpers Robert Williams and Arthur Whalley were tragically killed after they both fell under the carriage in 1890 and 1892 respectively.
1892 The station name was changed to Llandudno.
1903 A new boathouse was built between the West and East Shore so the lifeboat could launch from either location.
1908 John Williams died after suffering severe exposure on a service on 22 February.
1919 A Bronze Medal was awarded to Coxswain John Owen for rescuing two people from the schooner Ada Mary. The lifeboat tried for two hours to get back to Llandudno in the gale and heavy sea but had to put into Colwyn Bay where the men were safely landed.
1933 The station’s first motor lifeboat was placed on service.
1939 On 1 June, 99 lives were lost in a submarine disaster in Liverpool Bay when HM Submarine Thetis dived whilst on trials. Only four escaped. Llandudno lifeboat took out a doctor to the destroyer Somali, which was helping with the salvage operation.
1961 A Centenary Vellum was awarded to the station.
1965 An inshore lifeboat (ILB) station was established with a D class lifeboat, which was kept in the 1903 boathouse.
1974 The Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum was awarded to Helmsman Robert Jones when the inshore lifeboat rescued one person from a sailing dinghy, which had gone onto the rocks at Little Orme.
1990 A special framed certificate was presented to the station for services carried out between 26 February and 1 March when, during hurricane force winds and very high tides, the area of Towyn and Pensarn suffered severe flooding. The lifeboat crew worked for up to 16 hours each day and succeeded in helping over 200 people to safety.
1991 Alterations were made to the boathouse for the new Mersey class lifeboat, ON-1164 Andy Pearce.
1996 The D class lifeboat, D-508 John Saunderson, was placed on service on 2 October.
1997 A Framed Letter of Thanks was awarded to Craig Roberts, duty officer at the Marina office at Conwy for his prompt action when he launched the marina’s dory and rescued two people in the water.
Station honours
At Llandudno lifeboat station the following awards have been made:
Framed Letter of Thanks 1
Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum 1
Bronze Medal 1
