RNLI Stories of Courage 1939–45: The Story so Far
Heritage Project Officer, Rebecca Rossiter, describes her experience of joining the RNLI Heritage Team and beginning work on an exciting new project.
Joining the RNLI as a Heritage Project Officer in February has been something of a whirlwind. My role is to support with the coordination of a two-year National Lottery Heritage Fund project, ‘RNLI Stories of Courage 1939 – 45’. I get the privilege of immersing myself in the rich history of the RNLI from the Second World War era, exploring the amazing stories of sea rescues and those who were saved amid the challenges of global conflict.
Over the next two years we will be engaging with volunteers, staff and the public to collect and preserve accounts of how the RNLI saved lives at sea during wartime as well as the stories of those who were rescued. It’s a unique and exciting opportunity, and I have had to (literally) roll up my sleeves and jump aboard.
Last week was no exception. In addition to working alongside dedicated and skilled colleagues in the Heritage Team, I’ve been getting to know the workings of the Creative Services Team and how they will be helping us to bring the project to life through their award-winning design, digital and media work.
And then we have our amazing volunteers. On Wednesday 19 March I was lucky enough to take part in conservation cleaning of Thomas Kirk Wright, a historic lifeboat housed in Poole Old Lifeboat Museum on Poole Quay. This beautiful vessel was one of 19 RNLI lifeboats that took part in the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940, contributing to the rescue of 3,400 people from French shores. As I donned my marigolds and joined RNLI Heritage staff and local volunteers Sharon and Russell, we carefully ‘damp dusted’ the woodwork before applying beeswax to any unpainted areas and finally polished with dry cloths. The results were impressive as we stepped back and admired the shiny mahogany.
It's only when you get up this close and personal to historical artefacts that you truly start to appreciate the craftsmanship that has gone into creating them during a time when tools and technology were far less advanced. And standing aboard a lifeboat steeped in so much history, you start to notice details of the practical nature of being part of a crew from another era – the significant weight of the huge wooden oars, the little hatch for storing essentials (chocolate and tobacco), the tiny fire extinguisher tucked above the rear seats. For one of our volunteers, Sharon, this was especially exciting as her great grandfather had been a member of the crew. We will be making sure that we capture her relative’s story as part of the project, and we can’t wait to uncover many more.
In May 2025 we will be launching a public online portal for people to share their family stories of RNLI Second World War rescues and survival. In the meantime, if you would like to know more about the project, please get in touch: [email protected]
I can’t wait to see what the next week has in store as we continue to uncover untold chapters of incredible Stories of Courage.