Humble Frankie Picks up Honour
He chose to receive his gong at Govt House instead of at Buckingham Palace.
Frank ‘Frankie’ Horne has collected his MBE from Government House, in recognition of his services to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and safety at sea.
As well as years serving abroad Peel’s RNLI, Frankie was involved in designing, developing and free distributing a dedicated deck wear life jacket that has saved many lives.
A proper Manxman through and through, he said he chose to receive his MBE on the island, instead of having a trip to Buckingham Palace, as he wanted to have his friends and family around him.
Speaking to Gef, he said he thought he was being pranked when he was first told he’d be receiving an MBE.
He said: ‘The Governor phoned me, I was working Peel and the Governor phoned and said “you’ve been chosen and you’ve been given this great honour” and you just never know with the RNLI, whether it’s a wind up from the crew or anyone else, you’ve just always got it in the back of your mind. But he was very clear that this award would be coming and I was just overawed.’
While Frankie was the one collecting his MBE, he was keen to stress that he was supported by all the lifeboat crew who he’d worked with down the years, his friends and his family.
About Frankie
Between 1990 and late 2019, as volunteer crew member and coxswain on Peel lifeboat, he received multiple commendations for saving casualties and vessels.
He instigated RNLI Swimsafe events across the island and continues to volunteer with others to support this annual event. As well as delivering safety training to the commercial fishing industry across the British Isles, Channel Islands and Isle of Man, Frankie has greatly contributed to the reduction in fishing fatalities by drowning through the design, development and free distribution of a dedicated deck wear life jacket.
He is also a committee member of the Fishermen’s Mission on the Isle of Man.
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