Scarborough Lifeboat Memorial Service to take place at St Mary's Church

The service will be conducted by the Reverend Richard Walker and feature Filey Fishermen’s Choir.

Scarborough is the third oldest lifeboat station in the British Isles and Ireland and has a proud tradition of saving lives at sea.

During its 222-year history, the number of people rescued is in substantial and sixteen men have given their lives in the service of the Scarborough lifeboat.

The most recent event was the ECJR disaster on December 8, 1954.

At about 4.15pm on that day, after successfully escorting a number of fishing boats into the harbour during a storm, the ECJR capsized near the harbour mouth.

Several crewmen, Ernie Eves, Bob Crawford, John Sheader, John Cammish and Frank Bayes were thrown from the lifeboat.

As the lifeboat righted itself, Bill Sheader, Mickey Scales and Alan Rennard hauled back aboard Ernie Eves and Bob Crawford. but three men were missing, coxswain John Sheader, second coxswain John Cammish and signalman Frank Bayes.

They died in the surf.

Coxswain Sheader, like many men before him had given the best part of his life to the Lifeboat Service.

He had been a crewman for forty years and coxswain ten.

At the age of 63 he finally gave his life.

All the boats they had been escorting entered the harbour safely.

This service is the memorial to all the crew who have paid the ultimate sacrifice over the many years