Coxswain William Johnston, of Stromness, in the Orkneys, died on 3rd February last, at the age of sixty-five.

He had retired only five months before on account of ill health. Appointed Coxswain in 1915, he was twice awarded the Bronze Medal of the Institution for gallantry. He won it first in 1922 when, on 16th January of that year, the Stromness Motor Life-boat rescued from a raft the two survivors of the Grimsby trawler, Freesia, only a few minutes before they would have been carried to certain death. On that service the Life-boat was out for nine hours, travelling 50 miles on a lee shore, con- tinually swept by heavy seas; and during the nine hours Coxswain John- ston did not leave the wheel. The second Service Clasp to his Medal was awarded to him for the rescue of the crew of another Grimsby trawler, Carmania II, on 14th February, 1929, when he showed perfect judgment and seamanship in taking the Life-boat right among the reefs and breakers. These were only two of many fine services in which he was in command. Two of the last were in March and April, 1930, when the Stromness Life-boat travelled 260 miles out and home in a gallant attempt to rescue the crew of the trawler Ben Doran, wrecked on the west of the Shetlands; and then, only nine days later, travelled 240 miles out and home to the help of the s.s. St. Sunniva, wrecked on the east of the Shetlands.

That first journey, made in the worst con- ditions of weather, is the longest journey ever made by a Motor Life-boat on service. Altogether, during Coxswain Johnston's Coxswainship, the Stromness Motor Life-boat was launched on service 56 times and rescued 131 lives..