RNLI Stories of Courage 1939-45 is a project funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund focused on preserving the charity’s Second World War stories. The RNLI played a unique role in the Second World War – volunteer crews risked their lives in extremely difficult circumstances, facing enemy fire and going into the unknown – all to save lives at sea. The RNLI saved 6,376 lives between 1939 and 1945. There are generations of families who would not be here today without rescues undertaken by RNLI volunteers.

This is the history of communities across the UK and we want to share these stories of courage with the communities they served, and beyond. Furthermore, and quite crucially, we want to capture those personal stories of the crews who served. We want to go beyond the official reports of rescues to understand who the crew and volunteers were, who they saved and the lives they touched. Through this, we hope to better understand our heritage to preserve these stories for future generations.

What do the collections offer?

The main items in our archive which form our understanding of the RNLI in the Second World War comprise of records of rescues, annual reports, Committee minutes and crew records alongside photos. Each station holds service books for their lifeboat launches, which give an account of each lifeboat launch. Details logged are intricate, including position of casualty, direction of wind, conditions of sea, time of departure, time reaching the wreck, number of lives rescues and much more.

Here, we also find the list of crew attending each rescue. These records are essential sources of information and through the project we have been able to provide suitable storage to ensure the longevity of these sources. We have also been able to digitise records in our archive to reduce physical damage.

A project to fill the gaps

However, these records don’t shed much light on the human experience behind the rescues – the crews experiences, their personalities, what they saw, how they felt, their interactions with those rescued. No serving wartime RNLI crew are left to share their stories, that opportunity has already been lost. What we risk losing now is the memories of people who knew them or who still hold records, photos and information on them.

To collect stories, we created RNLI.org/YourStories. This web page is a tribute page where loved ones can share their memories and stories about the RNLI in the Second World War. When submitting entries, contact details are shared to begin a two way conversation to share knowledge, memories and photos between the RNLI Heritage team and those with connections to the RNLI. This method does present a digital barrier to submission, and often relies on a tech savvy relative who can help support the submission of information.

Nonetheless, we have seen stories submitted with wonderful tributes to wartime rescues. This has been furthered by submissions via email, sharing a wealth of photos and newspaper clippings from family scrapbooks which have brought some charming quotes, details and stories into our understanding.

The work of research volunteers

This work is being supported by a team of Heritage Research Volunteers, who choose a station to research and are provided with crew records. From the crew records, some basic details are outlined including name, position on the crew, sometimes a date of birth, sometimes an address. From this information, our research volunteers are able to collect traces of these individuals and build a more developed profile of who they were, their home lives, potentially service records and even photographs to put a face to the name.

While this doesn’t fully capture the stories and memories they shared with their loved ones, it does enhance our understanding of who our crew members were and ensures we have some information on who these brave wartime lifesavers were. We are grateful to our Stories of Courage volunteers who are supporting the project with their research skills.

Engagement opportunities

As we reach over 80 years since the end of the war, we have encountered a struggle to reach people who are able to share details and stories. As we get further away from the war years, the stories in memories become fewer and far between. Importantly, this work to expand our has been accompanied by regional engagement projects to engage communities in RNLI wartime stories and prevent these stories falling out of cultural memories.

From talks and handling sessions to music performances and even knitting workshops, these events have sought to highlight the often untold stories of the RNLI’s involvement in wartime rescues and the extraordinary conditions they faced. This comprises a key element of the project which seeks to engage and inspire communities by sharing the incredible achievements and dedication of RNLI volunteers who were able to maintain a lifesaving service during the conflict.

Further information

To read some of the RNLI’s incredible wartime stories from across the UK and Ireland, visit our new online exhibition: RNLI Stories of Courage 1939-1945.

Please feel free to reach out to discuss this project further at heritage@rnli.org.uk.

RNLI Stories of Courage 1939-45 is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we are able to gather and share memories while we can to preserve for future generations.