William Adams, Coxswain of the North Deal Life-boat, died on 23rd October last, in his seventy-sixth year. Probably no Life-boat Coxswain was better known to the public, and few have had a more dis- tinguished career. Born on 5th April, 1851, he joined the Crew of the North Deal Life-boat as a young man. He was appointed Coxswain on 1st July, 1907, at the age of fifty-six, and retired at the end of 1920 at the age of sixty-nine.

During his thirteen and a half years as Coxswain the Life-boat was launched 122 times, rescued 321 lives, and saved fourteen vessels.

Three times William Adams won the Silver Medal of the Institution for gallantry. The first occasion was on the 4th February, 1916, when the steam trawler De la Pole sank on the Goodwin Sands. A tremendous sea was running and breaking right over her, but the Life-boat was able to get alongside, and eleven men were rescued. The second occasion was also in 1916, on 20th November, when the Italian steamei Val Salice ran on the Goodwins. The Life-boat reached her about midnight.

A tremendous gale was blowing, with blinding rainstorms; it was intensely dark: and the seas at times lifted the Life-boat almost as high as the steamer's mastheads ; but the whole crew of thirty was rescued.

The third service for which Coxswain Adams was decorated was to the Toogo, a thiee-masted schooner of Esthonia, on 1st November, 1919. With two extra men on board it took the Life-boat three hours to reach the Sands, against a whole gale. Just before the Life-boat reached her the Toogo struck and sank ; but two of her crew of eight were rescued from among the wreckage. The Life-boat was continually washed by heavy seas, and one of them, which broke right into the Boat, knocked down and injured Wil- liam Adams, the Second Coxswain and two of the Crew.

Four times William Adams was specially thanked or decorated by foreign Governments. The German Government thanked him and his Crew ' for their services to the s.s. Marie ' Leonhardt in January, 1912, when the ; North Deal Life-boat stood by, while the ! actual rescue was carried out by the Ramsgate Boat. The President of the United States presented him with a Gold Watch and Chain and each of the Crew with a Gold Medal for the rescue in January, 1919, of twenty-nine of the ! crew of the s.s. Piave. The Italian Government presented him with a Silver Medal and each of the Crew with I a Bronze Medal for the service to the Val I Salice, and the Esthonian Government | presented him and each member of the I Crew with the Silver Medal of the Esthonian Bed Cross for the service to the Toogo..