Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine R.N.L.I. Silver Medal, R.N.L.I. Bronze Medal and Second Service clasp, and Daily Star Gold Award Medal group of three to Helmsman F. Dunster, Hayling Island Lifeboat Station, who over the course of his R.N.L.I. career also received various Letters of Thanks and Appreciation

Royal National Lifeboat Institution, Sir William Hillary, silver (Frank Dunster voted 19th January 1993), with uniface ‘double dolphin’ suspension, in case of issue; Royal National Lifeboat Institution, Sir William Hillary, bronze (Frank Sidney Dunster - voted 19th March 1981), with ‘Second Service’ clasp, the reverse inscribed, ‘Voted 27th January 1982’, with uniface ‘double dolphin’ suspension, in damaged case of issue; Daily Star Gold Award, neck badge, 62mm, gilt, the reverse engraved ‘Frank Dunster, 1993’, with neck riband, some edge bruising, good very fine and a rare combination of awards (3) £3,000-£4,000

R.N.L.I. Bronze Medal, voted 19 March 1981. Frank Sidney Dunster, Helmsman, Hayling Island Inshore Lifeboat.

‘14 December 1980: The yacht Fitz’s Flyer, her rudder broken, was in danger of being driven by a gale on to a lee shore off Eastoke Head, Hayling Island, Hampshire. The Atlantic 21 rigid inflatable lifeboat launched at 1.20 p.m. On Chichester Bar and around Chichester Bar Beacon, visibility was poor with very high waves, driving spray and pouring rain, but, in spite of heavy seas forcing the two boats apart, Helmsman Dunster ran eight times and took off four men. On two occasions, the lifeboat’s twin engines stalled but were restarted immediately’.

R.N.L.I. Bronze Second Service clasp, voted 27 January 1982. Frank Sidney Dunster, Helmsman (Bronze Second Service clasp) and Roderick Harold James, Crew Member (Silver Medal), both Hayling Island Inshore Lifeboat.

‘19 September 1981: In a south-easterly near gale, a teenage boy was seen clinging to the post of a groyne, some 20 yards out to sea, opposite the Golden Nugget Cafe, Eastoke, Hayling Island, Hampshire, with very rough, confused seas breaking over him. The Atlantic 21 rigid inflatable lifeboat had already been engaged in services to two windsurfers, a dinghy and a yacht but, when at 5.20 p.m., Helmsman Dunster was told of the boy’s predicament, he closed with the scene. Two attempts by shore helpers had already been made, and the lifeboat made four unsuccessful attempts to rescue. Then, when she came to within 30 feet of the boy, Roderick James entered the water and, as the exhausted boy let go and disappeared, he grabbed him and made for the shore. After landing him safely to shore helpers, Mr James regained the boat at the lifeboat station which continued to deal with vessels in distress until 7.50 p.m. During services that evening, seven people were rescued from two sail-boats, a cabin cruiser, a yacht and a catamaran as well as the boy on the groyne. Help was also given to other craft’.

R.N.L.I. Silver Medal, voted 19 January 1993. Frank Sidney Dunster, Crew Member (Silver Medal) and Roderick Harold James, Helmsman (Silver Second Service clasp), both Hayling Island Inshore Lifeboat.

‘25 October 1992: At 11.50 a.m., the Coastguard received a Mayday from the 75 ft. ketch Donald Searle which had anchored at the eastern end of Chichester Bar after her sails had been blown out in a 50 knot westerly gale and her engines had failed. There were 17 people on board, and the yacht was dragging her anchor as she was hurled about in 15 to 20 ft. breaking seas. As the Hayling Island’s Atlantic 21 was already out on service, Frank Dunster launched his own 28 ft. rigid inflatable Hayling Island (elsewhere called the Hayling Rescue) and headed for the casualty, which by now was in very shallow water and close to the Target Wreck. He took his boat alongside the ketch’s starboard quarter and, at the second attempt, took off the first of the crew, and then a female crew member who had to be recovered from the sea between the two boats. Dunster, knowing the Bembridge lifeboat and a helicopter were on the way, headed back to Hayling Island lifeboat station and landed the two survivors at 12.35 p.m. Meanwhile Roderick James, in the Atlantic 21 Aldershot, was heading towards the casualty through very steep seas, such that at one stage the lifeboat stood on end. He reached the casualty at the same time as the helicopter and, in a series of five approaches, took five people off the Donald Searle. A lifeboat crew member was put on the ketch to enable the helicopter winchman to be hauled towards the yacht. Two more people were taken on to the Atlantic 21 which then headed back to the station and landed all seven survivors. The Bembridge lifeboat arrived at 12.42 p.m. to help. During a very difficult approach, the two vessels made heavy contact as the ketch was thrown 20 ft. to leeward by a sea, damaging both boats. One survivor was pulled on to the lifeboat, but the Coxswain then decided it would be safer for the helicopter to complete the rescue. All seven remaining crew of the Donald Searle, the Hayling Island lifeboat crew member and the helicopter winchman were safely aboard the helicopter by 12.52 p.m.’

The R.N.L.I. Lifeboat station on Hayling Island, Hampshire, opened in 1865 and remained active until closed in 1924 when motor lifeboats were permanently stationed at Bembridge and Selsey. However, it was later realized that there was an urgent need for an inshore craft to cover Chichester Harbour and the vicinity, an area of water increasingly popular with yachtsmen, windsurfers and general holiday makers. On 25 March 1975 the lifeboat station was re-opened and an Atlantic 21 Class lifeboat installed. These craft, 6.9 x 2.4m., with a 2,750 lb. displacement, with a glass-reinforced plastic hull, a speed of 30 knots and a crew of three, were ideal craft to work in inshore conditions.

Frank Dunster, an early member of the re-opened Hayling Island lifeboat station, together with Helmsman Paddy Lamperd, Hon. Medical Advisor Dr Richard Newman and Crewman Brian Quinton, were awarded Framed Letters of Thanks by the Chairman of the R.N.L.I. for their services when the inshore lifeboat rescued a man and his son from the cabin cruiser Tomey Too on 3 January 1978.

Dunster then received the first of his R.N.L.I. Bronze awards in recognition of his courage as Helmsman of the Atlantic 21 Class in rescuing the crew of four from the yacht Fitz’s Flyer on 14 December 1980. The lifeboat crew members Trevor Pearce and Graham Wickham each received the Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum for this rescue. The Ralph Glister Award was also given in respect of this rescue (An award given annually to the inshore rescue boat crew who have given outstanding service).

Dunster was awarded the Second Service clasp to his Bronze R.N.L.I. Medal as Helmsman of the Atlantic 21 Class in rescuing a stranded boy and others on 19 September 1981. Crewman Roderick James was awarded the R.N.L.I. Silver Medal and Crewman Graham Raines and two of the shore crew received the Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum for this rescue. The Ralph Glister Award was also given for this action.

A Framed Letter of Appreciation was awarded to Helmsmen James and Dunster in recognition of their services on 24 September 1988 when nine persons were rescued from the ketch Seaway Endeavour which was in difficulties on the East Pole Sands. Dunster, in his own craft, the Hayling Rescue brought five of the people to safety, James in the Atlantic 21 Class Aldershot rescued the other four. Crew members of both craft and shore crew received letters of thanks signed by the R.N.L.I. Chief of Operations.

For their part in the rescue of one of the crew of the yacht Dingaling on 9 October 1988, Helmsman Dunster and Crewman James received the Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum. The R.N.L.I. Bronze Medal was awarded to Crewman Graham Raines for this rescue. Dunster, James and Raines were also awarded the Ralph Glister Award and the Walter and Elizabeth Groombridge Award for this action (this later awarded for the outstanding inshore lifeboat rescue of the year, established in 1989).

Dunster was awarded the R.N.L.I. Silver Medal for his part, as helmsman of the Hayling Rescue (elsewhere called Hayling Island), for the rescue of the crew from the ketch Donald Searle which was in difficulties on the East Pole Sands, 25 October 1992. Helmsman Roderick James was awarded the R.N.L.I. Silver Second Service clasp (the first inshore lifeboatman to be so awarded) for this rescue. The Ralph Glister Award and the Walter and Elizabeth Groombridge Awards were also made to James and his crew of two. The rescue of the crew of the Donald Searle is featured in the book Riders of the Storm by Ian Cameron.

The following year Dunster was presented with the Daily Star Gold Award. The use of Dunster’s own craft had shown the need for an additional vessel, and in the mid-1990’s a new “D” Class lifeboat entered service with the Hayling Island Lifeboat Station. The craft, approx. 4.95 x 2m., with a 745 lb displacement, a speed of 21 knots and crew of two was particularly useful for close inshore work.

Sold with riband bars for the two R.N.L.I. medals, one bearing a silvered ‘Hillary’ emblem, the other two bronze ‘Hillary’ emblems, these in a Garrard, London, case; and some copied research.