New book tells St Abbs lifeboat story

A local scuba-diver is combing the archives to tell the story of the St Abbs lifeboat, from its beginnings after the loss of the SS Alfred Erlandsen in 1907 to the campaign last year to provide an independent lifesaving service after the RNLI withdrew its cooperation.

Alison Fuller-Shapcott and the fundraising committee of the new St Abbs Independent Lifeboat are looking to put together a collection of photographs and documents charting the relationship between the village and its lifeboat.

Alison is a ken local diver and also contributes articles to Scottish Diver, the magazine of the Scottish Sub-Aqua Club. She says that the aim of the project is twofold: to capture the history of St Abbs, and to support the ongoing funding for the new boat.

Alison went on: “There have already been many contributions of photographs from local divers, residents and professional photographers, but as yet no photographs have been found of the St Abbs Lifeboat between the late 1960s to the mid 1980s. This period covers the D and C class lifeboats which were stationed at St Abbs.

“If anyone has any photographs of this period of either the St Abbs harbour, crew or lifeboat, or of any other period that would add to the history of the St Abbs lifeboat, and are willing to help in the project, please can they get in touch with me by email at [email protected].”