Lifeboat hero honoured with holiday park caravan naming ceremony

That is the unusual but very apt welcome that awaits people who stay in a caravan at a Norfolk holiday park after one was named after a lifesaving hero.

The William Fleming caravan has been unveiled at the Seashore Holiday Park on Great Yarmouth's seafront.

William Fleming, George Cross holder coxswain of Gorleston Lifeboat (Image: Gorleston on Sea Heritage group)

It is named after the Gorleston RNLI lifeboat hero who was given a George Cross for bravery and was involved in the rescue of 1,188 people over his 49 years of service.

The holiday park's owners, Haven Holidays, have named the caravan William Fleming as part of its national drive to support the RNLI and recognise its many heroes.

The caravan, which has a plaque and an information board on Mr Fleming, was visited by four members of the RNLI Great Yarmouth and Gorleston Lifeboat Station crew - Darren Hunt, Andy Mason, Rod Wells and Wayne Flowerday.

Lifeboatmen Darren Hunt, Andy Mason, Rod Wells and Wayne Flowerday with a representative from Haven Holidays (Image: Doug Peters/PA Wire)

They all gave the caravan their seal of approval and were pleased to see their illustrious predecessor honoured and remembered.

The William Fleming caravan is one of five nationally named in honour of RNLI heroes at Haven's holiday parks.

William Fleming after he retired as a lifeboatman (Image: Clifford Temple Collection)

Since 2018, Haven has been raising funds for the RNLI to give crews the essential kit and training they need to stay safe and save lives at sea.

The total amount raised by Seashore Holiday Park this year for the RNLI is £5,148.27 through various fundraising methods such as collection bucket runs.

Lifeboatmen Darren Hunt, Andy Mason, Rod Wells and Wayne Flowerday settle into the caravan (Image: Doug Peters/PA Wire)

Corrie Parris, Haven PR manager, said: "We are proud to support the RNLI and honour the selfless and important work their volunteer lifesavers do.

"By commemorating them in this way we hope it will provide a permanent reminder to our 2.5 million annual holidaymakers of the commitments the RNLI’s volunteer crews have made – and continue to make – in ensuring we enjoy our country’s fabulous coastline safely.

RNLI Lifeboatmen Darren Hunt, Andy Mason, Rod Wells and Wayne Flowerday in the William Fleming caravan (Image: Doug Peters/PA Wire)

"This is why we have been supporting lifeboats since 2018 as many of the RNLI’s lifeboat stations are near to our 41 parks.”

An information board at the caravan (Image: Doug Peters/PA Wire)

Mr Fleming had been in his late 50s when he became coxswain in 1922.

He died at the age of 89 in 1954.

A blue heritage plaque is at 11 Pavilion Road, Gorleston, where he lived while serving as coxswain.

Mr Fleming was given the George Cross for his role in the 1922 rescue of SS Hopelyn where 24 men and a cat were saved on Scroby Sands.

A plaque remembering the RNLI hero (Image: Doug Peters/PA Wire)