The "Elliot Galer" 1911-1936, Seaham's fifth lifeboat arrived on April 22nd 1911, pictured here on the occasion of her inauguration ceremony.
She saved 59 lives during her 25 years service at Seaham including 13 crewmen of the Londonderry steamer "Stewart's Court" which had been sunk by a German submarine off Easington in August 1918.
She was also involved in the attempted rescue of the crew of the American ship "West Hika" which ran aground on rocks off Easington on Jan 15th 1936.
Between the 15th and the 20th the lifeboat attended the ship 5 times but the crew refused to leave, eventually the coastguards brought all 38 crew members ashore by breeches buoy, the ship was not refloated until 9 months later.
The Elliot Galer, a 38 ft x 10 ft non self-righter fitted with a single 34 hp petrol engine, capable of 7 knots.
Her coxwain, William Miller (front left with hand on tiller in this photograph) served on the Sisters Carter of Harrogate, the Skynner, the Bradford Reserve which was in Seaham only from 1908 to 1911 and the Elliot Galer. A lifeboatman from 1885 to 1919.
