Colin Varrall gave us an in-depth talk about ‘North Deal, Walmer and Kingsdown lifeboats and their crews’. The history of lifeboats and lifeboat men in the local area with pictures that many of us had never seen before.
The sea area off Deal was historically busy with sailing vessels, many often foundering on the Goodwin Sands, notoriously known as ‘Ye Old Ship Swallower’. The Sands were 6 miles out to sea and 10 miles across, constantly shifting, and over the years countless ships were lost on them (reputedly over 2,000 vessels).
The first attempt to prevent loss of life was Captain Bullock’s safety beacon c.1840 which was erected on the Sands to warn shipping. It was replaced by several lightships, only one of which remains (East Goodwin). Colin gave examples of 4 vessels that had broken up and sunk after running aground on the Goodwin Sands, despite the lightships, in the last century – SS Mahratta (1909), SS Luray Victory and the Liberty Ship SS Helena Modjeska (both 1946) and SS Agen (1952) when 38 crew were saved.
The Deal boatmen or hovellers, who took provisions out to ships and brought goods in, were the first crews to be involved in rescues. Deal luggers were also used before the first purpose-built self-righting lifeboat was housed at Walmer Lifeboat Station in 1856. This vessel was called the Royal Thames Yacht Club as half the cost was met by that club; the vessel was rowed with 10 oars and weighed 2 tons! By 1871 the wooden lifeboat house on Walmer beach had been replaced by the present stone building to accommodate a larger lifeboat. A book ‘Heroes of the Goodwin Sands’ covers the period 1893 to 1907 when the author Rev. Treanor was Chaplain for the Downs. He discusses the exploits and bravery of James Laming, Richard Roberts and John Mackins, coxswains of the Kingsdown, North Deal and Walmer lifeboats, respectively, who saved nearly 1,000 lives between them. Walmer lifeboat station closed in 1912 but reopened in 1927 and in 1956 the Queen Mother presented a Vellum celebrating the centenary of its foundation.
North Deal lifeboat station opened in 1865, to better cover the coast, with its first lifeboat the Van Kook. The station closed in 1932 as it was decided that Walmer had better launching conditions than either of the other two sites. In that time, North Deal station carried out 861 rescues and had 5 lifeboats, the last being the Charles Dibdin; the building is now Deal Angling Club.
Kingsdown lifeboat station opened in 1866 with Sabrina, one of the smallest lifeboats in service. Its most famous coxswain was Jarvist Arnold, who served from 1866 to 1889 and whose portrait hangs in the village hall. The lifeboat station, closed in 1927, had 5 lifeboats in its 60 year history saving 241 lives and is now a private house situated on a shingle ridge near the sea.
Colin talked about the medals and awards to various crew members throughout all 3 stations’ histories and the continuing activity and life-saving work of the crew at Walmer RNLI station, of which he is a member. In 2006, the station celebrated its 150 year history with 2 new lifeboats, the Atlantic 85 B class Donald McLauchlan, with a top speed of 38-40 mph and the rigid inflatable D class Duggie Rodbard. Both boats together launched 42 times, just in 2018 alone, and the brave men and women of Walmer lifeboat station have saved many thousands of lives at sea over its distinguished history; long may it continue!
Lesley J Smith Secretary of Deal & District Branch of Kent FHS