The prototype of the twin-engined design had been laid down in 1940,[2] but the boatyard was bombed by the Germans, destroying this lifeboat, which delayed further development work by some time.

[2] She was powered by twin 18 bhp Weyburn AE.4 petrol engines, although she also had been fitted with single mast for sailing and she carried two oars.

The lifeboat's self-bailing capabilities consisted of 18 relieving scuppers, which could free the hull of water entirely in an estimated 20 seconds.

As they travelled along Beach Road in Wells, a local garage man by the name of Mr S Abel[2] was suspicious of the erratically driven lorry with no lights on.

The ship was anchored two and half miles north-east of Wells Harbour in a strong easterly breeze and very rough sea.

One of Cecil Paine's significant service took place on 18 May 1955 which involved the rescue of the crew members of the Turkish steamship Zor[6] of Istanbul.

After her arrival, Cecil Paine managed to rescue several more of the crew, but four men decided to stay aboard to try to save the vessel.

By the time the lifeboat arrived it was clear to Coxswain West of the Sheringham boat, that the Zor was sinking.

For their parts in this rescue, both coxswains, William Cox of Wells and West of Sheringham, were accorded Thanks of the Institution on Vellum.

[9] Coxswain West of Sheringham had radioed that his Lifeboat's fuel supply was running low and Cecil Paine was launched to the SS Eleanor Brook to collect the seriously ill mate of the Wimbledon who had been taken aboard the Eleanor Brook and to deliver fuel to the Foresters' Centenary.

In the meantime a Helicopter from RAF Horsham St Faith had landed a doctor aboard the Eleanor Brook to attend to the mate.

[2] The Cecil Paine arrived and collected the doctor and the dead mate and re-fueled the Foresters' Centenary and then returned to the Wells station.

In the late evening and in increasingly difficult weather conditions, the cabin cruiser Seamu of Frinton-on-Sea had run aground just of the entrance to Blakeney harbour.

In the increasing west-north-west gale-force winds and for a brief time Cecil Paine was able two pull the crew of two off the vessel but she sustained some damage whilst she was alongside.

The ILB was a small inflatable rubber craft powered by a 40 bhp outboard motor and was only the third of this type to enter service with RNLI.

She cost £280[2] and was sent to the station in response to the increasing incidents which were happing along this coast in sight of the coastline and in moderate weather conditions.

[2] The lifeboat was launched in response to a red flare which had been fired from a yacht half a mile west of Blakeney Harbour.

When Cecil Paine arrived on the scene it was to find that the flare was raised by the crew of a small auxiliary yacht sloop called Kiskadee.

The Portuguese renamed her Patreo-Joao-Rangel and she continued her role as a lifeboat in the town of Sesimbra until she was finally retired in the late 1990s.