Appledore RNLI marks 200 years of life-saving service

This week marks a historic milestone for Appledore RNLI, as it celebrates 200 years of voluntary service saving lives at sea, following the arrival of the UK’s first RNLI lifeboat at Appledore on February 28, 1825.

The lifeboat, named The Volunteer, was stationed at Appledore to serve the dangerous Appledore Bar, one of the most treacherous in the British Isles. 

Before the RNLI was established, local men used pilot gigs to attempt rescues in the area, often in difficult conditions.

In 1824, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution was founded and soon after, local men formed the Bideford Branch Association, requesting one of the first RNLI lifeboats. 

The request was granted and The Volunteer arrived in Appledore in February 1825.

Describing the boat, a report from the North Devon Humane Society in June 1852 stated: “This boat, which is called No. 1, or The Volunteer, is 17 feet long, 6¼ feet wide, 2½ feet deep, weighs 20 cwt., and is pulled by 4 oars, or occasionally 5 oars, single banked. The boat, like others built by PLENTY, is sheathed with cork on the bottom, well secured, and thoroughly varnished, so that it has resisted the wear and tear of a quarter of a century.”

With its reputation of being “slow but sure”, The Volunteer served for 31 years, saving 89 lives.

Its first recorded rescue took place on September 11, 1829, when the lifeboat crew launched into a fierce storm to rescue the crew of the Daniel. 

“The Volunteer was launched into the river with five crew, four at the oars and a helmsman in command. They rowed against the storm down river, out across the Bar in terrible conditions,” according to the history of Appledore Lifeboat Station.

Three crew members from that mission, Coxswain Owen N. Riordean Smith, William Brinksmead, and Philip Guy, were awarded silver medals, the first ever presented by the RNLI.

Sadly, in 1833, Appledore RNLI faced its first loss, as lifeboatmen Benjamin Pile, John Peake and Samuel Blackmore died during a rescue attempt.

Over the last two centuries, Appledore RNLI has had 11 main lifeboats and countless rescues. 

Today, the station is equipped with modern vessels such as Mollie Hunt, an all-weather Tamar class lifeboat, and Glanely, an Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat.

While the technology and equipment have advanced, the commitment of the volunteers remains unchanged. 

“The charity’s dependence on volunteers, who give their time and commitment to save others, and the voluntary contributions from the public, via donations, fundraising, and legacies, have funded the service for the past two centuries,” said an RNLI spokesperson.

With 22 silver medals, six bronze medals, and four foreign medals for gallantry awarded to crew members, Appledore RNLI continues its proud history of saving lives. 

As they look forward to the next 200 years, the station remains rooted in its community, 

sustained by the dedication of volunteers and public support.