New inshore lifeboat officially named Harold Hobbs

ST PETER Port RNLI’s new inshore lifeboat has been officially named Harold Hobbs at a ceremony taking place on the 84th anniversary of the lifeboat crew member's death.

The official naming ceremony for St Peter Port RNLI’s new Atlantic 85 B class lifeboat, Harold Hobbs, took place yesterday. Mr Hobbs was killed in June 1940 by German war planes while serving on the Guernsey lifeboat. At the ceremony were family members, including Harold’s son Tony (right), and great-nephew Jason, now the operations manager at St Peter Port RNLI. (Picture by Sophie Rabey, 33374993)

RNLI representatives, including its new national chief executive Peter Sparkes, who only took over the role on Wednesday, Jason Hobbs, St Peter Port lifeboat operations manager, and the rest of his family, attended the ceremony for the new inshore lifeboat yesterday afternoon.

The £300,000 lifeboat was funded by donations from islanders, so it was Adrian Carey, head of the south west region of the RNLI, who handed the boat over – a job usually done by the person who sponsored the new lifeboat – to Mr Sparkes.

‘It has been funded by the people who it will serve,’ said Mr Carey in his handover speech.

Mr Hobbs’ son Tony officially named the boat after it had been handed over.

The official naming ceremony for St Peter Port RNLI's new Atlantic 85 B class lifeboat, Harold Hobbs. (Picture by Sophie Rabey, 33375010)

The 87-year-old said that he was happy to be able to witness the boat officially be named after his father.

‘I have waited 84 years for this day,’ he said.

‘It’s amazing – although I am doing a speech and I am slightly nervous about that part.’

Harold Hobbs was killed while serving on the RNLI’s Alfred and Clara Heath which was shot at by German forces while on a rescue mission off St Aubin, Jersey.

The new lifeboat had been ‘on trial’ in Guernsey for four years prior to the RNLI receiving the vessel as its permanent inshore lifeboat in March this year.

‘Historically the lifeboats were all driven by St John and then that all changed,’ said Jason Hobbs, Harold's great-nephew.

St Peter Port RNLI's new Atlantic 85 B class lifeboat, Harold Hobbs. (33375026)

‘We had to prove that the island required a new lifeboat, as we have the Spirit of Guernsey offshore lifeboat.

‘The Harold Hobbs is able to get right into the shore and she successfully proved herself about four weeks ago, when a boat needed rescuing off rocks at Beaucette.’