BY the death, on 20th May last, of Mr.

Charles Verrion, of Ramsgate, at the age of 85, passed away the last member of the famous Ramsgate Crew which carried out, just over fifty years ago, one of the most remarkable rescues in the history of the Institution—the rescue of twelve men out of the crew of twenty- nine of the barque Indian Chief, which was wrecked on the Long Sand off the mouth of the Thames on 5th January, 1881. The Life-boat and the Ramsgate tug, Vulcan, which towed her to the wreck nearly thirty miles away, were out on service for twenty-six hours, exposed during the whole of that time to a furious easterly gale. Coxswain William Fish was awarded the Gold Medal, and each member of the Crew of the Life-boat and Tug the Silver Medal.

There were twelve men in the Life- boat's Crew, and when the present Ramsgate Motor Life-boat was inaugu- rated in April, 1926, five of them were present at the ceremony, the youngest being 79.The last of this famous Crew has now gone, but of the Crew of the Aldeburgh Life-boat, which was out for thirty hours on the same service, but did not reach the Long Sand until after the men had been rescued, there are still five living.* * An article on the part played by the Aldeburgh Life-boat appeared in The Lifeboat for last February..