New Guernsey RNLI lifeboat named Harold Hobbs after local man killed during service

The lifeboat can seat four crew members and up to 20 others. Credit: ITV Channel

An official naming ceremony has taken place for St Peter Port RNLI's newest lifeboat.

The vessel, which is an Atlantic 85 B Class, has been named B-943 Harold Hobbs after a local man who was killed in 1940 while serving in a Guernsey lifeboat.

His great nephew, Jason Hobbs, is the Lifeboat Operations Manager at St Peter Port RNLI.

He says it is a big day for the entire family: "We're absolutely incredibly proud and in fact on that particular day in 1940, there happened to be three members of my family onboard. Both my grand-grandfather who was the coxon, my grandad and of course Harold."

"What is lovely is, we've got Tony here who is Harold's son. We also have both Tim and Amanda who are Harold's grandchildren."

Harold Hobbs was killed in June 1940 while serving on a Guernsey lifeboat called the Alfred and Clara Heath. Credit: ITV Channel

Harold was killed on 28 June 1940 after being shot by a German aircraft at the start of the Occupation.

He was killed onboard a Guernsey lifeboat, the Alfred and Clara Heath, while he was sailing to Jersey with his family.

The boat naming ceremony took place on the 85th anniversary of his death.

It included tributes and speeches from the Very Reverend Tim Barker and the RNLI Chief Executive Peter Sparkes.

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