Seaham RNLI lifeboat volunteer honoured with MBE for 50 years of life-saving work

A Seaham RNLI engineer has had his half-century of dedication to saving lives rewarded with an MBE in the 2024 New Year Honours list.

The announcement that senior staff fleet engineer Davey Wallace will receive his medal, comes 50 years after he joined the RNLI in the now-closed Seaham Lifeboat Station in 1973.

This was only 11 years after the Seaham lifeboat, RNLB George Elmy, capsized with the loss of five of its crew and four fishermen on board in November 1962. The town has never forgotten the disaster. The youngest victim was just nine years old - two years older than Davey was at the time.

As his "earliest memory", the disaster had a profound impact on Davey. It led to his 50-year career with the RNLI.

The engineer is described as an "unsung hero" of the organisation. He always puts volunteers first, travelling at short notice across the UK and Ireland to share his practical expertise and vast knowledge.

One of the proudest moments for Davey, 68, was to have shore based crew recognised as such.

He said: "They used to be called 'shore helpers' and I worked hard to get them recognised as 'crew'."

On his MBE, Davey added: "It’s a great honour – it’s an honour for my family and all the time and effort and missed birthdays and events they’ve put up with – and all the people who I’ve worked with and who’ve helped.

"It felt like yesterday I started and I’ve loved doing the job – it’s never felt like work.

"I’ve been blessed that all the time I’ve been here, I’ve been out on the coast dealing with volunteers. That’s what makes the job so enjoyable and the RNLI what it is."

Also recognised in the New Year Honours list is David Hastings from Fence Houses, who is branch secretary of the RNLI's Durham Fundraising Branch.

His voluntary efforts since 1976 have helped raise hundreds of thousands of pounds to save lives at sea. He has now been awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM).

RNLI volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the UK and Irish coasts. It is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary work and donations.