Lifeboat ‘Ann Letitia Russell’ (1939-1976)
In February 1939 a new motor lifeboat was placed on station at Fleetwood. She had been built at Messrs. Groves and Guttridge, in Cowes, Isle of Wight, at a cost of £6,634 provided from the legacy of the late Miss Ann Russell from Manchester. She was a 41 foot Watson class, non-self-righting lifeboat, driven by two 35 horse power Weyburn AE6 petrol engines. This gave this boat a faster speed than her two predecessors, with a top speed of nearly 8 knots. At a service of dedication on 26th July, 1939, she was named by Lady Stanley as ‘Ann Letitia Russell.’ In 1963, after almost 25 years of service, she was taken for a major re-fit, during which her original petrol engines were replaced by twin 47 horse power Parsons ‘Porbeagle’ diesel engines.
One of the most famous rescues in the Fleetwood RNLI story came during World War 2, one August afternoon in 1941. The weather was far from summery when the lifeboat rescued 8 crew from the Faroese fishing vessel ‘Stella Marie’, that became stranded on sandbanks near the anchorage area west of Wyre Light. A Silver medal was awarded to the coxswain Jeff Wright for this service.
Selected Record of service of Lifeboat Ann Letitia Russell
1939 Roma of Fleetwood saved boat and 3 persons
19th Jan 1940 Fishing vessel Capella of Fleetwood Landed a body
1st April 1940 Fishing vessel Pelham Mount of Fleetwood Saved boat and 2 persons
16th Sept 1940 Trawler Knikker of Holland. Stood by vessel.
5th Aug 1941 M.V. Stella Marie of Faroe Islands. Rescued 8 persons.
18th Oct 1941 SS Laurent Meeus of Ghent. Gave help.
11th Aug 1942 Trawler River Ythen of Fleetwood. Escorted vessel
2nd May 1944 MV L’appel-de-Lemar of France. Escorted vessel.
2nd June 1956 Yacht ‘Cistus’
31st May 1969 Motor launch ‘Tina’
27th October 1974 Coaster ‘Rolf’
Fleetwood Lifeboats Past 