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Newburgh Lifeboat Station
Former lifeboat station, Newburgh, Aberdeenshire
Newburgh, Aberdeenshire
General information
Status	Closed
Location	The Old Lifeboat House
Address	Ythan Estuary Beach
Town or city	Newburgh, Aberdeenshire, AB41 6BY
Country	Scotland
Coordinates	57°18′44.6″N 1°59′34.8″W / 57.312389°N 1.993000°W / 57.312389; -1.993000
Opened	1828 (RNIPLS) 18 November 1877 (RNLI)
Closed	1841 (RNIPLS) 30 September 1965 (RNLI)
Website
Aberdeen RNLI Lifeboat Station

Newburgh Lifeboat Station was located on the western shore of the River Ythan estuary near Newburgh, a village approximately 14 miles (23 km) north-east of Aberdeen, in the county of Aberdeenshire, on the east coast of Scotland.

A lifeboat was first placed at Newburgh in 1828 by the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (RNIPLS), but the station closed in 1841. A new station was established at Newburgh in 1877, by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).

Newburgh Lifeboat Station was closed in 1965.

History

In 1828, a lifeboat station was established at Newburgh by the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (RNIPLS), later to be come the RNLI in 1854. A Palmer-class lifeboat, probably 26-foot, rowing 6 oars, was placed at the station. No records of any service have been found, and the station closed in 1841.

At a meeting of the RNLI committee of management on Thursday 3 May 1877, following representation from local residents and from the Inspecting Commander of H.M. Coastguard, and following the report of his visit by RNLI Inspector of Life-boats, Rear-Admiral John R. Ward, it was decided to once again place a lifeboat at Newburgh.

A tender was accepted for the construction of a boathouse, and a 30-foot self-righting 'Pulling and Sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, one with (8) oars and sails, along with its launching carriage, was sent to the station. The expense of the lifeboat, its carriage, and all equipment, was provided from the legacy of the late Miss M. A. Birtwhistle of Cheltenham. At a service of dedication and naming ceremony on 18 November 1877, the lifeboat was named Alexander Charles and William Aird, and launched for a demonstration to the assembled crowd.

Whilst setting up a Haul-off warp prior to exercise on 3 November 1899, in a strong south-west gale, the lifeboat Ellen Newman and John Bentley (ON 255) was swamped, and three crew were washed overboard. Two managed to swim ashore, but one man, the Assistant Coxswain, was seen to be in difficulties by a retired Naval Lieutenant, who swam out, and brought him ashore. Lt. Eustace William Clitherow Stracey, RN (Retd.) was awarded the RNLI Silver Medal.

In what today we would term as a multi-agency rescue, the rescue of seven of the nine crew of the fishing trawler Imperial Prince of Aberdeen on 19 October 1923, in extremely difficult conditions, would involve the lifeboats of Newburgh, which was pulled 7 miles (11 km) overland, Aberdeen and Peterhead, along with the Coastguard Rocket Brigade, and 11 naval crew from HMS Vampire and HMS Vendetta. The Aberdeen Harbour Commissioners lifeboat capsized, and four crew were washed overboard, fortunately, but with some difficulty, all regaining the boat. The Newburgh lifeboat was sent out four times. Two crew of the Imperial Prince were lost during the rescue, but seven were saved. Two silver medals, and one bronze medal, were awarded for gallantry that day.

At 04:20 on 26 January 1942, the lifeboat crew were called after reports of flares from a vessel in distress to the north, but it was soon confirmed that a ship was ashore at Cruden Bay, and that the coastguard rocket-brigade were on scene. The lifeboat crew were stood down. A second vessel was then spotted ashore at Hackley Head by assistant mechanic George Whyte, and after confirmation, the lifeboat launched at 08:40, into a strong south-east gale, heading to the SS Lesrix. The lifeboat arrived with the vessel, to find it well ashore with her back broken, with no sign of life, and in a position impossible for the lifeboat to reach. It was decided to head home. About 1 mile (1.6 km) north of the river Ythan, approximately 300 yards (270 m) from the shore, the lifeboat capsized. 15 minutes later, the seven crew were washed onto the beach, but two, crewman James Walker, and asst. mechanic George Whyte, were unconscious and could not be revived.

By 1965, it had been four years since the last call, and eight years since any lives were saved. With lifeboats stationed to the north at Peterhead, and to the south at Aberdeen, the decision was taken to close Newburgh Lifeboat Station on 30 September 1965.

Since the station reopened in 1877, 155 lives had been saved. The boathouse still stands on the shore at Newburgh. The last lifeboat on station, John Ryburn (ON 837), was sold from service in 1966, and was last reported in 2010 as having been broken up.

In 2018, the original Newburgh service board dating back to 1889, which once resided in the Newburgh lifeboat house, was donated back to the RNLI by lifeboat enthusiast Keith Webb, and presented to the nearest active RNLI station at Aberdeen.

Station honours

The following are awards made at Newburgh.

• RNLI Silver Medal

Lt. Eustace William Clitherow Stracey, RN (Retd.) – 1899

John Innes, Coxswain – 1923

Petty Officer Charles Albert William Essam, RN, HMS Vampire – 1923

• RNLI Bronze Medal

James Innes, Bowman – 1923

• The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum

John Innes, Coxswain – 1923

Petty Officer Charles Albert William Essam, RN, HMS Vampire – 1923

James Innes, Bowman – 1923

11 Naval crewmen of HMS Vampire and HMS Vendetta – 1923

Roll of honour

In memory of those lost whilst serving Newburgh lifeboat.

• Lost when the lifeboat capsized, on service to the steamship Lesrix, 26 January 1942

George Whyte, Assistant Mechanic

James Walker, crew member

Newburgh lifeboats

Station Closed in 1928

1. ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.

Pre ON numbers are unofficial numbers used by the Lifeboat Enthusiast Society to reference early lifeboats not included on the official RNLI list.

See also

• List of RNLI stations
• List of former RNLI stations
• Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats

Notes

1. ~26-foot lifeboat.
2. 30-foot self-righting (P&S) lifeboat.
3. 30-foot self-righting (P&S) lifeboat.
4. 34-foot self-righting Dungeness-class (Rubie) lifeboat.
5. 34-foot self-righting Dungeness-class (Rubie) lifeboat.
6. 34-foot self-righting Dungeness-class (Rubie) lifeboat.
7. 32-foot Surf-class lifeboat.

References

1. "Aberdeenshire Sheet XLVIII.SW". Maps. National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
2. ^ Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2024). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2024. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 4–132.
3. ^ "Additional Stations and New Life-Boats". The Lifeboat. X (107): 219–220. 1 February 1878. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
4. ^ "Notes of the Quarter". The Lifeboat. XXXVIII (414): 460. December 1965. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
5. Farr, Graham (1975). George Palmer's Lifeboats, 1828–47. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 20–21. ISBN 0905033019.
6. "Summary of the Meetings of the Committee". The Lifeboat. X (105): 182. 1 August 1877. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
7. "Summary of the Meetings of the Committee". The Lifeboat. X (106): 200. 1 November 1877. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
8. "Summary of the Meetings of the Committee". The Lifeboat. X (106): 202. 1 November 1877. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
9. ^ Cox, Barry (1998). Lifeboat Gallantry. Spink & Son Ltd. ISBN 0907605893.
10. "A Silver Medal Service By the Newburgh Life-Boat". The Lifeboat. XXV (280): 93–94. December 1923. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
11. ^ "The S.S. Lesrix". The Lifeboat. War Years (1942): 24–25. 1942. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
12. McNeill, Terry (25 May 2018). "Historic Newburgh-on-Ythan Lifeboat service board comes home after 129 years". RNLI. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
13. Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2021). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2021. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. pp. 2–120.

• Aberdeenshire
• Lifeboat stations in Scotland
• 1828 establishments in Scotland
• 1965 disestablishments in Scotland