'Crucial' piece of Merseyside's history will soon be back 'where she belongs'

A historic piece of Liverpool's maritime history is set to return to the River Mersey for the first time in decades.

For more than 20 years the William & Kate Johnston, a Barnett-class lifeboat, could be seen on the River Mersey serving New Brighton RNLI from 1923 until 1950. Back in January, the ECHO reported how she had previously been abandoned in Gosport marina and was under threat of being broken up, before the National Historic Ship Society stepped in to try and find new owners for her.

A preservation society has since been set up to see the William & Kate Johnston restored to her former glory. And on Monday, May 13, she will return to the water once more, where she will move under her own steam to Liverpool, to be stored at Sandon Half-Tide Dock.

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The William & Kate Johnston Preservation Society (WKJPS) has been set up to see the lifeboat restored to her former glory and returned to the Mersey, to serve as a museum piece and working vessel on the river for day trips and community groups to take advantage of, while also learning about her history.

Dan Wardle, former New Brighton RNLI helm and Director of WKJPS, said: "It has been a long and tricky journey so far, with plenty of challenges and hiccups, and there’s still a long way to go yet. Monday will be a day to celebrate, however, as we have the privilege of returning the William & Kate Johnston back to the Mersey, where she belongs. It’ll be a real honour to guide her across the waters that she called home for so many crucial years."

In this historic voyage, the former New Brighton lifeboat will be accompanied by the current New Brighton RNLI Atlantic 85 lifeboat and volunteer crew. Once at Sandon Dock further survey works and restoration can take place while vital fundraising efforts continue.

The WKJPS, having already acquired the vessel, divided the task of the lifeboat’s return and restoration into several key phases. Phase one involved the raising of funds to return the lifeboat, by road, from her previous home on the south coast.

Following huge local support, including generous donations from local New Brighton businesses, the boat was returned to Merseyside safely, where initial maintenance works could take place. Now, with a treated and repainted hull and serviced engines and fuel lines, she is ready to make her return to the river that she called home for so many years once again.

One of only four of its kind that operated in the UK & Ireland, in its time, it saved 248 lives over the course of 96 launches. At the time of her launch she was also the largest lifeboat in the world, capable of carrying 130 casualties.

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Phase one launched on Thursday, January 11, and relied upon the society raising £10,000 to see the William & Kate Johnston returned, via road, to the Wirral, where all-important survey work to ascertain the scale of repairs required could be carried out.

You can visit their Just Giving page here. To find our more about the WKJPS, you can visit their Facebook group here.

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