Burnham RNLI Home Page > Burnham RNLI News Archive
June 23, 2004
Lifeboat Callout Board Returns to Burnham-On-Sea Lifeboat Station
The committee of Burnham-On-Sea Community Centre have presented the John Godfrey Morris Lifeboat callout board to the care of Burnham-On-Sea Lifeboat station.
A presentation event on June 22, 2004 began with a short tour of the station for the visitors, followed by the formal handing over of the callout board.
Tony Winterburn (Burnham-On-Sea RNLI Chairman) was handed the board by Mrs Joan Christian (The Community Centre Chairman).
Gathered around the board in our photo above are Ken Pollard (Community Centre Warden), Mrs Joan Christian (Community Centre Chairman), Martin Cox (Burnham-On-Sea RNLI Operations Manager), Tony Winterburn (Burnham-On-Sea RNLI Chairman) and Mary Miles (Community Centre Secretary).
Tony Winterburn said: “This is an interesting piece of history because it mentions the famous “Nornen”, a Norwegian Barque which went ashore on Berrow sands in 1897.”
The wreck is still on Berrow beach and was recently the centre of a controversy, when Sedgemoor District Council were considering removing it. (Click here for the history behind the Berrow Wreck.)
The callout board includes mentions of the Cheltenham and Phillip Beach lifeboats, which were operated from Burnham-On-Sea during different periods.
Shortly after the handover, Jack Griffiths (The Chairman of Bridgwater Royal Naval Association) presented a cheque for £250 to Tony Winterburn, as shown above.
Background information on the Burnham Callout Board:
As was the custom, many Lifeboat Stations displayed callout boards with a list of the casualties they had been called out to assist – John Godfrey Morris had such a board, and among other casualties listed was the famous “Nornen” a Norwegian Barque which went ashore on Berrow sands in 1897.
The John Godfrey Morris was launched to her assistance and rescued 10 of her crew.
The “Callout” board somehow came into the hands of the Burnham Rotary Club many years ago and was looked after by them before Bill Price, the prime mover behind the establishment of the Burnham Community Centre, took it under his wing for safe keeping. It has been displayed in the hall of the Community Centre for the past 40 years.
Back to the Burnham-On-Sea RNLI Home Page
