Lieutenant H.R.H. Prince George, K.G., G.C.V.O., R.N., named the two Motor Life-boats at Stromness and Longhope in the Orkneys on the 6th June.

These are the two most northerly Life-boat Stations in the British Isles.

Stromness, which, was established in 1867, has a record of 119 lives rescued.

It was one of the first Stations to be provided with a Motor Life-boat, and some account of the work of that Boat and the description of the new Motor Life-boat appear elsewhere in this issue in an article by the Chief Inspector.* The Longhope Station was established in 1874, and has a record of 90 lives rescued. The old Life-boat was a Pulling and Sailing Boat of the Watson type, built in 1905, which, on the arrival of the Motor Life-boat, was sent to Howth, Dublin. The Motor Life-boat, which reached her Station in September, 1926, is of the Watson * See page-112.

Cabin Type, 45 feet 6 inches by 12 feet 6 inches, with an 80 h.p. engine. She has a radius of action of 62 miles, and a speed of 8 knots. On her journey from Cowes, a distance of 663 miles, she was at sea 85 hours, so that the whole journey was carried out at an average speed of 7J knots, only half a knot below her maximum.

The Stromness Life-boat has been built out of legacies received from the late Miss J. Moody, of Derby ; the late Mr. J. P. Traill, of London, the late Mr. W. M. Aitken, of Edinburgh, the late Mrs. E. J. Hanson, of Belper, Derbyshire and the late Mr. William Netting, of Bush Hill Park, Middlesex.

The Longhope Life-boat has been built out of legacies received from the late Mrs. S. H. Sandford, of Sandford, Salop, the late Mr. J. Turnbull, of London, the late Mr. M. G. Jessett, of Enfield, Middlesex, and the late Mr.

William King, of Liverpool. In the case of each boat the names chosen by the donors have been inscribed inside the Boat, and her name has been formed of the initials. In addition to the four legacies for the Longhope Lifeboat, a gift from Mrs. E. E. Bade, of Hull, and a gift in memory of the late Mr. John Ashworth, of Lytham, have been devoted to this Boat.

The ceremony at Stromness took place in the morning, the Prince, accompanied by Admiral H. H. Campbell, C.B., C.V.O., arriving in the Admiral's barge from the Atlantic Fleet, which was stationed in the Flow. He was received by a guard of honour, consisting of 100 men with colours, from the Atlantic Fleet, and ex-service men, while there was also a parade of the Boys' Brigade, the Boy Scouts and the Girl Guides, who, with the school children, lined the streets.

Among those taking part in the ceremony were the Hon. George Colville, the Deputy-Chairman of the Committee of Management, Provost Corrigall of Stromness, supported by the magistrates and councillors, Flag- Captain F. M. Austin, representing Admiral J. M. Casement, C.B., commanding the Second Battle Squadron, who was prevented by illness from being present, Sir Robert Hamilton, M.P. for the Orkneys, Mr. J. Mackay, J.P., Chairman of the Stromness Branch, Mr. G. L. Thomson, J.P., Honorary Secretary, Commander Kilgour, R.N., representing the Board of Trade, and Commander McKenzie, R.N., the King's Harbour Master. The singing of the hymns was led by a choir, accompanied by the Stromness Town Band.

The ceremony opened with a hymn and a prayer by the Rev. B. J. Thompson, of St. Mary's Scottish Episcopal Church, and Mr. Colville then presented the new Life-boat to the Branch. In doing so, he thanked Prince George for having travelled 750 miles to name the Life-boat, and expressed the gratitude of the Institution to the five donors.

He spoke, too, of the splendid record of the Stromness Station, referring, in particular, to the services of the old Motor Life-boat, John A. Hay, and paid a tribute to the valour and seamanship of Coxswain Johnston, and to the conspicuous success with which, for many years, the Station had been administered by Mr. G. L. Thomson, who had not only shown himself a most capable Honorary Secretary, but had, on more than one occasion, gone out in the Boat on service.

The Boat was accepted, on behalf of the Branch, by Mr. Mackay, and was dedicated by the Rev. James Christie, M.A., minister of the North United Free Church. Commander E. D. Drury, O.B.E., R.D., R.N.R., Inspector of Life-boats for the Northern District, then gave a description of the new Boat, after which Provost Corrigall invited Prince George to name her.

Prince George then named her " J.J.K.S.W.," and wished her and her crew Godspeed.

PRESENTATION OF THE ESSAY SHIELD.

The ceremony was followed by the presentation to Miss Hellen F. F. Scott, a pupil of Burness School, Sanday, of the Scottish Challenge Shield, which she had won for her school in the Life-boat Essay Competition this year by sending in the best essay for the whole of Scotland.

In presenting the Shield to her Prince George said :— " I am very glad that my visit to Orkney to name the new Life-boats at Stromness and Longhope should come in the year in which an Orkney school has won the Challenge Shield for Scotland in the Life-boat Essay Competition.

That is a very high honour, and this is the first time that it has been won by an Orkney school.

" The subject was ' Describe the kind of man that a good Life-boatman should be.' Well, who should know that better than the boys and girls of Orkney ? I congratulate the Burness Public School of Sanday on its success.

I am sure it is very proud of Hellen Scott, whose essay has won the Shield.

Her other prizes will be presented to her another time, but the Shield itself I have very great pleasure in presenting to her now.

" I understand that if a school wins the Shield three times running, it keeps it for ever ; I understand also that, though a school has won it two years, no school has yet won it three. Now is your opportunity. The Burness Public School has won it this year. I hope that it will win it in the next two years, and so have the honour of being the first school in Great Britain and Ireland not only to win but to keep a Challenge Shield." (Cheers.) A vote of thanks to His Royal Highness was proposed by Sir Robert Hamilton, and seconded by Mr. G. L.

Thomson. Prince George then concluded the ceremony by breaking a bottle of wine on the rudder of the Lifeboat, and she was launched.

THE PRINCE'S SPEECH.

After the ceremony the Prince was entertained to lunch by the Provost, and in reply to the drinking of his health, he said :— " It is a very great pleasure to me to be here to-day, and to take part in the naming ceremonies of those two splendid new Life-boats which the Royal National Life-boat Institution has sent to Orkney.

The pleasure is enhanced by the fact that it has fallen to my lot to be the first member of my family for many years who has performed a public function in these remote islands, which have played so important a part in the naval history of our Empire. (Cheers.) " As you know, all the other members of my family, following the example of His Majesty the King, have associated themselves personally with the great national undertaking which is carried on by the Royal National Life-boat Institution, and I am delighted to take this, my first opportunity, of sharing in a Life-boat ceremony. (Cheers.) " To any one serving, as I am, in His Majesty's Navy, these two ceremonies must have a special interest and solemnity, for these Life-boats will protect the waters from which, through the four years of war, the Grand Fleet kept watch over the seas and the shipping of Great Britain. That war is over, but your war with the storms is never finished. The Life-boatmen of Stromness and Longhope must always be ready for active service in these, the stormiest waters round our coasts.

(Cheers.) " The Institution has built for Stromness one of the finest and most powerful Motor Life-boats in its fleet. You have well earned it. Stromness was one of the first stations to be provided with a Motor Life-boat. That was twenty years ago. In those twenty years you have given magnificent proof of what a Motor Life-boat can do to save life in the hands of a skilful Coxswain and a resolute crew. With this much larger and more powerful Boat I am sure that you will add new honours to those which the Station won when your old Life-boat went out to the rescue of the Hessonite, the Comet of Aberdeen and the Freesia. (Cheers.) " A few years ago the Navy had the honour of taking part in a rescue with the Longhope Life-boat, when a Swedish steamer lost her propeller. The Navy saw then the stuff of which the Lifeboatmen of Orkney are made, and it was very prompt in showing its appreciation.

That was only one of many fine services which the men of Longhope have performed in their Pulling and Sailing Life-boat. I know that they also will add new honours to the record of their Station, now that they too are equipped with a powerful Motor Lifeboat.

(Cheers.) " None know better than the officers and men of the Navy what the men of the sister service of the Life-boats have to face. The Navy, and the Army too, recognise the courage of this Service, which is always on active service.

" I thank you for the very hearty welcome which you have given me. I shall always remember with pleasure my visit to these, the most northern Life-boat Stations of our islands. I wish good luck and Godspeed to the Life-boatmen of Orkney." (Loud cheers.) Longhope.

After the luncheon Prince George proceeded in the Stromness Motor Lifeboat to Longhope. As soon as he stepped on board the Boat the Royal Standard was broken at the mast-head and remained flying until Longhope was reached. This is the first time that the Royal Standard has been flown in a Life-boat. On landing, Prince George was received by Mr. William Marwick, President of the Longhope Branch, and a guard of honour, consisting of exservice men from Kirkwall, the Kirkwall City Pipe Band and the Kirkwall Town Band. A party of 50 men was landed from the Second Battle Squadron to take part in the ceremony.

The ceremony opened with a hymn, the singing being accompanied by the Flagship's Band and the Kirkwall Town Band. The hymn was followed by a prayer by the Rev. W. Ferguson, of North Walls, and Mr. Colville then presented the new Life-boat to the Branch. In doing so he said that not only did Longhope provide the crew for the Life-boat, but its population of 150 had last year contributed £40 to the funds of the Institution. That worked out at over 5s. per head. How well Longhope was supporting the service could be judged from the fact that if the whole population of the country gave only 1| 2. per head that would provide the whole sum needed annually by the Service.

The Rev. J. D. Anderson, of Hoy, then dedicated the Life-boat, and Commander Drury gave a description of her. Mr. Marwick received the Boat on behalf of the Branch, and in doing so spoke of Longhope's pride in their Life-boat crew and their gratitude to Prince George.

The Prince was then introduced by Sir Robert Hamilton, and named the Boat K.T.J.S., after which he presented certificates for long service, which had been awarded by the Institution, to Mr. Andrew Chalmers, Mr.

James Nicolson, Mr. Alexander S. Johnston and Mr. E. Johnston, four members of the Crew who had just retired. The Prince then boarded the Longhope Life-boat and made a trip in her, the Royal Standard being flown while he was on board. He then returned by launch to H.M.S. Nelson, the flagship of the Atlantic Fleet.

At the next meeting of the Committee of Management a special Vote of Thanks to H.R.H. Prince George was passed, and a Vote of Thanks to Vice-Admiral the Hon Sir Hubert Brand, Commanderin- Chief of the Atlantic Fleet, for the very great help given by the Navy. Pie! (Barrow).

THERE has been a Life-boat Station at Piel (Barrow) since 1864, and it is the first Station on the Lancashire coast to be provided with a Motor Life-boat.

The new Boat is of the Watson Cabin type, with two 40 h.p. engines, and she is able to take on board enough petrol j to carry out a service anywhere within sixty-two miles of her Station. She has been built out of a legacy from the late Mrs. M. C. Myers, and a gift from the trustees of the estate of the late Mr.

Stephen H. Thompson, of Birmingham.

The names chosen by the two donors, Eliza Norman and M. C. Thompson, are inscribed inside the Life-boat, and she has been named N.T.

The Naming Ceremony took place at Buccleuch Dock on Sunday, July 8th, the Mayor of Barrow (Alderman C. G. B. Ellison, J.P.) presiding, supported by members of the Town Council, and the Institution was represented by Sir William Milligan, M.D., J.P., one of its Vice-Presidents and Chairman of the Manchester, Salford and District Branch.

The Boat was formally presented to the Institution by Mr. H. S. Thompson, a nephew of Mr. Stephen H. Thompson, and was named by the Mayoress, while the dedication service was conducted by the Bishop Suffragan of Barrow (the Right Rev. H. S. Pelham, M.A.). There was a very large audience present and the singing was led by the massed choirs from St. James' Church, St.. Matthew's Church, St. Michael's Church, St. Mark's Church, Abbey Road Wesleyan Methodist Church, Abbey Road Baptist Church, Abbey Road Christ Church U.M., Emmanuel Congregational Church, Greengate Wesleyan Methodist Church, Hindpool Road Wesleyan Church, Vickerstown Wesleyan Methodist Church, I the King's Hall and the Barrow Madrigal ; Society. Mrs. Bourne conducted the choirs, and the singing was accompanied by the Barrow Shipyard Silver Band, conducted by Mr. W. Smithers, a selec-tion of music being played by the band | before the ceremony began. The whole ceremony was broadcast by the B.B.C.

in the North of England, and immediately after it an appeal on behalf of the Institution by Sir William Milligan was also broadcast, this being the " week's good cause." The ceremony opened with a short religious service, in which the Rev.

W. F. Welbon, M.C. (Mayor's Chaplain and Superintendent Wesleyan Minister), the Rev. W. Walker (Baptist), and the Rev. D. Caplan (Rabbi) took part.

Mr. H. S. Thompson, on behalf of the donors, then presented the Boat to the Institution. He referred to the legacy of £5,000 from Mrs. Myers, and said that the gift of £5,000 from the estate of Mr. Stephen H. Thompson was part of a sum of £16,000 which had been left to the executors to distribute to charities, while the name which they had chosen to associate with it was that of one of his own sons who had died on service in the War, after a life of unselfish devotion, in which the one great interest had been the Boy Scouts Movement.

Sir William Milligan, in accepting the Boat on behalf of the Institution, expressed its gratitude to the donors and his hope that their generous example would be followed by others. He entrusted it to Mr. J. M. Mawson, J.P., the Honorary Secretary of the Branch, who said that they now had one of the finest Life-boats in Lancashire, and she would be manned by one of the finest crews. They had, too, in the new Boathouse and Slipway, launching facilities as near perfection as human ingenuity could make them, but if these should ever fail they could still count on the women of Piel to do as they had done before, and go out into the sea to launch the boat.

Captain H. G. Innes, R.N., District Inspector of Life-boats, gave a description of the Life-boat, and Commander C. W. Craven, O.B.E., R.N., proposed, and Lieut.-Commander J. H. Ferguson, R.N., seconded, a vote of thanks to the Mayoress ; this being followed by a vote of thanks to the Mayor, proposed by Mr. Edgar H. Johnson, F.C.I.S., the District Organising Secretary.

The Life-boat was then dedicated by the Bishop of Barrow, and the Mayoress, breaking a bottle of wine on her bows, named the Lifeboat N.T., and said she hoped that the calls upon her would be few and her errands of mercy always successful.

Swanage.

The Swanage Station was established in 1875, being one of four now maintained on the coast of Dorset, and is the second Dorset Station to be provided with a Motor Life-boat, the other Station being Weymouth. The Swanage Motor Life-boat is of the self-righting type, 40 feet by 10 feet 6 inches, and is driven by a 40 h.p. engine, giving her a speed of 1 knots. *She can take on board sufficient petrol to be able to carry out a service anywhere within fifty-seven miles of her Station. The Boat has been built out of a legacy received from the late Mrs. Thomas Markby, of London.

The Naming Ceremony took place on 7th July in the presence of nearly 6,000 people. The Motor Life-boat from Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, and the Pulling and Sailing Life-boat from Poole and Bournemouth were present. Major Edwin John Burt, T.D., President and Chairman of the Swanage Branch, presided at the ceremony. The Institution was represented by the Hon. George Colville, Deputy-Chairman of the Committee of Management, and the Boat was formally presented to the Institution by Captain Keith Freeling Markby, son of the donor, and named by Miss Edith Grant. Among those present were Councillor W. Masters, J.P., Chairman of the Swanage Urban District Council, the Mayors and Mayoresses of Weymouth, Poole and Lymington, and the Honorary Secretaries and other Lifeboat workers from neighbouring Stations and inland Branches. Music was provided by the band of the Music Society and the Town Band.

Before the ceremony Major Burt entertained to luncheon a party of 200 of the principal guests, including twentyone past and present members of the Poole and Bournemouth Crew, sixteen of the Swanage Crew and eight of the Yarmouth Crew. The toast of the Institution was proposed by Sir Arthur Adams, K.B.E., who spoke of it as the grandest of all the charitable institutions in Great Britain, one whose deeds were written large in our national history.

He ended an eloquent speech with an appeal for increased contributions from the people of Swanage.

Mr. Colville replied, and spoke of the great duty which the Institution had to carry out entirely through voluntary effort.

The toast of the guests was proposed by Mr. G. T. Atkinson, who spoke of the heroism of the men of Dorset, and responded to by Captain Markby, who spoke of the pride he felt in knowing that a Life-boat would bear his father's name.

The Mayor of Poole proposed the toast of the President, Committee and Honorary Secretaries, and paid a warm tribute to Major Burt and his fellow-workers.

In replying, Major Burt said he was proud to be President of the Swanage Branch and proud to be the third generation of his family to take an active interest in the work of the Institution.

Of the ceremony itself the Dorset County Chronicle said that it had brought together a larger gathering than had ever been known in Swanage before.

It opened with a religious service conducted by the Rector, the Rev. W. R. Parr, M.A., who was supported by Congregational, Wesleyan and Baptist Ministers and a Captain of the Salvation Army.

Major Burt welcomed the guests, and said that they were there to do honour to the memory of Mrs. Thomas Markby, to whose generosity and kindness Swanage owed this splendid Boat, which in its design and equipment was the fruit of many years of thought, care and industry devoted to perfecting the means of succouring those in peril at sea.

Captain Markby then presented the Boat to the Institution as a gift from his mother in memory of his father. The Boat was accepted by Mr. Colville, who handed her to Major Burt. In accepting her on behalf of the Branch, Major Burt pointed out that the cost of fitting out a Station like Swanage with a Motor Lifeboat was about £20,000, and invited all who were able to become annual subscribers.

Councillor Masters then accepted the boat on behalf of the town; the Rev. W.

R. Parr recited the prayer of dedication; and Miss Edith Grant, an old friend of Mrs. Markby, named the boat Thomas Markby. The boat was then launched amid loud cheers, and a display was given of life-saving with the line-throwing gun, Major Burt's yacht being the " wreck." A vote of thanks to Miss Grant and Captain Markby was proposed by Captain Watson, R.N., Vice-President of the Branch, and seconded by Mr. William Powell, the Honorary Secretary. At the first meeting of the Committee of Management after the ceremony it was decided to send Major Burt a special letter of thanks for the admirable way in which the ceremony had been organised and for his own generous hospitality.

Portrush.

There has been a Life-boat Station at Portrush since 1860, and its Life-boats have rescued nearly 100 lives. It is the most important Station on the coast of Northern Ireland, and with the Station at Donaghadee and those at Campbeltown and Port Patrick in Scotland, it guards the estuary of the Clyde and the northern entrance to the Irish Sea. Each of these Stations now has a Motor Life-boat. The Portrush Motor Life-boat went to the Station in 1924, and has been out on service several times, but the Naming Ceremony was postponed until the new Boathouse and Slipway were ready.

The Boat herself is of the Watson Cabin type, 45 feet by 12 feet 6 inches, is driven by an 80 h.p. engine, and has a radius of action of 62 miles. She has been built out of legacies received from the late Mrs.

Margaret P. Thornton, of Putney, the late Mr. Thomas Bartlett, of Liverpool, the late Miss Isabella L. Boustred, of Blackheath, and the late Miss Annarella Hooper, of Leamington. The names of the donors are inscribed inside the Boat and their initials, T.B.B.H., form her name.

The Boat was named and the new Boathouse formally opened on 11th August by the Duchess of Abercorn, wife of the Governor-General of Northern Ireland and Patron of the Northern Irish Ladies' Life-boat Guilds, in the presence of a large audience. The Hon. Sir Francis A. Macnaghten, Bt., President of the Branch, presided, and the Institution was represented by Captain the Viscount Curzon, C.B.E., V.D., A.D.C., R.N.V.R., M.P., a member of the Committee of Management. Among those who took part in the ceremony were the Earl of Antrim, the Right Hon.

representative of one of the four donors, and was accepted by Lord Curzon, who spoke of the Institution's gratitude to the four donors and of its glorious record of private endeavour and voluntary effort, backed up by the magnificent generosity of the British people. In William Moore, Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, the Right Hon. Hugh O'Neill, M.P., Speaker of the House of Commons of Northern Ireland, and the Hon. Sir Malcolm Macnaghten, K.B.E., K.C., M.P.

After the Life-boat had been described by Lieut.-Commander P. E. Vaux, D.S.C., R.N., District Inspector of Lifeboats, she was formally presented to the Institution by Mr. W. H. Beale, the presenting the Life-boat to the Station, Lord Curzon congratulated Portrush on the record of its Life-boats and paid a tribute to the work of the Honorary Secretary, Mr. J. G. McMorris, and the Coxswain and Crew.

The President of the Branch accepted the Boat, and the Duchess of Abercorn, having been presented by Mr. McMorris with a silver key, opened the Boat-house.

The Earl of Antrim proposed and Mr. Hugh O'Neill seconded a vote of thanks to the Duchess, and the Lord Chief Justice proposed and Sir Malcolm Macnaghten seconded a vote of thanks to the Officers and Committee at Portrush for their services to the Institution.

The Rev. H. Skeffington, P.P., then dedicated the Life-boat and the Duchess named her. In doing so she paid a tribute to the women workers of the Institution, and said that when the storms came she was sure that the Portrush Crew, with their new and splendid Lifeboat, would uphold the honour of the Life-boat Service and of their countrymen.

The Boat was then launched.