Inaugural Ceremonies by H.R.H. Prince George, K.G.

H.R.H. PRINCE GEORGE, K.G., named the new Motor Life-boats at Walton-on- the-Naze and Clacton-on-Sea on 25th July. These are the fourth and fifth Life-boats which Prince George has named. In 1928 he travelled specially to the Orkneys to name the new Motor Life-boats at Stromness and Longhope, and last year he named the new South- end Motor Life-boat. There are three Life-boat Stations on the Essex Coast—• at Walton, Clacton and Southend. They have now all been equipped with Motor Life-boats, and all three boats have been named by Prince George.

Both Walton and Clacton have very distinguished records in life-saving. The Clacton Station was established in 1878 and has rescued 581 lives. It has won fourteen Silver Medals and one Bronze Medal from the Institution for gallantry and Medals from the French and Danish Governments. The Walton Station was established in 1884. It has rescued 375 lives and has won two Silver Medals and one Bronze Medal.

Both Stations were among the earliest to be equipped with motor-power.

Walton has had a Motor Life-boat since 1906 and Clacton since 1910, both being originally Pulling and Sailing Life- boats, in which motors were installed.

Both have done excellent service. The 43-feet Norfolk and Suffolk Life-boat with a 32-h.p. engine at Walton has been replaced by a boat of the Ramsgate type—a type which was specially designed a few years ago to travel long distances and, at the same time, to be able to work over the sandbanks which lie oS the south-east coast. She is 48 feet 6 inches long; has seven water- tight compartments, and 140 air cases; is driven by two 40-h.p. engines, giving her a speed of nearly 8| knots, and carries enough petrol to be able to travel over 114 miles at full speed without re- fuelling. She can take ninety people on board in rough weather. She has been built out of four legacies received by the Institution from the late Mr. Isaac Dewhurst, of Elland, Yorkshire; Miss Hannah Yates, of Southport; Mr.

Robert Barnes, of St. John's Wood, London, and Miss Jane E. Watkins, of Ryde, Isle of Wight.

The 45-feet Watson Life-boat with a 40-h.p. engine, stationed at Clacton since 1910, has been replaced by a Motor Life-boat of the Watson Cabin type, 45 feet 6 inches long, with eight water-tight compartments and 142 air cases. She is driven by two 40-h.p.

engines, giving her a speed of 8J knots.

She carries enough petrol to be able to travel 116 miles at full speed without refuelling, and can take ninety-five people on board in rough weather. She has been built out of a legacy received by the Institution from the late Mr.

Edmond Dresden, of London.

At the Ceremony at Walton the Chair- man of the Urban District Council (Mr.

George Snare, J.P.) presided, supported by the Chairman of the Frinton-on-Sea Urban District Council (Mr. J. B. Conly, J.P.).

The Hon. George Colville, Deputy Chairman of the Committee of Manage- ment, presented the Life-boat to the Branch on behalf of the donors and the Institution, and she was described by Commander E. D. Drury, O.B.E., R.D., R.N.R., Deputy-Chief Inspector of Life-boats. Mr. J. W. Eagle, J.P., C.C., Chairman of the Branch, accepted the Life-boat, and she was dedicated by the Rural Dean (the Rev. Canon Tollinton, D.D.).

Prince George's Speech.

Prince George then named the Life- boat E.M.E.D., these being the initials of the names chosen by the four donors, the full names being inscribed inside the boat. In doing so the Prince said:—• " It is a very great pleasure to me to be present to-day to name the splendid Motor Life-boat which the Royal National Life-boat Institution has sta- tioned here.

" This is the fourth occasion on which I have named a Motor Life-boat, and I am very glad to think that, with each new ceremony, I am increasing my first- hand knowledge of this great Service.

Wherever I go, I find two things the same. The first is that, following the tradition of over a hundred years, the Institution is never satisfied unless it gives its crews the very best in Life- boats and equipment. The second is, that the Crews, wherever they live, are men showing the same courage and devotion, and the same splendid spirit of self-sacrifice. (Cheers.) " You at Walton-on-the-Naze have a magnificent record. Since your Station was established in 1884, your Crews have rescued 375 lives. Two of your Coxswains have earned the Silver Medal for conspicuous service, and your present Coxswain, J. C. Byford, earned the Bionze Medal in connection with the rescue of ninety-two persons, many of them women and children, from the s.s. Peregrine, of London, which was wrecked on the Long Sand, in a gale and a very heavy sea, in December, 1917.

That is a record of which the Crew, the Branch, and the whole people of Walton, have every right to feel proud. (Cheers.) " You have now a powerful Motor Life-boat of one of the latest types, specially designed for work on this part of our coasts. With it, I am confident you will win new laurels. It is a gift from four donors. The names they chose are inscribed in the boat. They will share in the work you do and the honours you win.

" I have now great pleasure in naming the Life-boat E.M.E.D., and I wish her and her gallant crew God-speed.'' (Loud cheers.) A vote of thanks to Prince George was proposed by the Lord Lieutenant of Essex (Brigadier-General K. B. Colvin, C.B., T.D.), and seconded by Mr. P. J.

Pybus, C.B.E., M.P. for the Harwich Division.

Among those present were Brigadier- General K. J. Kincaid-Smith, C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O. (Deputy Lieutenant), Brigadier-General J. T. Wigan, C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O. (High Sheriff), the Mayor of Harwich, the Mayor and Mayoress of Colchester, the Mayor- Deputy of Brightlingsea and Mrs.

Howard, Admiral Sir T. S. Jackson and Miss Jackson, Lieut.-Colonel Sir Albert Stern, K.B.E., C.M.G., and Lady Stern, Sir Frederick and Lady Rice, Captain Unett, D.S.O. (Chief Constable of Essex), Mr. J. F. Graham (late Honorary Secretary), Captain W. J. Oxley (Hono- rary Secretary), Mr. and Mrs. A. E.

Hillary, Mr. W. Hammon (Ex-Coxswain of the Life-boat), Mr. George F. Shee, M.A. (Secretary of the Institution) and representatives of Branches and Ladies' Life-boat Guilds in Essex. The singing was led by the choir of All Saints' Church.

The Cl acton Ceremony.

The Prince then drove straight to Clacton, where the Chairman of the Urban District Council (Mr. H. Percy King) presided at the Ceremony. The Hon. George Colville, the Deputy- Chairman of the Committee of Manage- ment, presented the Life-boat to the Branch on behalf of the donor and the Institution. Commander E. D. Drury, O.B.E., R.D., R.N.R., Deputy-Chief In- spector of Life-boats, described the Boat.

She was received by Mr. H. J. Grant (President of the Branch), and the Rural Dean (the Rev. Canon Tollinton, D.D.), dedicated her. Before the actual naming ceremony the Lord Lieutenant of Essex (Brigadier-General R. B. Colvin, C.B., T.D.), proposed, and Mr. P. J. Pybus, C.B.E., M.P. for the Harwich Division, seconded, a vote of thanks to Princs George.

Prince George's Speech.

Prince George then named the Life- boat Edward Z. Dresden. He said :— "I have just come from naming the new Motor Life-boat at Walton-on-the- Naze. Last year I named the new Southend-on-Sea Motor Life-boat, the Greater London. The coast of Essex has now three Life-boat stations. There is a modern Motor Life-boat at each of them, and when I have named your boat I shall have had the pleasure of naming them all. (Cheers.) " This Station was established in 1877, and your Life-boats have rescued 584 lives. That is a wonderful record, and when one remembers not only the 584 lives rescued, but all the others—the families, the women and children—who have been saved from unhappiness and want, the people of this town may well feel both thankful and proud, at the recollection of what their Life-boats have done. (Cheers.) " In the pride of your record, the whole county of Essex shares. The Life- boats of the county have rescued alto- gether nearly 1,500 lives. Its men have won from the Institution thirty-nine Medals for gallantry, and of these, fifteen have been won by Clacton. You have also received rewards for your gallantry from more than one foreign country and you well deserve the thanks and congratulations of us all. (Cheers.) " Your last Motor Life-boat was the gift of the Freemasons of England and bore, I am happy to recall, the name of my grandfather, King Edward VII.

She rescued 277 lives—a record which your new boat will find hard to beat, but I am confident that she and her Crew will carry on the great traditions of this Life-boat Station.

" With these words I name your new boat Edward Z. Dresden, and wish her and her gallant crew God-speed." (Loud cheers.) The Prince then broke the bottle of wine on the bows of the Life-boat and launched her down the slipway.

Among those present were Brigadier- General K. J. Kincaid-Smith, C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O. (Deputy Lieutenant), Brigadier-General J. T. Wigan, C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O. (High Sheriff), the Mayor and Mayoress of Colchester, Sir Frederick and Lady Rice, Captain J. A. Unett, D.S.O. (Chief Constable of Essex), Mr.

J. E. Ball (Vice-Chairman of the Urban District Council), Dr. Coxhead Cook (Chairman of the Branch), Mr. A. W.

Kerry (Honorary Treasurer), Mr.

Charles B. Hearn (late Honorary Secre- tary), Mr. John S. Potter (Honorary Secretary), Mr. George F. Shee, M.A.

(Secretary of the Institution), and repre- sentatives of Branches and Ladies' Life-boat Guilds in Essex. The singing was accompanied by the band of the 2nd Battalion, the Northamptonshire Regiment, by kind permission of Lieut.- Colonel W. D. Barber, M.C., with Mr.

Treyton Adams conducting.

After the Ceremonies Brigadier- General Kincaid-Smith had the honour of entertaining Prince George to luncheon..