medals are more difficult to earn, and hence few are more highly appreciated, than the Medal of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION. It may indeed well be regarded as the Victoria Cross of the sea service, although it differs from that splendid decoration in the circumstance that it is awarded to men who are engaged solely in trying to save life at the risk of their own, whereas the soldier is, by his high profession, bound to face the contingency of having to take human, life in the defence of the honour and the interests of his country.

It will, therefore, we think, be of interest to give a brief account of the circumstances in which the six Life-boat heroes, the portraits of five of whom appear in this issue, earned the high distinction of obtaining the Silver Medal with the Vellum thanks of the Institution.

Captain H. E. Burton, R.E., and Coxswain Robert Smith, Tynemouth.

On the llth January, 1913, the s.s. Dunelm, of Sunderland, was wrecked in a whole S.E. gale with a very heavy sea off Blyth, on the Northumberland coast. The Dunelm, stranded quite close to Blyth east pier, at low water, so that it was impossible for the Blyth Life-boat to reach the vessel. A telephone message was accordingly sent to Tynemouth, ten miles distant, to the effect that the crew of the ship were in the rigging, and requesting that the Motor Life-boat should be despatched.

Captain H. E. Burton, R.E., who generously gives so much of his time to superintending the work of the Lifeboat at Tynemouth, at once attempted to obtain a full crew. A tremendous sea was breaking into the river and making home along the coast, and at first there was some difficulty hi getting a whole crew, many of the crowd urging them not to go. Captain Burton and the Coxswain, however, taking upon their shoulders the responsibility of proceeding with a reduced crew of only five men, took out the boat " to the utmost surprise of the spectators, who were watching from the cliffs," and reached the wreck one and a quarter hours afterwards, the boat returning to her station the next day.

Incidentally, the journey was a magnificent test of the qualities of the Motor Life-boat which, though frequently buried in the seas, showed splendid qualities, and proved beyond question the value of this type of boat in working against tremendous difficulties of wind and weather. On the return journey a heavy sea unfortunately threw the Coxswain, Robert Smith, against the end box, the blow being so severe as to disable him and to compel him to hand over the tiller to his assistant.

To quote a local paper, published in a district which may always be regarded as the original home of Life-boat work, " the feat achieved by the North Shields Life-boat crew in the Motor Boat Henry Vernon . . . deserves to rank as one of the daring and most remariabJe recorded in the history of the Tyne Life-boat service." In recognition of the splendid promptitude and energy shown by Captain Burton, R.E., and of the fine behaviour of the Coxswain and crew, the Committee of Management awarded to Captain Burton and to Robert Smith the Silver Medal with the Vellum Thanks, and the Vellum Thanks, as well as an additional pecuniary reward, to each of the crew.

Anthony Nixon, Coxswain of the Cambois Life-boat.

As already stated, the Dunelm stranded so close to Blyth pier that it was impossible to launch the Blyth pulling Life-boat to her assistance.

Communication was therefore effected by one of the crew swimming ashore with the line. The Rocket Apparatus then set to work with the utmost energy to rescue the crew, who had taken to the rigging. Two of the sailors, however, with four of the salvors, were cut off on a rock, and were unable to get to the shore. Seeing this, Anthony Nixon, Coxswain of the Cambois Life-boat, who had at once rushed out to the pier in the hope of being able to render assistance, obtained a small boat and managed to haul her off to the rescue of the imperilled men, thereby greatly endangering his own life. He succeeded in getting two of the men into the boat and landed them in safety, but only after a struggle which completely exhausted the strength of all three. No sooner had he recovered, however, than Nixon set to work again, and when the small boat in. which he had rescued the two men had unfortunately capsized, while she was being used by R. Macarthy in a similar attempt, Nixon tried to obtain another boat, but fell on the pier and struck his head a severe blow, which prevented him from embarking again. In spite of this further 'disablement and the fact that he was actually seriously ill at the time, Nixon displayed the greatest gallantry throughout and made repeated efforts to give further help, thus earning the Silver Medal of the Institution, which was awarded to him, together with the Vellum Thanks. It is pleasant to add that, in addition, Nixon was awarded the King's Bronze Medal for gallantry in saving life at sea, on the recommendation of the President of the Board of Trade.

William Stephenson, Coxswain of the Boulmer Life-boat.

Early on the morning of the 29th March, 1913, the steam trawler Tadorne, of Boulogne, was wrecked during a fog, a short distance from Howick Haven, Northumberland. The vessel was bound from Boulogne to the Iceland fishinggrounds, and had a crew of thirty hands, o£ whom five perished as a result of the wreck. Information having reached Boulmer by telephone a few minutes after 6 A.M., the Life-boat Arthur B.

Dawes was promptly launched. The wreck was found in a very awkward position, surrounded by rocks and exposed to heavy breakers. The deck was just awash and heavy seas were continually rolling over her. The crew had been driven to take refuge in the rigging, with the exception of three men, who, before the arrival of the Life-boat, unfortunately put off in the ship's boat, which was at once swamped, two of the men being drowned, while the third succeeded in swimming ashore.

Another man was washed off the wreck in an injured and helpless condition as the Life-boat approached. He was picked up with great difficulty, but died soon after he had been landed.

With great difficulty and danger, owing to the rocks and the want of room in which to manoeuvre the boat, the Life-boat got alongside the wreck and took off twenty men. During this operation the boat was repeatedly filled with water and some of the crew were knocked about and dazed with the weight of water dashed upon them. To add to the difficulty of the rescue, the shipwrecked men were numbed with cold and seemed afraid to leave the rigging. As there were now twenty-one rescued men in the boat, the Coxswain decided to take them ashore and come back for the others. After a stiff pull Boulmer was reached about 10 A.M., when ten fresh oarsmen were procured and the boat started again for the wreck. Four more of the crew were then taken off and landed at Howick Haven.

The First Coxswain and Second Coxswain, as well as the Bowman, were in the boat on both occasions, and the Coxswain was of opinion that this was the most difficult and dangerous service that he had ever been called upon to perform. At the inquest which was held in connection with the sad loss of life the jury recorded their high appreciation of the gallant services of the Life-boat crew, and their "admiration of the men who risked their own lives to save those of others." Coxswain William Stephenson was awarded the Silver Medal and the Vellum Thanks of the Institution in recognition of his gallant conduct on this occasion, and the Committee of Management had the pleasure of recommending him and the crew for the Medals and Diploma awarded by the Soci«te des Hospitaliers Sauveteurs Bretons, who had wished to have the opportunity of marking their apprecia- WILLIAM STEPHENSON, COXSWAIN, BOULMER LIFE-BOAT.

JAMES SMITH, Junior, COXSWAIN, PORT PATRICK LIFE BOAT.

tion of the services rendered by a British Life-boat crew to a French vessel.

To add to the •well-deserved honour accorded to Stephenson, the French Medals and Diplomas were presented by the President of the Institution, the Duke of Northumberland, in the presence of M. le Baron de Belabre, the French consul at Newcastle, who, in felicitous language, expressed the gratitude of his countrymen.

For the services of Robert Burgon, the Coxswain of the Berwick Life-boat, and James Smith, jun., the Coxswain of the Port Patrick Life-boat, see reports on Life-boat services pp. 107 and 123..