Jim Roberts on Saving Lives at Sea

The location of the Coastguard Stations.

Let’s first have a look in the 1960s and in that period of time we had … there were Coastguard Stations at Bembridge, Sandown, Ventnor, Blackgang, along the back of the White at Atherfield, Brook and the Needles, and there was also one at Cliff End, which is inside the Solent, up by the Forts, at the western end of the Solent.

During the first half of the 20th century, there were many more Coastguard Stations when coastal patrols were carried out between the Stations mainly at night time.

In the East Wight alone, there were many Stations whose buildings can still be found today at East Cowes along the front there, at Fishbourne Creek, Ryde Esplanade, Seaview Duver, the Point at Bembridge, the still existing one at Forelands at Bembridge on top of Culver Down, at Shanklin and at Ventnor and those are just the ones that were there in the East Wight.

As the service was modernised during the latter half of the 20th  century, after the HM Coastguard Act was introduced in 1922, the Coastguard’s role was featured more on Search and Rescue.

Many Stations were closed by the late 1970s.

There are only Stations left at the Needles, which is the Headquarter Station, at Bembridge and at Ventnor all of whom had cliff rescue teams.