Angle Lifeboat Station is located near the village of

Angle In Euclidean geometry, an angle can refer to a number of concepts relating to the intersection of two straight Line (geometry), lines at a Point (geometry), point. Formally, an angle is a figure lying in a Euclidean plane, plane formed by two R ...

, on the southern side of the entrance to the

Milford Haven Waterway Milford Haven Waterway () is a natural harbour in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is a ria or drowned valley which was flooded at the end of the last ice age. The Daugleddau estuary winds west to the sea. As one of the deepest natural harbours in ...

, in

Pembrokeshire Pembrokeshire ( ; ) is a Principal areas of Wales, county in the South West Wales, south-west of Wales. It is bordered by Carmarthenshire to the east, Ceredigion to the northeast, and otherwise by the sea. Haverfordwest is the largest town and ...

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

. A lifeboat was first stationed here by the

Royal National Lifeboat Institution The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is the largest of the lifeboat (rescue), lifeboat services operating around the coasts of the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, as well as on s ...

(RNLI) in 1868. Originally called ''Milford Lifeboat Station'', the name was changed to Angle, Milford Haven Lifeboat Station in 1892. The station currently operates a lifeboat, 16-11 ''Mark Mason'' (ON 1291), on station since 2009.

History

Ever since its founding in 1824, the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (RNIPLS), later to become the RNLI in 1854, would award medals for deeds of gallantry at sea, even if no lifeboats were involved. Three silver medals were awarded for local rescues prior to the establishment of a lifeboat station at Angle. On 19 November 1850, Thomas Landells, Tide Surveyor for H.M. Customs, would rescue eight people from the

schooner A schooner ( ) is a type of sailing ship, sailing vessel defined by its Rig (sailing), rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more Mast (sailing), masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than t ...

''Maria''. In 1867, Commander Harvey, RN, of H.M. Coastguard, wrote to the RNLI requesting that a lifeboat station be established at

Milford Haven Milford Haven ( ) is a town and community (Wales), community in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is on the north side of the Milford Haven Waterway, an estuary forming a natural harbour that has been used as a port since the Middle Ages. The town was ...

, which was agreed. A stone boat house and wooden slipway were constructed at Angle Point by Mr. P James, at a cost of £170-4s-0d, and a 33-foot self-righting 'pulling and sailing' (P&S) lifeboat, one with oars and sails, was built by Woolfe of

Shadwell Shadwell is an area in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in East London, England. It also forms part of the city's East End of London, East End. Shadwell is on the north bank of the River Thames between Wapping (to the west) and Ratcliff and ...

. at a cost of £281-17s6d. The lifeboat was funded by Titus Salt Jr., son of

Bradford Bradford is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in West Yorkshire, England. It became a municipal borough in 1847, received a city charter in 1897 and, since the Local Government Act 1972, 1974 reform, the city status in the United Kingdo ...

philanthropist Sir Titus Salt, and was named ''Katherine'' at a ceremony on 28 November 1868. In 1887, it was decided to replace the old wooden slipway with a new and longer slipway, 200 feet in length, and a new 37-foot lifeboat, ''Henry Martin Harvey'' (ON 227) was placed at the station in 1888. The new boat would be sent to London for the addition of a drop-keel in 1891, returning in 1892. In October 1892, the station name was changed from 'Milford', to 'Angle, Milford Haven'. Plans were announced in 1926 to place a motor-lifeboat at Angle, and construction began of a new larger boathouse and deep-water slipway, to the west side of the existing boathouse. It was completed in January 1929, at a cost of £20,000. On 10 January, a 45-foot 6in lifeboat ''Elizabeth Elson'' (ON 713), arrived on station. With twin 40 hp petrol engines, she was capable of 8.23 knots. In her 28 years on service at Angle, she would be launched 58 times, and rescue 144 lives. Coxswain James Watkins was awarded the RNLI bronze medal for rescuing 28 people on 26 November 1929, from the single-screw steamship ''Molesley'', which had been caught by a sudden wind change and a poor decision by its captain. Watkins went on to be awarded the

RNLI Silver Medal A number of awards have been established by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) since its creation in 1824. None are approved by the Crown, and are therefore unofficial awards. As such, they do not appear in the official British order ...

for rescuing 6 people in 1944 from the motor boat ''Thor'', and a year later, a second bronze medal (clasp) for a difficult rescue of nine people from the steamer . (This steamer had been seized from the Germans and sank on 15 July before it could be renamed the ''Empire Concourse''.)EMPIRE – C
mariners-l.co.uk James Watkins finally retired in 1946 after 24 years service as coxswain and 13 years as second coxswain. For over 9 hours on 5–6 August 1973, the lifeboat ''Richard Vernon & Mary Garforth of Leeds'' (ON 931) stood by the oil tanker ''Donna Marike'', which was carrying high-octane fuel, and at risk of explosion. On 1 December 1978, in gale-force conditions, 3 people were rescued from the fishing boat ''Cairnsmore'', one of them from the water. For these two services, Coxswain William John Rees Holmes was awarded the

RNLI Bronze Medal A number of awards have been established by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) since its creation in 1824. None are approved by the Crown, and are therefore unofficial awards. As such, they do not appear in the official British order ...

and second service clasp. The Lady Rank Lifeboat in Chapel Bay near Angle

A class lifeboat was placed on service in 1987, 47-011 ''The Lady Rank'' (ON 1114), and would serve Angle for the next 21 years. In 1991, construction began of a new, larger, boathouse and slipway adjacent to the 1927 structure. Following completion in 1992, the old boathouse and slipway were demolished. A Inshore lifeboat was first placed at the station in 1994, and in 1996, the lifeboat ''Isabella Mary'' (D-493) began service at the station. On 5 May 1997, the motor boat, ''Dale Princess'' was blown on to cliffs on

Skomer Island Skomer () or Skomer Island is an island off the coast of Pembrokeshire, in the community of Marloes and St Brides in west Wales. It is well known for its wildlife: around half the world's population of Manx shearwaters nest on the island, the A ...

. For rescuing four people in gale-force winds and stormy seas, Coxswain Jeremy R. Rees was awarded the RNLI bronze medal RNLI lifeboat - geograph

''The Lady Rank'' was withdrawn to the Relief fleet in 2008, later to serve as ''ADES 20 Bicentenary BSE'' with the lifeboat service in Uruguay. After a brief spell with another Tyne-class lifeboat on station, 47-010 ''RFA Sir Galahad'' (ON 1112), the 1992 boathouse was modified, and in 2009, the station received a new lifeboat 16-11 ''Mark Mason'' (ON 1291). In May 2024, it was reported that difficulties maintaining crew and helpers may force the relocation of the Angle lifeboat. A declining local population has meant for 12 years, the crew is primarily from Milford Haven, and transported to the station when called. If travelling by road, a distance of . On 31 July 2024, a six-month trial was announced, with the Angle lifeboat operating from the port authority jetty at Milford Haven.

''Loch Shiel''

In 1894, 33 people were saved from the 1878-built ''

Loch Shiel :''See Glen Shiel for the much smaller Loch Shiel in Lochalsh.'' Loch Shiel () is a freshwater loch situated west of Fort William, Highland, Fort William in the Highland (council area), Highland subdivisions of Scotland, council area of Scotla ...

'' which had run onto rocks at Thorn Island. 27 people had managed to scramble on to the rocks, but were still at the mercy of the weather. The lifeboat rescued the 6 people still on board the ''Loch Shiel''. Three lifeboatmen were then landed elsewhere on the island, climbing around Thorn Island to a position above the 27 survivors, and using ropes, eventually hauling all of them up to safety. Two lifeboat crew members and the honorary secretary were each awarded the

, including Thomas Rees, who would later become Coxswain. The rescue is described as Wales' " Whisky Galore". The ''Loch Shiel'' was carrying goods from Scotland to

Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...

and included gunpowder, beer,Loch Shiel
Pembrokeshire wrecks and 7,500 (some say 7,000) cases of Glasgow whisky. The cargo was partially recovered by

HM Customs and Excise HM Customs and Excise (properly known as Her Majesty's Customs and Excise at the time of its dissolution) was a department of the British Government formed in 1909 by the merger of HM Customs and HM Excise; its primary responsibility was the ...

, but some of the bottles are still amongst the wreck and are described as "undrinkable".letters
wrecksite.eu, accessed 30 August 2008 In 1999, bottles of beer from the wreck were auctioned for £1,000 per bottle.Diver sinks £1,000 pint
BBC, accessed 30 August 2008

Station honours

The following are awards made to the crew of Angle Lifeboat Station
* RNIPLS Silver Medal ::William Field, farmer, former Master Mariner - 1833 ::Thomas Landells, Tide Surveyor, H.M. Customs - 1850 *

::John Large, Master Gunner, RA - 1861 ::Maj. Richard William Mirehouse, Honorary Secretary - 1894 ::Edward Ball, crew member - 1894 ::Thomas Rees, crew member - 1894 ::James Watkins, Coxswain - 1944 *

::James Watkins, Coxswain - 1929 ::James Watkins, Coxswain - 1945 (Second Service award) ::William John Rees Holmes, Coxswain - 1973 ::William John Rees Holmes, Coxswain/Mechanic - 1979 (Second Service award) ::Jeremy Richard Rees, Coxswain - 1997 *Medal Service Certificate ::Gerald Edwards, Second Coxswain - 1973 ::Michael Eynon, Assistant Mechanic - 1973 ::Anthony Stewart, Crew member - 1973 ::Roger Callaghan, Crew member - 1973 ::William Watkins, Crew member - 1973 ::Gerald Edwards, crew member - 1979 ::Roger O'Callaghan, crew member - 1979 ::Norman Knowles, crew member - 1979 ::Jeffrey Stringer, crew member - 1979 ::Danny Richards, crew member - 1979 ::Stephen O'Leary, crew member - 1979 *The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum ::Col. Mirehouse, Honorary Secretary - 1893 ::Albert Rees, Mechanic - 1944 ::William John Rees Holmes, Coxswain/Mechanic - 1977 *Vellum Service Certificates ::Brian Brown, Second Coxswain - 1977 ::Michael Eynon, Assistant Mechanic - 1977 ::Anthony Stewart, Second Assistant Mechanic - 1977 ::Peter Jones, crew member - 1977 ::Daniel Richards, crew member - 1977 *A special framed certificate ::Coxswain and Crew - 1977 (Fastnet Race) *A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution ::The crew of ''The Lady Rank'' - 1997 * Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE) ::Michael John Eynon - 2000

Angle lifeboats

Pulling and Sailing lifeboats

Steam lifeboat

Motor lifeboats

Inshore lifeboats

Notes

References

External links

RNLI Angle Lifeboat Station
{{Lifeboat Stations in Wales Lifeboat stations in Wales Transport infrastructure completed in 1868