ON the night of 1st November, 1919, the North Deal Life-boat was launched the rescue of an Esthonian three- masted schooner, the Toogo, which was, wrecked on the Goodwin Sands.

A whole gale was blowing, which rose times to hurricane force, when the Life-boat was launched at eleven at night, and, although she had two extra men on board, it took her three hours, against the head-wind, to reach the wreck. Some of the crew were in the rigging, crying for help, but before the Life-boat could reach her, the Toogo sank. In the darkness and heavy seas, the Life-boat searched among the countrywreckage, but it was not until daybreak! that she found two of the crew of eight clinging to an upturned boat. With great difficulty, and only after repeated failures, they were rescued in a state complete collapse. The Life-boat! reached her Station again at half-past seven in the morning. She had been' out eight hours. During the whole of that time she had been continually swept by heavy seas, and one of them, breaking right in the Boat, injured the Coxswain, Second Coxswain and two of the Crew. A third member of the Toogo's crew was picked up from the wreckage by a steamer and brought ashore by the North Deal Reserve Life- boat.

The Esthonian Government, in recog- nition of this very gallant service, has awarded the Silver Medal of the Esthonian Red Cross to ex-Coxswain William Adams. It has also decided award it to each member of the Crew. The presentation to ex-Cox- swain Adams was made by the Mayor the Town Hall on 31st March.

Among those present were Mr. George; Bethel Bayley, who had brought the service to the notice of the Esthonian Government, and who represented it at ceremony, the District Inspector Life-boats, the District Organizing Secretary, Mr. John Prior, Secretary' the North Deal Station, representa-;' tives of the British Red Cross Society, detachment in uniform of the local Red Cross under its commandant, thej chaplain of the Missions to Seamen, and representatives of the Kingsdown Lifeto boat Station.

After the opening speech by the Mayor, Mr. Bayley, who said that he had lived as a boy in Deal fifty-five years before, and felt very proud to return after so many years for such a purpose, read the following message from the Esthouian Minister in London : " The Esthonian Minister would be particularly grateful if you would kindly convey to ex-Coxswain William Adams and Ms Crew his admiration and gratitude for their very gallant act in saving the lives of two of his countrywreckage, men at the risk of their own lives under most trying circumstances ; and also to express to his Worship the Mayor his high appreciation and his best thanks for his courtesy in undertaking to make the presentation for the Esthonian Government." Mr. Bayley pointed out that the honour of the award was more marked, as, after the war with Russia, the Esthonian Government had ceased to issue any decorations. The service to the Toogo took place during that war.

It was only because of this that the Government had decided to decorate the North Deal Crew, and the medals had had to be specially struck, Captain Carver, R.D., R.N.R., Dis- trict Inspector of Life-boats, thanked the Esthonian Government, Mr. Bayley, and the Mayor of Deal, in the name of the Institution, and pointed out that as the Peace of Versailles was not signed until the summer of 1919, and the ser- vice to the Toogo was in December of the same year, the British Lifeat boat Service had not been long in.

going to the help of a State which had come into existence as a result of the War.

In the evening the Crew were enter- tained to dinner as the guests of the Esthonian Government, Mr. Bayley presiding.

Srace 1873 the Institution's Crews have received, from fifteen different foreign countries, seventy-two decoraa tions or special records of thanks, eight of which were for services performedduring the war. The last two foreign decorations received, the Esthonian medal and an Italian medal for the service to the Val Salice in 1916, have hoth been conferred on North Deal.

William Adams, who was Coxa wain from 1907 to 1920, and who holds the Institu- tion's Silver Medal with two Clasps, has now been decorated by the Italian, United States and Esthonian Govern- ments, and thanked by the German Government..