RNLB ''Jesse Lumb'' (ON 822) is a historic lifeboat. Built by J. Samuel White in 1939, ''Jesse Lumb'' served as the lifeboat at Bembridge on the

Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight ( ) is a county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the largest and second-most populous island of England. Referred to as 'The Island' by residents, the Isle of ...

from 1939 to 1970, becoming the last of her type in service. Since 2000 she has been preserved a
Classic Boat Museum, Cowes
In August 1999 she was inscribed on the

National Register of Historic Vessels National Historic Ships UK is a government-funded independent organisation that advises UK governments and others on matters relating to historic ships.

, becoming part of the National Historic Fleet.

Design and construction

''Jesse Lumb'' is a 46-ft

Watson-class lifeboat The term Watson-class lifeboat refers to several wooden lifeboat classes operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) around the coasts of the United Kingdom and Ireland between 1888 and 1991. The boats had hulls that conformed t ...

constructed from

mahogany Mahogany is a straight-grained, reddish-brown timber of three tropical hardwood species of the genus ''Swietenia'', indigenous to the AmericasBridgewater, Samuel (2012). ''A Natural History of Belize: Inside the Maya Forest''. Austin: Unive ...

with a diagonally planked double skin. She was powered by two diesel engines with twin propellers, and displaced 20.5 tons.The National Register states ''Jesse Lumb'' was powered by twin Ferry VE4 40hp engines, while the Imperial War Museum catalogue states she was powered by two Parsons Barracuda 65hp engines. ''Jesse Lumb'' was named in honour of the owner of Folly Hall Mill in

Huddersfield Huddersfield is a market town in the Kirklees district in West Yorkshire, England. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Kirklees district. The town is in the foothills of the Pennines. The River Holme's confluence into ...

, and her construction funded by a £9,000 bequest by Annie Lumb, Jesse Lumb's sister. The lifeboat was named on 21 July 1939.

Operational service

Commissioned in summer 1939 ''Jesse Lumb'' served throughout the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, saving 138 lives during the conflict. On the night of 29/30 January 1940, ''Jesse Lumb'' spent 14 hours at sea in freezing weather while rescuing the crew of the trawler ''Kingston Cairngorm'' off

Chichester Chichester () is a cathedral city and civil parish in West Sussex, England.OS Explorer map 120: Chichester, South Harting and Selsey Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher:Ordnance Survey – Southampton B2 edition. Publishing Date:2009. It is the only ci ...

. Coxswain Harry J Gawn was later awarded the Royal National Lifeboat Institution Bronze Medal. On 8 August 1940, during the

Battle of Britain The Battle of Britain, also known as the Air Battle for England (german: die Luftschlacht um England), was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defende ...

, ''Jesse Lumb'' went to the assistance of a

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

air-sea rescue launch that had been machine-gunned by German aircraft. After the Second World War, ''Jesse Lumb'' participated in other notable rescues; on 5 December 1947 she rescued 18 crewmen from the trawler ''Erraid'', and in 1968 assisted the diesel-electric submarine HMS ''Alliance'' after its stranding on Bembridge Ledge.

Preservation

''Jesse Lumbs service at Bembridge ended in 1970. She then spent some years in the RNLI relief fleet before being acquired by the

Imperial War Museum Imperial War Museums (IWM) is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. Founded as the Imperial War Museum in 1917, the museum was intended to record the civil and military ...

and placed on display at the museum's branch at

Duxford Duxford is a village in Cambridgeshire, England, about south of Cambridge. It is part of the Hundred Parishes area. History The village formed on the banks of the River Cam, a little below its emergence from the hills of north Essex. One of the ...

in Cambridgeshire. She became part of the National Historic Fleet in August 1999, with certificate number 1759.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jesse Lumb Ships and vessels of the National Historic Fleet Ships preserved in museums Collection of the Imperial War Museum Watson-class lifeboats