Volunteer Life Brigade

Volunteer Life Brigade

A Volunteer Life Brigade is a search and rescue organisation which assists HM Coastguard in the United Kingdom in coastal emergencies. There are only a few Volunteer Life Brigades left in the United Kingdom, with most being replaced by Auxiliary Coastguard teams.

History of Volunteer Life Brigades

On 24th November 1864, at Tynemouth, North East England, a gale at sea caught out many vessels, including a schooner called "Friendship" and a passenger steamer called "Stanley". These vessels tried to make it into the River Tyne for shelter, but were driven ashore onto the infamous Black Middens at the mouth of the Tyne.

At the time, the Coastguard at Tynemouth consisted of only four men, two of whom were pensioners. Despite their best effort to use the breeches buoy to rescue those on the vessels, the lines became tangled and could not be untangled. Lifeboats joined in the rescue effort but were unsuccessful.

At dawn the next morning, the rescue effort was resumed with the use of the breeches buoy from Cullercoats. There were some survivors, but 32 people had died in sight of hundreds of powerless spectators on the shoreline.

John Morrison, who was an officer in the military volunteers based in Tynemouth Castle, was one of those spectators. It was apparent to him that, had there been a body men trained and disciplined as were his volunteers to assist the Coastguards, the breeches buoy might whave saved all of the people from the ships. He approached John Foster Spence and his brother Joseph, who were both local civic dignitaries, and they readily took up the cause, calling a public meeting in North Shields Town Hall on 5th December 1864, to sound out opinion.

There was a huge response at the meeting and the result was the founding of the Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade (TVLB) as a group of men who would be trained, ready and willing to assist HM Coastguard to save life from shipwreck, with over 100 men signing up on the spot. The Board of Trade, who were responsible for HM Coastguard Service, were highly impressed with the principle and the performance of the TVLB.

So impressed were they that they circulated the rules of the TVLB to all Coastguard stations around the coast of the United Kingdom with instructions that similar teams were to be formed at every station. In areas where there were sufficient enthusiastic people to take on the responsibility, Volunteer Life Brigades were to be formed, as at Tynemouth, these being run and administered by elected committees with training assisted by HM Coastguard. In other areas, the Coastguard would recruit teams which would be run and administered by the local Coastguards and would be known as Volunteer Life Saving Companies.

Over the years, many of these Volunteer Life Brigades have been replaced by the Auxiliary Coastguard service, who are groups of local volunteers, trained to high standards, who assist HM Coastguard when called upon. However, in a few areas of the country, including Tynemouth, Volunteer Life Brigades remain today.

External links

* [http://www.tvlb.org/ Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade web site]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Volunteer (disambiguation) — Volunteer, Volunteers or Voluntary may refer to one of the following.Volunteerism*Volunteer, a person who performs or offers to perform a service out of his or her own free will, often without payment *See also volunteerism *Volunteer Aid… …   Wikipedia

  • 4th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Brigade Netherlands — The 4. SS Freiwilligen Panzergrenadier Brigade Nederland was a German Waffen SS volunteer brigade comprising volunteers of Dutch background. It saw action on the Eastern Front during World War II.In February 1945, the Panzergrenadier Brigade was… …   Wikipedia

  • Brigade of Gurkhas — The Brigade of Gurkhas is the collective term for British Army units that are composed of Nepalese soldiers. They are famous for their ever present kukris. Origins : Main articles the Gurkhas and the British Indian Army During the war in Nepal,… …   Wikipedia

  • 7th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment — Infobox Military Unit unit name= 7th Regiment Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry caption=Wisconsin flag dates= September 2, 1861 to July 2, 1865 country= United States allegiance= Union branch= Infantry equipment= battles=Battle of Cedar Mountain… …   Wikipedia

  • Metropolitan Fire Brigade (Melbourne) — Metropolitan Fire Brigade The MFB Logo Established: 1891 Specialities: Combatant Authority for Fire, Rescue and Hazmat Volunteers: None Paid Staff: 1639 …   Wikipedia

  • Bargo Rural Fire Brigade — Overveiw The [http://www.bargo.rfsa.org.au Bargo Rural Fire Brigade] services the local Bargo and Wollondilly Community in New South Wales, Australia. Providing help to return normality to residents and visitors of the Wollondilly Shire. The… …   Wikipedia

  • Irish Brigade (U.S.) — Infobox Military Unit unit name= Irish Brigade caption=2nd Irish Color, 69th NYSV dates=September 1861 July 1864 country=United States of America allegiance= branch=United States army type=infantry size= Five regiments command structure= current… …   Wikipedia

  • 24th Iowa Volunteer Infantry Regiment — Infobox Military Unit unit name= 24th Regiment Iowa Volunteer Infantry caption=Iowa state flag dates= September 18, 1862 to July 17, 1865 country= United States allegiance= Union branch= Infantry equipment= battles=Battle of Port Gibson Battle of …   Wikipedia

  • Provisional IRA East Tyrone Brigade — East Tyrone Brigade Active December 1969–July 1997 Allegiance Provisional Irish Republican Army Area of operations east County Tyrone Engagements Attack on Ballygawley barracks Loughgall Ambush …   Wikipedia

  • 5th SS Volunteer Sturmbrigade Wallonien — The 5th SS Volunteer Sturmbrigade Wallonien or 5. SS Freiwilligen Sturmbrigade Wallonien was a Belgian Waffen SS volunteer brigade comprising volunteers of Walloon background. It saw action on the Eastern Front during World War II.In September of …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”