Civil Service lifeboats are a group of lifeboats belonging to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution which have been funded by The Lifeboat Fund. They usually have the Civil Service designation and number included in the name, such as RNLB E-001 Public Servant (Civil Service No. 44), which was on service at lifeboat station on the Thames between 2002 and 2012.

The Lifeboat Fund is an official charity, formerly CISPOTEL, established in 1866 by civil servants, and is run by the Civil Service. It raises funds through donations from both serving and retired employees, from Royal Mail and BT staff, and from legacies.

Since it was formed, The Lifeboat Fund has donated over £26 million to the RNLI, making it the most regular and significant donor for the institution. Civil servants across the UK organise fundraising collections and promote the lifesaving work of the RNLI. All money raised by the fund goes directly to support the RNLI.

In addition to providing (so far) 55 lifeboats of all different class types, the money is also put towards training, purchasing kit, and refurbishing lifeboat stations, most recently providing a £400,000 contribution to the new lifeboat station and pontoon on the Thames.

Numbering The first 29 lifeboats share the designation (Civil Service) and numbers 1–11. When a boat was replaced, the new boat would receive the number from the previous boat, and often carry the same name. In the 1950s, this was changed, so that the boats were consecutively numbered, starting with Greater London II (Civil Service No. 30).

Fleet ON Op. No. Name C.S.No. Class Station Comments – Civil Service (No. 1) 32-foot Self-righting (P&S) 1866–1878 Not numbered, but it was the first Civil Service funded lifeboat. Later named Harriott Forteath at 301 – Civil Service No. 1 No. 1 34-foot Self-righting (P&S) 1878–1897 Wexford No. 2 Later named Helen Blake at 415 – Civil Service No. 1 No. 1 40-foot Self-righting (P&S) 1898–1925 Margate No. 2 688 – No. 1 45-foot Watson Pre-604 – Charles Dibdin No. 2 37-foot Self-righting (P&S) 1875–1888 204 – Charles Dibdin No. 2 37-foot Self-righting (P&S) 1889–1905 552 – Charles Dibdin No. 2 43-foot Self-righting (P&S) 1905–1932 762 – Charles Dibdin No. 2 41-foot Beach Type 1933–1959 284 – Civil Service No. 3 No. 3 37-foot Self-righting (P&S) 1877–1899 437 – Civil Service No. 3 No. 3 37-foot Self-righting (P&S) 704 – Greater London No. 3 34 – Civil Service No. 4 No. 4 40-foot Self-righting (P&S) 1884–1895 Damaged beyond repair, 1895 394 – Civil Service No. 4 No. 4 40-foot Self-righting (P&S) 1897–1912 Later in Reserve fleet to 1919, and at as Reserve No. 3, and then as James William and Caroline Courteney at 756 – Civil Service No. 4 No. 4 1932–1948 Damaged beyond repair, 1948 867 – Lady Scott No. 4 46-foot 9in Watson 80 – Civil Service No. 5 No. 5 34-foot Self-righting (P&S) 1886–1905 544 – Civil Service No. 5 No. 5 38-foot Watson (P&S) 1905–1931 753 – Civil Service No. 5 No. 5 45-foot 6in Watson 273 – Civil Service No. 6 No. 6 42-foot Self-righting (P&S) 1890–1895 Douglas No. 2 Wrecked, 1895 384 – Civil Service No. 6 No. 6 42-foot Self-righting (P&S) 1896–1924 784 – No. 6 46-foot Watson 289 – Civil Service No. 7 No. 7 42-foot Self-righting (P&S) 1890–1895 Kingstown No. 2 Damaged beyond repair, 1895 409 – Dunleary No. 7 45-foot Watson 1898–1913 Kingstown No. 2 658 – Dunleary No. 7 45-foot Watson Transferred to in 1939, Renamed Dunleary without Civil Service No.7 designation 828 – The Princess Royal No. 7 46-foot Watson 853 – Winston Churchill No. 8 46-foot 9in Watson 884 – St Cybi No. 9 52-foot Barnett Mk I 897 – St. Andrew No. 10 41-foot Watson 888 – North Foreland No. 11 46-foot 9in Watson 921 – Greater London II No. 30 46-foot 9in Watson 920 – Dunnet Head No. 31 47-foot Watson 1956 Dunnet Head (Civil Service No. 31) was destroyed by a fire on 10 December 1956 at the boathouse in Thurso, in its first year on service. It was replaced by Pentland (Civil Service No. 31), keeping the same Civil Service number, but this time funded entirely by the RNLI. 940 – Pentland No. 31 47-foot Watson Provided by the RNLI to replace Dunnet Head (ON 920) 948 – Charles Dibdin No. 32 42-foot Watson 952 – Duke of Cornwall No. 33 971 – Joseph Soar No. 34 47-foot Watson 987 70-001 Charles H. Barrett No. 35 1026 44-008 Eric Seal No. 36 1974–1996 Eric Seal 1037 54-03 Edward Bridges No. 37 1975–1994 1046 37-33 Silver Jubilee No. 38 – B-527 Percy Garon No Number The 1981 Report of the Civil Service and Post Office Lifeboat Fund has Percy Garon listed as No 39. However, 52-16 Richard Evans was designated No. 39 in 1981, Percy Garon now designated (Civil Service) with no number. 1070 52-16 Richard Evans No. 39 1095 St Cybi II No. 40 1167 12-009 The Princess Royal No. 41 1204 14-06 Windsor Runner No. 42 1237 17-17 Fraser Flyer No. 43 1999– Relief fleet – E-001 Public Servant No. 44 E-class Mk1 2002–2012 – H-003 The Hunstanton Flyer No. 45 Hovercraft 2003– – D-654 Angel of Holyhead No. 46 – D-655 Guardian Angel No. 47 – B-806 Mudeford Servant No. 48 2006–2024 – D-697 Stranraer Saviour No. 49 – B-826 Sgt. Bob Martin No. 50 2008– – B-837 Charles Dibdin No. 51 2009– – D-738 David Roulston No. 52 1353 13-46 Duke of Edinburgh No. 53 2023– – D-868 Mr Eric Sharpe No. 54 2022–

See also List of RNLI stations List of former RNLI stations Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats

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