Ix the gales of last November, and again in January of this year, the Dutch Life-boat Service did magnificent work, but, like our own Service, it suffered heavy loss.

The same terrible gales which struck our own coasts during the second half of November were no less severe on the Dutch coast. During the twelve days from the 16th to the 27th there were 41 launches of Dutch Life-boats, a larger number in the time than there have been for many years, and no fewer than 89 lives were rescued—a magnificent record.

On 25th November, just ten days after the Rye Life-boat capsized after going out to the help of a Latvian steamer, one of the Life-boats at IJmuiden,* belonging to the North and South Holland Life-saving Society, was launched to the help of an Italian steamer, Salento.

The IJmuiden boat is of the type used everywhere along the Dutch coast.

Like the Rye boat, she is not a selfrighter.

Before she could reach the wreck she capsized, about 300 yards from the shore. Several men were under the boat, but they managed to free themselves, although their life- * An account of a very fine service off IJmuiden, earlier in the year, to an English steamer appears on page 213.

belts, in which it is very difficult to dive, hampered them. One man, however, could not get clear, and when the boat was righted on the beach his body was found beneath. The other men, although several of them had been hurt, succeeded in climbing on the boat, and stood on the fender, holding fast to the bilge keel. The boat was carried to the shore, and they were all rescued.

It shows the magnificent spirit of the Dutch Life-boatmen that when they landed five of them wanted to try again in the same boat ! The Steam Life-boat at the Hook.

A WORSE disaster befell one of the two Steam Life-boats stationed at the Hook of Holland on 16th January, when she capsized and her whole Crew of eight were drowned. The Life-boat was the Piins der Nederlanden, and belonged to the South Holland Society for Saving the Shipwrecked. She had gone out to the help of a Latvian steamer, Valka, which had stranded. Another Life-boat also put out, and stranded on a sandbank, but succeeded in getting off and returned to her station, after being out for seventeen hours. The next day she again put out and succeeded in rescuing the whole of those on board the Valka, 25 in all, including 3 women.

Six of the Life-boatmen who had lost their lives were married, and left 38 children. An appeal on behalf of the widows and orphans was at once issued by the Dutch Red Cross and by the South Holland Society for Saving the Shipwrecked, and a very generous response was made.

The Prins der Nederlanden is an hydraulic-driven Steam Life-boat, built in 1908, and is one of two Steam Lifeboats at the Hook which have a splendid record of lives rescued, including many British lives. She was one of the foreign Life-boats which came up the Thames in 1924 to take part in the centenary celebrations of the Institution.

As soon as the news of the disaster was received the Institution sent a telegram of sympathy, which concluded : '' This Institution, which has recently suffered similar loss of brave Crew, recognises that such tragedies exemplify the constant perils of the Life-boat Service and sanctify the courage and humanity which inspire the Life-boat Crews." " The Life-boat Crews of Rye Harbour and the Hook of Holland were drowned in attempts to help Latvian vessels. The Life-boat at IJmuiden capsized when going out to an Italian vessel. These 20 Life-boatmen of England and Holland, who have died on service during the gales of this last winter, all gave their lives in attempting to bring help to vessels and men of foreign nations.