THE year 1929 was remarkable for the series of intense gales in its last three months, following on an autumn of prolonged drought. The gales are de- scribed on another page. Here it is sufficient to say that during the ninety- two days of those three months, there were gales on no fewer than fifty-four days. The number of lives for whose rescue the Institution gave rewards was 363. Of these, 265 were rescued by Life-boats—140 of them being during the last three months of the year—and 98 by fishing boats, and other boats.

In addition to the lives, 32 boats and vessels were saved or helped to safety.

From its foundation on 4th March, 1824, up to the end of 1929, the Institution has given rewards for the rescue of 62,122 lives.

Although the number of lives rescued was smaller than in 1928, when it was 591, the highest for five years, the great traditions of the service were fully maintained, and three Silver Medals and Clasps, and four Bronze Medals and Clasps were awarded for services in which special gallantry, tenacity and skill were shown. The three outstand- ing services of the year were carried out by the Motor Life-boat at Rosslare Harbour, Co. Wexford, the Pulling and Sailing Life-boat at Hythe, Kent, and the Motor Life-boat at Newhaven, Sussex. In each case the Coxswain was awarded the Silver Medal. Bronze Medals were awarded to the Coxswains for services by the Motor Life-boat at Stromness, Orkneys, the Pulling and Sailing Life-boat at Dungeness, Kent, and the Motor Life-boat at Angle, Pembrokeshire. Of the seven Medals, three were won by Englishmen, two by Irishmen, one by a Scotsman, and one by a Welshman, while the Coxswain at Thurso, Caithness-shire, was twice awarded the Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum.

The majority of the 363 lives saved were British, and once again our Life-boats showed that they are a great international as well as a British service. Altogether fourteen vessels and one seaplane belonging to ten foreign nations were succoured, and fifty-nine lives were rescued from them. Three of the vessels were Spanish, three were Finnish, two German, one French, one BeJgian, one Norwegian, one Danish, one Swedish, and one Greek, while the seaplane was Italian.

New Motor Life-boats.

The year was exceptionally busy for the Life-boat Service in other ways.

No fewer than twelve powerful new Motor Life-boats were completed and sent to their stations. Four of these went to the English coast, Humber (Yorkshire), Clacton-on-Sea (Essex), Padstow (Cornwall), and Weymouth (Dorsetshire); four to the Scottish coast, Stornaway (Island of Lewis), Campbeltown (Argyllshire), Port Patrick (Wigtownshire), and Troon (Ayrshire) ; two to Wales, Angle (Pem- brokeshire), and Holyhead (Anglesey) ; one to Ireland, Courtmacsherry (Co.

Cork), and one to St. Peter Port (Guernsey). There were seventy-nine Motor Life-boats in the Institution's fleet of 203 boats at the end of the year, while another twelve Motor Life-boats were under construction, of which three went to their Stations during January.

The year also saw the completion of the entirely new type of fast Motor Life-boat (described in The Lifeboat for March, 1929), to protect the passenger- steamer and aeroplane traffic across the Straits of Dover. This boat, with a speed of between seventeen and eighteen knots, is the fastest Life-boat in the world. She went to her Station at Dover in January, and is to be named Sir William Hillary, after the Institu- tion's founder.

New Stations.

It was decided to establish a Life-boat Station in the Shetland Islands, this being made possible by the system of coast communication which has recently been organised in the Shetlands by the Board of Trade. In view of the fact that only a boat of the latest and most powerful type would be suitable to safeguard an area made up of a widely scattered group of many islands, a Motor Life-boat of the 51-feet Barnett type, with two 60-h.p. engines, has been laid down for it.

The Station at Shoreham (Sussex), which was closed in 1924, owing to lack of water due to silting, has now been re-opened. This has been made pos- sible by the great improvement in local conditions, and the disappearance of the harbour-bar, which existed in 1924.

The Watson Motor Life-boat, stationed at Weymouth in 1919, and replaced there during the year by a new Watson Motor Life-boat, was transferred to Shoreham.

Stations Closed.

The Stations at Rhoscolyn (Angle- sey), Rye Harbour (Sussex), Porthleven (Cornwall), and Southend (Cantyre) have been closed during the year, as have also the No. 1 Station at Caister (Norfolk), and the No. 2 Station at Palling (Norfolk), these Stations being no longer needed, as Motor Life-boats have been placed at neighbouring Stations.

No Station has done more magnificent work for the Life-boat Service than Caister. Since the Institution took it over in 1857, its Life-boats have the splendid record of 1709 lives rescued from shipwreck, and the Institution has awarded one Gold Medal and eleven Silver Medals to Caister men. PaJhng also has a very fine record. Since it was taken over by the Institution in 1852 its Life-boats have rescued 782 lives..