HenryBlogg ON 840 was the eighteenth lifeboat

Lifeboat (rescue)

A rescue lifeboat is a boat rescue craft which is used to attend a vessel in distress, or its survivors, to rescue crewmen and passengers. It can be hand pulled, sail powered or powered by an engine...

 to be stationed at Cromer

Cromer lifeboat station

Cromer Lifeboat Station is an RNLI station located in the town of Cromer in the English county of Norfolk. The station operates two lifeboats - one for inshore work and the other for offshore work....

 in the county of Norfolk

Norfolk

Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...

.

ON 840 was stationed at Cromer from 1945 until 1966.

History

In 1945 after 10 years service which included busy service through the second world war H F Bailey ON777 was replaced with a new No 1 lifeboat in December 1945. The new lifeboat had the number ON 840 and had the name The Millie Walton. This lifeboat had originally been destined for Douglas

Douglas, Isle of Man

right|thumb|250px|Douglas Promenade, which runs nearly the entire length of beachfront in Douglasright|thumb|250px|Sea terminal in DouglasDouglas is the capital and largest town of the Isle of Man, with a population of 26,218 people . It is located at the mouth of the River Douglas, and a sweeping...

 on the Isle of man

Isle of Man

The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...

 and had only been sent to Cromer for evaluation. The Millie Walton was a Watson class lifeboat but had a new midship steering position which the Cromer crew found much to their liking and so after request from the Cromer crew, she remained at Cromer. In 1948 the Millie Watson was officially renamed The Henry Blogg in homage to Cromer’s famous lifeboat man Henry Blogg

Henry Blogg

Henry George Blogg GC BEM was a famous lifeboatman from Cromer on the north coast of Norfolk, England.Henry Blogg of Cromer is referred to as "the greatest of the lifeboatmen"...

 who was the Coxswain

Coxswain

The coxswain is the person in charge of a boat, particularly its navigation and steering. The etymology of the word gives us a literal meaning of "boat servant" since it comes from cox, a coxboat or other small vessel kept aboard a ship, and swain, which can be rendered as boy, in authority. ...

. Henry Blogg made his last voyage on the Millie Walton under the new coxswain Henry "Shrimp" Davies

Henry Thomas Davies

Henry "Shrimp" Thomas Davies BEM was a famous lifeboatman from Cromer on the north coast of Norfolk, England. “Shrimp” Davies, as he was affectionately known was one of Cromer Lifeboat's longest serving coxswain. He retired as coxswain in February 1976. He had joined the crew of the Cromer...

 on the 4th September 1948 when he had then reached the age of 71. The call was to the rescue of the steam trawler Balmoral and 11 lives were saved. Henry Blogg retired after 53 years service with the service and he was the holder of the most awards by the RNLI.

Francois Tixier

In heavy seas on the 8 July 1948 a French steamer by the name of Francois Tixier Bound from Goole

Goole

Goole is a town, civil parish and port located approximately inland on the confluence of the rivers Don and Ouse in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England...

 to the French inland port of Rouen

Rouen

Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...

, got into difficulties of the north Norfolk coast four miles (6 km) off Sheringham

Sheringham

Sheringham is a seaside town in Norfolk, England, west of Cromer.The motto of the town, granted in 1953 to the Sheringham Urban District Council, is Mare Ditat Pinusque Decorat, Latin for "The sea enriches and the pine adorns"....

. The steamer was laden with a cargo of coal and in worsening gale she capsized. With the Sheringham

Sheringham

Sheringham is a seaside town in Norfolk, England, west of Cromer.The motto of the town, granted in 1953 to the Sheringham Urban District Council, is Mare Ditat Pinusque Decorat, Latin for "The sea enriches and the pine adorns"....

 lifeboat undergoing a refit at Oulton Broad

Oulton Broad

Oulton Broad refers to both the lake and the suburb of Lowestoft in Suffolk, England located 2 miles west of the centre of the town.-Oulton Broad:...

, Henry Blogg was launched to the steamers aid and stood by. With the Francois Tixier heavily listing on the port the lifeboat went alongside but the captain and his crew refused to leave the stricken vessel. Despite the attempts by the crew to secure the cargo, it shifted further to port. With their failed attempts to steady the vessel the captain and crew agreed to leave their ship. One crew man jumped into the water and was rescued; another reached the lifeboat by rope passed between the boats. Using a Breeches buoy

Breeches buoy

A breeches buoy is a crude rope-based rescue device used to extract people from wrecked vessels, or to transfer people from one location to another in situations of danger. The device resembles a round emergency personal flotation device with a leg harness attached...

, eight more of the crew were rescued. After the eleventh crew man was rescued using the breeches buoy the stricken steamer rolled over and settled down under the sea. The last five remaining crew scrambled on to the stern and as the steamer slipped below the waves they scrambled on to a raft and were picked up by the lifeboat shortly after. The sixteen rescued French seaman were landed at Great Yarmouth

Great Yarmouth

Great Yarmouth, often known to locals as Yarmouth, is a coastal town in Norfolk, England. It is at the mouth of the River Yare, east of Norwich.It has been a seaside resort since 1760, and is the gateway from the Norfolk Broads to the sea...

 by the Henry Blogg. In recognition of their efforts Coxswain Davies

Henry Thomas Davies

Henry "Shrimp" Thomas Davies BEM was a famous lifeboatman from Cromer on the north coast of Norfolk, England. “Shrimp” Davies, as he was affectionately known was one of Cromer Lifeboat's longest serving coxswain. He retired as coxswain in February 1976. He had joined the crew of the Cromer...

 and his crew were presented with awards by the French Government.

Sheringham Lifeboat Forester Centenary

On the 31st of May 1958 Henry Blogg took part in an unusual rescue when she was called to aid the Sheringham

Sheringham

Sheringham is a seaside town in Norfolk, England, west of Cromer.The motto of the town, granted in 1953 to the Sheringham Urban District Council, is Mare Ditat Pinusque Decorat, Latin for "The sea enriches and the pine adorns"....

 Lifeboat Forester Centenary. This service began with a call at 9.50am to the Sheringham honorary secretary from the Trinity House

Trinity House

The Corporation of Trinity House of Deptford Strond is the official General Lighthouse Authority for England, Wales and other British territorial waters...

 Superintendent of Great Yarmouth

Great Yarmouth

Great Yarmouth, often known to locals as Yarmouth, is a coastal town in Norfolk, England. It is at the mouth of the River Yare, east of Norwich.It has been a seaside resort since 1760, and is the gateway from the Norfolk Broads to the sea...

 requesting that a sick man be taken off the Dudgeon Light-vessel. At 10.15am the Sheringham lifeboat Forester Centenary was launched with a doctor on board and she reached the light-vessel by 1.10pm. The doctor went aboard the light-vessel and dispensed a sedative to the sick man and he was then strapped to a stretcher and transferred to the Forester Centenary. The lifeboat then set off on the return journey to her station. Nine miles north east from home at around 4.40pm the Forester Centenary was in trouble when her skew gear which drives the lifeboat's oil and water pumps broke down. Henry Blogg was called out and had to take the Sheringham lifeboat in to tow. Both boats arrived back at the Sheringham station at 7.00pm and the sick man was taken to Hospital.

Service and rescues

Rescues from Cromer as Millie Walton
Date	Casualty	Lives Saved
1946
March 7	Steamship CORCREST of London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... , assisted to save vessel	22
Re-named Henry Blogg (ON 840)
1947
January 4	Steam trawler BALMORAL of Grimsby Grimsby Grimsby is a seaport on the Humber Estuary in Lincolnshire, England. It has been the administrative centre of the unitary authority area of North East Lincolnshire since 1996... , gave help and saved	11
April 23	Motor Yacht SWITHA of Inverness Inverness Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland... , gave help
July 8	Motor vessel FRANCOIS TIXIER of Dunkirk, saved	16
August 7	Rubber dinghy, saved dinghy	1
August 25–31	Steamship MONTE NURIA of Bilbao Bilbao Bilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain... , stood by and gave help
1948
September 2	Rubber Dinghy, saved dinghy	1
December 10	Motor trawler GEORGES LANGANAY of Fecamp Fécamp Fécamp is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:Fécamp is situated in the valley of the river Valmont, at the heart of the Pays de Caux, on the Albaster Coast... , assisted to save vessel	19
December 20–21	Motor vessel BOSPHORUS of Oslo Oslo Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King... , assisted to save vessel	37
1949
October 4	Yacht Yacht A yacht is a recreational boat or ship. The term originated from the Dutch Jacht meaning "hunt". It was originally defined as a light fast sailing vessel used by the Dutch navy to pursue pirates and other transgressors around and into the shallow waters of the Low Countries...  MARJELLEN, gave help
November 19	Steamship SUNTRAP of London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... , Landed an injured man
1950
November 21	Barge Barge A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...  THYRA of Rochester, gave help
1951
January 9	Cabin cruiser DIMCYL of Lowestoft Lowestoft Lowestoft is a town in the English county of Suffolk. The town is on the North Sea coast and is the most easterly point of the United Kingdom. It is north-east of London, north-east of Ipswich and south-east of Norwich... , gave help
1952
July 24	Gloster Meteor Gloster Meteor The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' first operational jet. It first flew in 1943 and commenced operations on 27 July 1944 with 616 Squadron of the Royal Air Force...  aeroplane, gave help
August 1	Motor Yacht ZIPPALONG of Boston Boston, Lincolnshire Boston is a town and small port in Lincolnshire, on the east coast of England. It is the largest town of the wider Borough of Boston local government district and had a total population of 55,750 at the 2001 census... , gave help
November 23	Steamship GROVE HILL of Middlesbrough Middlesbrough Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire... , gave help
1953
June 11	Sea Cadet Motor Vessel NORFOLK of Goole Goole Goole is a town, civil parish and port located approximately inland on the confluence of the rivers Don and Ouse in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England... , saved vessel	16
1954
October 2	Cromer Light vessel, Landed a sick man, saving	1
October 15	Fishing boat WHY WORRY of Cromer Cromer Cromer is a coastal town and civil parish in north Norfolk, England. The local government authority is North Norfolk District Council, whose headquarters is in Holt Road in the town. The town is situated 23 miles north of the county town, Norwich, and is 4 miles east of Sheringham... , saved boat	2
1955
February 19	Bathers with rubber tyre, saved	3
1956
February 19	Steamship COLCHESTER of London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... , landed a body
August 10	Yacht AMBIDA of Hull Kingston upon Hull Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of... , saved yacht	7
1957
September 9	Sailing dinghy, saved dinghy
September 23–24	Fishing boat BRITANNIA of Cromer Cromer Cromer is a coastal town and civil parish in north Norfolk, England. The local government authority is North Norfolk District Council, whose headquarters is in Holt Road in the town. The town is situated 23 miles north of the county town, Norwich, and is 4 miles east of Sheringham... , saved boat	2
October 26	Trawler JOHN WILLMENT of Lowestoft Lowestoft Lowestoft is a town in the English county of Suffolk. The town is on the North Sea coast and is the most easterly point of the United Kingdom. It is north-east of London, north-east of Ipswich and south-east of Norwich... , took out doctor
1958
May 31	RNLB FORESTERS CENTENARY of Sheringham Sheringham Sheringham is a seaside town in Norfolk, England, west of Cromer.The motto of the town, granted in 1953 to the Sheringham Urban District Council, is Mare Ditat Pinusque Decorat, Latin for "The sea enriches and the pine adorns".... , gave help
August 27	Yacht WIMA of Rochester, gave help
1959
August 17	Yacht, saved yacht	2
September 5	Motor Launch GAY CRUSADER of London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... , saved boat	8
December 31	Aircraft, Landed a body from motor vessel BROUGHTY of Dundee Dundee Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
1960
July 11	Steam trawler CRADDOCK of Grimsby Grimsby Grimsby is a seaport on the Humber Estuary in Lincolnshire, England. It has been the administrative centre of the unitary authority area of North East Lincolnshire since 1996... , gave help
August 3	Rubber mattress, saved	1
1961
February 16	Haisborough Haisborough Sands Haisborough Sands is a sandbank off the coast of Norfolk, England at Happisburgh. The shoal is long and wide and lies parallel to the North east coast of Norfolk. The shoal is marked to the north-west by north by the Haisbro Light Buoy, North cardinal...  Light-vessel, gave help
February 16	Steam tanker WAVE CHIEF of London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... , gave help
March 8	Motor vessel CORSTAN of London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... , landed a sick man
1962
May 29	Cabin cruiser MAYFLY, saved cruiser	5
September 23	Yacht ELIZABETH ANN, saved yacht	4
November 2	HM Survey vessel SCOTT,Landed a sick man
November 24	Motor vessel VISCOUNT of Groningen, gave help
1963
April 9	Haisborough Haisborough Sands Haisborough Sands is a sandbank off the coast of Norfolk, England at Happisburgh. The shoal is long and wide and lies parallel to the North east coast of Norfolk. The shoal is marked to the north-west by north by the Haisbro Light Buoy, North cardinal...  Light-vessel, landed sick man
May 12	Sailing dinghy, saved dinghy	1
June 11	Motor vessel WARWICKBROOK of London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... , put a doctor aboard
December 23	Motor fishing boat FOUR BROTHERS of Lowestoft Lowestoft Lowestoft is a town in the English county of Suffolk. The town is on the North Sea coast and is the most easterly point of the United Kingdom. It is north-east of London, north-east of Ipswich and south-east of Norwich... , gave help
1964
March 11	Motor vessel JOIKA of Oslo Oslo Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King... . Gave help
July 5	Yacht SALLY BROWN of Boston Boston, Lincolnshire Boston is a town and small port in Lincolnshire, on the east coast of England. It is the largest town of the wider Borough of Boston local government district and had a total population of 55,750 at the 2001 census... , saved yacht	2
1965
December 28	Oil Rig Oil platform An oil platform, also referred to as an offshore platform or, somewhat incorrectly, oil rig, is a lаrge structure with facilities to drill wells, to extract and process oil and natural gas, and to temporarily store product until it can be brought to shore for refining and marketing...  SEA GEM, stood by
1966
January 16	Steam salvage tug OCTOPUS of IJmuiden, escorted vessel
January 16	Motor vessel START of Groningen, escorted vessel
April 3	Oil rig CONSTELLATION, stood by rig
Total