Aberystwyth History

1843 The first lifeboat was looked after by the Harbour Master and housed in a boathouse near the harbour.

1861 A lifeboat station was established by the RNLI.

1866 A Silver Medal was awarded to Watkin Lewis for saving seven people during two rescues.

1875 A new boathouse was built; this was used until 1964.

1877 Crew Member John James died from exhaustion after a long service to a schooner.

1898 A new slipway was built.

1932 The station’s first motor lifeboat arrived.

1954 The Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum was awarded to Coxswain Baden P Davies for rescuing three people from the fishing vessel Lindy Lou.

1962 A Centenary Vellum was awarded to the station.

1963 An inshore lifeboat (ILB) station was established with a D class lifeboat, which was housed in a former fisherman’s shed.

1964 The all weather lifeboat was withdrawn from service in October and the station became a permanent inshore lifeboat station.

1970 Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum were awarded to A Blair, M Nichol and K Stone the rescue of a swimmer.

1976 A Bronze Medal was awarded to ILB Crew Member Alan Blair when he tried to rescue two men who were trapped in the cabin of the capsized motor cruiser Annabel II. He dived three or four times to reach the casualties but unfortunately the two men had died.

1978 A Framed Letter of Thanks was awarded to Crew Member Robert Gorman who rescued four people from two boats.

1980 The inshore lifeboat was launched on 10 April to collect some clean seawater from Cardigan Bay. A nine-year old patient at the local hospital had pneumonia and severe congestion of the bronchial passages. Two doctors believed that this could be eased by inhalation of vaporised seawater; the unusual treatment had an immediate beneficial effect on the boy.

1984 The D class lifeboat was replaced by a C class lifeboat.

1985 A Framed Letter of Thanks was awarded to Helmsman Alan Blair when he dived into the sea near a public slipway to rescue a young girl in difficulties.

1991 Bronze Medals were awarded to Helmsman Peter Heading and Crew Member Robert Gorman, skipper of the fishing vessel Seren-Y-Mor for rescuing one person from the Otter on 18 September 1990. Crew Member Michael Harris was awarded the Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum; Framed Letters of Thanks were presented to lifeboat Crew Members David Davies and Martin Porter and to Alan Blair, Brian Slack, Bryan Pugh-Jones and Sandro James, members of the Seren-Y-Mor crew. The Ralph Glister Award was also awarded.

1993 A new boathouse was built for a new B class Atlantic 21 lifeboat and launching tractor, and also provided improved crew facilities.

The C class lifeboat was withdrawn and replaced by an Atlantic 21 lifeboat.

1994 A new boathouse was built for an Atlantic 75 lifeboat and launching tractor. The Atlantic 75, B-704 Enid Mary, arrived at the station.

2007 New Atlantic 85 B822 Spirit of Friendship arrived on station.

Station honours

At Aberystwyth lifeboat station the following awards have been made:

Framed Letter of Thanks 4

Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum 5

Bronze Medal 3

Silver Medal 1