The Life-boat Service has lost one of its most distinguished Coxswains by the death on 20th March last, after a painful illness, of Thomas Smith Langlands, of Whitby. He had a great career as a Life-boatman, a career extending over nearly fifty years. He held the Institution's Gold and Silver Medals, and took part in the rescue of over 200 lives.

Born at Sea-houses, in Northumberland, in 1853, Langlands became a member of the Whitby crew at the age of eighteen.

In 1875 he was appointed second coxswain of the Upgang Life-boat, and Coxswain two years later. In 1899 he became Coxswain of the Whitby Boat, retiring in 1920; he received the Silver Medal in 1906 for a fine piece of rescue' work with his own fishing coble, when he saved the lives of three men from a small boat which sank at the entrance to the harbour, but the service with which his name will always be remembered is the service to the Hospital Ship Rohilla, which was driven ashore near Whitby by a storm of terrible violence on the morning of 30th October, 1914, and almost immediately broke in half. There is no finer story of undaunted enterprise and determination in face of what to lesser men. would have been unsurmountable difficulties, than the story of the way in which Langlands got the Whitby No. 2 Life-boat afloat. It was hopeless to launch in the harbour, so Langlands took his Boat overland to the scene of the wreck. She was hauled on skids under the Spa Ladder gangway from the East Pier to the cliff—and along the rocky scaur. In the course of this difficult journey she was taken over a sea wall 8 feet in height, a most formidable feat. The Boat was stove in in two places, but, in spite of this, she was launched and twice succeeded, after a fearful struggle with the terrific seas, in reaching the wreck. On these two journeys she saved thirty-one lives, but after the second she was unfit for further service as a result of the repeated pounding on the rocks. It is a splendid proof of Langlands' courage and skill that although four other Pulling and Sailing Life-boats made heroic efforts to reach the Rohilla, none of them succeeded, and those who still remained on the wreck, fifty in number, were not rescued until the Motor Life-boat arrived from Tynemouth. It was for this signal and heroic service that Langlands received the highest honour which it is in the power of the Institution to bestow, its Gold Medal.

The bearers at his funeral on 23rd March were the two present Coxswains at Whitby and four of his old comrades of the Life-boat. The coffin was covered with the Royal Ensign, on the top of which lay his cap and the Institution's wreath of laurel and flowers; and it was followed to the grave by representatives of the Institution, of the town and all its churches, of all the Life-boat Stations between Bridlington and Hartlepool, and by a large gathering of the seamen, fishermen and people of Whitby. Coxswain Langlands now lies close to the graves of those who died in the wreck of the Rohilla.