One organisation which occupies the interface between land and seacomprised of those who normally live on shore but whose work regime is determined by the deep—is the coastguard. Known in the past by various names, the term “coastguard” has won acceptance in most nations to describe organisations with a range of responsibilities, the precise composition of which depends upon needs and available facilities. Although they also have other functions, most are now principally concerned with lifesaving and search and rescue.

Although in Britain the Board of Customs long had responsibility for collecting duties and preventing the evasion of payment by smugglers, the Coastguard was established in 1822 as the result of a report which recommended that since the existence of separate agencies led to a duplication of effort, a new service comprising the Preventive Water Guard, the Revenue Cruisers, and the Riding Officers should be combined as the Coast Guard (initially spelled as two words).5 This amalgamation was designed to provide a triple cordon around Britain to prevent smuggling and to monitor the wartime movement of passengers, intelligence and correspondence. The report also recommended that the new force should operate under the Board of Customs, although the Admiralty was to appoint its officers. Since 1822 the Coastguard has been the subject of numerous reviews designed principally to make it more efficient while reducing costs. These changes have regrettably resulted in the dispersal and loss of records, which render it difficult to write a proper history of the service. Nonetheless, we at least are able to determine that its functions have altered over time. Its operation is best described in three phases, which to some extent overlap. In the first phase its main role was to protect the revenue; from the mid-nineteenth century until the 1920s it served as a Naval reserve; and finally, since 1925 its main function has been search and rescue.

The Protection of the Revenue

With income from import duties providing the main source of government revenue and a complicated (and often high) tariff schedule, smuggling became a major industry. While for centuries officials had tried to check this activity, their efforts met with little success.