On Friday 7th May 2004 the naming ceremony of New Quay’s new ILB D616 ‘Amy Lea’ took place with guest of honour, Mrs Audrey Lawson-Johnston who named the lifeboat after her mother. Mrs Lawson-Johnston was one of the few survivors (she was 3mths old at the time) along with her father, mother and brother but loosing her two sisters from the ‘Lusitania’ that was sunk on the 7 May 1916 by a German submarine U20 off Southern Ireland. Picture left is Mrs Audrey Lawson-Johnston with her daughter handing over the new ILB to the RNLI.

After the naming of the new ILB ‘Amy Lea’ with Mrs Lawson-Johnston finishing off the bubbly.

Mr Bob Byrns(above)Deputy Divisional Engineer RNLI Wales division, excepting the new lifeboat on behalf of the RNLI, also giving details of the construction and the capability of the new craft.

Mr Albert Moller Lifeboat Operations Manager New Quay excepting the new ILB.

Freya Clare daughter of senior helmsman Alun Clare presenting a framed picture of the new ILB to Mrs Lawson-Johnston, a bouquet of flowers was also present to her by Jasmin Tom-Jones daugther of third coxswain Mr Rees Tom-Jones.

Courtmacsherry second coxswain Mr S O’Farrell presenting Mrs Lawson-Johnston with a echo sounding of the ‘Lusitania’ laying 90m down on her side, taken from there lifeboat in 1990. The Courmacsherry lifeboat one of the first lifeboats to arrive at the scene on that fateful day in May 1916, taking three hours to reach the Lusitania.

Children from New Quay Primary School Choir.

Inshore crew giving a small demonstration in the bay

Mrs Lawson-Johnston with the last of the bubbly.

New Quay Lifeboats
2002 ~ 2008
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