Sheerness RNLI lifeboat coxswain joins London’s Remembrance Sunday service

Robin Castle MBE, coxswain/mechanic at Sheerness, is one of 19 people from across the UK and Ireland who will represent the RNLI in the official Remembrance Sunday commemoration in London’s Whitehall on Sunday 13 November.

Organised by the Government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Cenotaph Service and Parade is a poignant event in which thousands of people gather to remember the sacrifices people have made throughout history, to safeguard the memory of those who gave their lives for the freedoms we enjoy today.

Robin has been the full time coxswain/mechanic of the Sheerness lifeboat for exactly 35 years. At the time he was the youngest RNLI lifeboat coxswain when he took command of the Waveney class lifeboat Helen Turnbull on 2 November 1981.

During his 14 years with that lifeboat Robin attended many calls for assistance and was awarded an RNLI bronze medal for bravery after rescuing two anglers in horrendous conditions during the height of the 1987 hurricane. In March 1966 Robin brought the state of the art Trent class all weather lifeboat George and Ivy Swanson’ to Sheerness lifeboat station and has been in command ever since.

Although thousands of RNLI volunteers have publicly attended Remembrance Sunday events throughout history, this is the first time the RNLI has been formally invited to take part in the service and parade, joining 48 other organisations and associations who will also be officially represented.

The RNLI played its own role in the famed Dunkirk “little ships” evacuation in 1940. 20 RNLI lifeboats were among the 700 private boats that sailed from Ramsgate to Dunkirk between 26 May and 4 June 1940 as part of Operation Dynamo, helping to rescue more than 338,000 British and French soldiers who were trapped on the beaches at Dunkirk during the Second World War.

Paul Boissier, Chief Executive of the RNLI, said to be invited to formally take part on Remembrance Sunday was both an honour and a privilege: ‘Like so many other associations, the RNLI played its part in the two World Wars. Apart from the many volunteers who went off to fight, many lifeboats joined the flotilla of Little Ships to pull off the audacious evacuation in 1940.

‘It fills me with immense pride that we will be formally represented in the Cenotaph service as part of the annual commemoration. This is the first time in history the RNLI will be represented and I know that on the day our volunteers thoughts will be with the many millions who gave their own lives so that today we can enjoy the freedom we have.’

The RNLI remains a charity that is independent of the Government and relies almost entirely on voluntary contributions to fund its lifesaving work. In 2015 the charity’s lifeboats launched a total of 8,228 times and rescued 7,973 people, saving 348 lives.

Meanwhile RNLI beach lifeguards responded to a total of 15,714 incidents, assisted 18,181 people, and saved 94 lives.

RNLI media contacts

Vic Booth RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer (Sheerness) 07926 904453 / 01795 880544 [email protected] / [email protected]

Tim Ash, RNLI Public Relations Manager (London/East/South East) on 0207 6207426, 07785 296252 [email protected]

For enquiries outside normal business hours, contact the RNLI duty press officer on 01202 336789

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.

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Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.