Palling Lifeboat Station was located at the town of Palling, on the north-east coast of Norfolk.

A lifeboat was first stationed here by the Norfolk Association for Saving the Lives of Shipwrecked Mariners (NASLSM), more commonly known as the Norfolk Shipwreck Association or (NSA), in 1852. Management of the station was transferred to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in 1858.

After 78 years of operations, Palling RNLI Lifeboat Station closed in 1930.

In 1972, a rescue service was re-established at Sea Palling by local people, through monies raised from private, business and charitable donations. Today the renamed charitable Sea Palling Independent Lifeboat is on operation, covering the area between Eccles-on-Sea and Winterton-on-Sea.

For further information on the current service, please see: Palling Volunteer Rescue Service

History A lifeboat was sent to be stationed at Palling in 1852 by the Norfolk Association for Saving the Lives of Shipwrecked Mariners. She was a 32-foot type non-self-righting lifeboat, built by Branford, of Gt. Yarmouth, costing £75.

Following a meeting of the NSA on 21 Nov 1857, it was agreed to request that the RNLI take over responsibility for all their lifeboat stations, including Palling. This was formally agreed at a meeting of the RNLI committee of management on 3 December 1857.

A new lifeboat was ordered for Palling from Forrestt of Limehouse, London, a 30-foot 10-oared self-righting lifeboat, and along with her specially constructed carriage, cost just over £250. Edward Amis was appointed Coxswain. She was housed in the boathouse built by the NASLSM, and would serve Palling for 6 years, being launched on service 6 times, and saving 20 lives.

The next lifeboat to be stationed at Palling was the Parsee. Originally a 30-foot lifeboat stationed at named Victoria, she was sent to Forrestt in London for conversion to be a 36-foot, 12-oared boat. She was transported to Gt. Yarmouth in February 1864 free of charge by the Great Eastern Railway Company, and then sailed up to Palling by the crew. In her 18 years on service at Palling, she rescued 103 lives in 23 launches.

On her first call on 23 December 1864, the Parsee went to the aid of the schooner Idas of Nantes, on passage from Danzig to Dunkirk, driven ashore at Palling. Six men were rescued.

Parsee was replaced by a new boat in 1882, the Heyland (ON 38), built by Woolfe of Shadwell. The boat was provided from funds raised in the memory of Lt. Heyland, RN, lost rescuing a seaman from H.M.S. Minotaur. But weighing 4 tons, she proved too heavy for the sandy conditions at Palling, and was soon replaced by Good Hope (ON 13) in 1884; again a 37-foot boat built by Woolfe, but weighing only 3 tons.

The No.2 station was closed in 1929. Motor-powered lifeboats had been placed on service at , 20 miles to the north, and , 20 miles to the south, and it soon followed that the decision was made to close the No.1 station. This happened on 29 October 1930, with the removal of the lifeboat Jacob and Rachel Valentine (ON 580).

The parish of "Palling" was renamed "Sea Palling" on 2 October 1948.

Notable rescues At 04:30 on the 7 Mar 1907, Palling No.1 lifeboat 54th West Norfolk Regiment (ON 471) launched to the aid of the vessel Vixen. In pitch-black gale force conditions, the lifeboat managed to rescue five crew, but one man was left clinging to the rigging, cold, and unable to climb down by himself. The Master re-boarded the Vixen along with lifeboat crewman James Pestell. Pestell then climbed the rigging, and with the assistance of the Master, brought the man to the waiting lifeboat. With two of the party now on board, the lifeboat was hit by a large wave, and washed away from the wreck, leaving Pestell alone on the stricken vessel. Finally, the lifeboat returned, and Pestell was taken on board. For this service, James Pestell Jr. was awarded the RNLI Silver Medal.

Station honours The following are awards made at Palling.

RNLI Silver Medal Edward Amis, Coxswain – 1870

Walter Pestell, Coxswain – 1893

Thomas Bishop, Acting Coxswain – 1894

Walter Pestell, Coxswain – 1899 (Second-Service clasp)

James Pestell, Jr., crew member – 1907

Roll of honour In memory of those lost whilst serving Palling lifeboat.

Developed pneumonia following a launch on 1 March 1910 in bitterly cold conditions, and died 20 days later. Robert Amis, Second Coxswain (68)

Palling lifeboats NASLSM Name Built Class Comments 1852 32-foot Palmer 32-foot x 9-foot 7in (10-oared) Palmer-class non-self-righting lifeboat, built by Branford of Great Yarmouth, costing £75.

RNLI No.1 Station ON Name Built Class Comments 1858 1858−1864 30-foot Peake Self-Righting (P&S) 30-foot x 7-foot 6in (10-oared) Peake-class self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, from RNLI funds, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, London, costing £179. Pre-314 Parsee 1857 1864−1882 36-foot Self-righting (P&S) 36-foot x 8-foot (12-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of Cama Brothers, London & Bombay, built by Forrestt of Limehouse, London, costing £161 when new. Previously 30-foot x 7-foot 6in (10-oared), lengthened 1864Previously Victoria at . 38 Heyland 1882 1882−1884 37-foot Self-righting (P&S) 37-foot x 9-foot (12-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of the Heyland Memorial Fund, built by Woolfe of Shadwell, London, costing £430. 13 1884 1884−1900 37-foot Self-righting (P&S) 37-foot x 8-foot 9in (12-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of Rev. W, J, Guerrier of Oxford, built by Woolfe of Shadwell, London, costing £392. 471 54th West Norfolk Regiment 1901 1901−1926 37-foot 6in x 9-foot 3in (12-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of late Maj. Lancelot Wood, built by Thames Ironworks of Blackwall, London, costing £893. 580 Jacob and Rachel Vallentine 1907 1926−1930 34-foot Dungeness Self-righting (P&S) 34-foot x 8-foot (10-oared) self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, legacy of Mr S. Vallentine of Brixton, built by Thames Ironworks of Blackwall, London, costing £893.Previously at . Station Closed, 1930

No.2 Station ON Name Built Class Comments 14 1870 1870−1893 40-foot 4in x 11-foot 6in (14-oared) Norfolk and Suffolk-class non-self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, from RNLI funds, built by James Beeching of Great Yarmouth, costing £273 351 Hearts of Oak 1893 1893−1917 40-foot Norfolk and Suffolk (P&S) 40-foot x 12-foot (14-oared) Norfolk and Suffolk-class non-self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of the Hearts of Oak Benefit Society, built by Wm. T. Ellis of Lowestoft, costing £416. 656 Hearts of Oak 1918 1918−1929 40-foot Norfolk and Suffolk (P&S) 40-foot x 12-foot (12-oared) Norfolk and Suffolk-class non-self-righting (P&S) lifeboat, gift of the Hearts of Oak Benefit Society, built by Summers & Payne of Southampton, completed by S. E. Saunders of East Cowes. Station Closed, 1929

See also List of RNLI stations List of former RNLI stations Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats

Notes

References

External links Happisburgh RNLI Lifeboat Station