Celebrate North Wales' RNLI with these photos of lifeboats and crews through the decades
These photos taken between 1939 and 2019 capture local RNLI crews at work
![A band and choir perform at the naming ceremony of the new "Lil Cunningham" lifeboat in Rhyl, September 30, 1992](https://i2-prod.liverpoolecho.co.uk/incoming/article26301310.ece/ALTERNATES/s1200/0_Miss-Betty-Cunningham-the-naming-ceremony-of-the-new-lifeboat-at-Rhyl-North-Wales.jpg)
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is one of the largest charities in the UK and has been saving lives at sea for decades.
The RNLI carries out lifeboat search and rescue at sea and following inland flooding, while also supplying lifeguards and water safety education. There are numerous RNLI stations across North Wales, including in Moelfre, Rhyl and Llandudno.
North Wales Live has unearthed 25 photos from our Mirrorpix archive and Getty Images that show our RNLI lifeboats and their crews in action over the decades. The earliest image dates back to 1939, with the most recent showing a team in 2019.
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The photos capture how the lifeboats have changed over the years, with some serving the community for decades before being swapped for more advanced boats. Other images show the extravagant naming and launch ceremonies of new lifeboats ahead of their crucial journey ahead to save lives.
For beautiful, historic images from the past have a look at memorylane.co.uk/ and see what you can discover.
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Holidaymakers watching the launch of Llandudno's lifeboat "Thomas and Anne Wade Richards", July 1939
(Image: Getty Images)1 of 25Lifeboat in operation in Rhyl, North Wales, May 1963
(Image: Mirrorpix)2 of 25The Oakley class all-weather Rhyl lifeboat "Har Lil" on patrol in the waters around North Wales and Liverpool, December 1975
(Image: Mirrorpix)3 of 25Holyhead's new RNLB Arun Class lifeboat, ''Hyman Winstone'', bedecked in flags at Holyhead Lifeboat Station in Anglesey, July 1980
(Image: Mirrorpix)4 of 25A lifeboat on its launch ramp in Moelfre, Anglesey, September 1982
(Image: RDImages/Epics/Getty Images)5 of 25