War Service

From 1831 the Admiralty had fostered the Coastguard as a naval reserve. However, there were criticisms of the 2,300 Coastguards who joined naval ships in 1854 to combat Russia in the Crimea. While character and discipline were praised many were thought too old and out of touch with modern warships. The Admiralty responded by gaining control of the Coastguard and imposing training, with sea time, suitable for a naval reserve.

Within hours of Britain declaring war on Germany, in 1914, Coastguards travelled by train to crew naval ships, enabling them to put immediately to sea. Unfortunately their ships were obsolete. On 20 September 1914 a single German submarine sank the cruisers 'Cressy', 'Aboukir' and 'Hogue' off the Thames. The 1,400 drowned included many Coastguards. Torpedoes sunk 'Hawke' in October and 'Formidable' in January increasing Coastguard deaths.

Ashore Coastguard stations were seriously undermanned and men were sent home to re-establish an adequate coast watch against enemy landings. Here their existing skills in signalling, telegraphy and wireless were deployed relaying messages between the Admiralty and naval ships and monitoring merchant ships. At Port Signal Stations they identified all vessels entering and leaving harbour and controlled defensive booms. Individual Coastguards were trained to render beached mines safe, each taking responsibility for some twenty miles of coast.

After 1918, peacetime needs for a coastal force were debated. The Admiralty was advised to form a Naval Signalling Section while the Board of Trade reorganised the Coastguard for coast watching and life saving. The Coastguard Service Act (1925) still allowed the Admiralty control of the Coastguard in time of national need. In the 1930s the departments worked together to prepare the Coastguard as a War Watching Organisation. When war came 4,500 Auxiliary Coastguards were recruited on National Service to strengthen stations coastwide. Intelligence and signalling were again key tasks. In May 1940, fearing invasion, the Admiralty assumed control and armed the Coastguard.

Life saving was hampered by beach defences but in 1940 the LSA Brigades met one of their greatest challenges. The destroyer's 'Ashanti' and 'Fame' ran aground on the rocky Durham coast. Life Saving Apparatus carried the local firemen aboard the burning 'Fame', ferried ammunition in danger of exploding ashore, and overnight landed 104 men from the two ships.

In the south Coastguards gained a new rescue task. Lookouts used cross-bearings to direct the air/sea rescue service launches searching for airmen who had ditched in the Channel.

D-Day brought safety from invasion and a reduction in the Auxiliary Coastguard numbers. In 1945 the service was placed under the Ministry of War Transport, eventually returning to the Marine Division of the Board of Trade in 1959.