Inaugural Ceremonies at Donaghadee (Co. Down) and Whitehills (Banffshire).

DURING the present year the Inaugural Ceremonies have taken place of two new Motor Life-boats which are gifts to the Institution from the Civil Service Life-boat Fund, and a third Motor Life- boat, which is also to be built out of the Fund, was laid down in September for Walmer, Kent.

The Fund was started in 1866, and the present Chairman and Hon. Treasurer is the Right Hon. the Lord South- borough, P.C., G-.C.B., G.C.M.G., G.C.V.O., K.C.S.I., a Vice-President of • the Institution.

There are at present on the coast five Civil Service Motor Life-boats, stationed at Margate (Kent), Kingstown (Co.

Dublin), Southend-on-Sea (Essex), Whitehills (Banfishire), and Donaghadee (Co. Down).

With the exception of Kingstown, which will cease to be a Civil Service Station when the present boat comes to the end of its term of service, all these Life-boats are endowed, and when the time comes will be replaced by new Life-boats out of the Fund. The Fund also contributes £1,000 a year to the maintenance of its boats, and pays the rewards given to the Crews.

The summary of the magnificent help which the Civil Service has given to the Institution is that since 1866 it has contributed £87,177 6s. Id. It has pro- vided altogether twenty-one Life-boats (not including the Motor Life-boat now under construction for Walmer). These Life-boats have rescued 1,288 lives and have saved or helped to save 61 boats and vessels from destruction.

The Twenty-one Life-boats.

Of the twenty-one Life-boats built out of the Fund, ten have been at English stations, three at Scottish stations, six at Irish stations, and two in the Isle of Man. The first Civil Service Life-boat was built in 1866, bore the name Civil Service, and was stationed at Wexford.

She was followed by another boat built in 1875, and stationed at Tynemouth.

This boat was named after Mr. Charles Dibdin, who was practically the founder of the Civil Service Life-boat Fund, and its Honorary Secretary from 1870 until shortly before his death in 1910; and who was the Secretary of the Institution from 1883 until his death. The Tyne- mouth boat was followed two years later by Civil Service No. 3, which was stationed at Portpatrick, Wigtownshire.

Thus the first three boats built out of the Fund went to Ireland, England and Scotland.

The boats of the Fund have been placed at fourteen different stations.

In England they have been at Walmer, Kent (two boats), Maryport, Cumber- land (two boats), Tynemouth, Northum- berland (two boats), Margate, Kent (two boats), Southend-on-Sea, Essex, and North Deal, Kent. In Scotland they have been at Portpatrick, Wigtown- shire (two boats), and Whitehills, Banffshire, while the second of the Portpatrick boats was afterwards sta- tioned for two years at Montrose, Angus, and for a year at Peterhead, Aberdeenshire. In Ireland they have been at Kingstown (Dun Laoghaire), Co. Dublin (three boats), Wexford, Co.

Wexford (two boats), and Donaghadee, Co. Down. The Civil Service Life-boats in the Isle of Man have been stationed at Douglas.

The Inaugural Ceremony at Donaghadee.

A Station was established at Bally- waiter in 1866, but was closed in 1909, owing to the difficulty of getting suitable men for the Crew. It had a record of 164 lives rescued from ship- wreck. In 1910 the Donaghadee Station was established in place of it, and was provided with one of the earliest Motor Life-boats in the Institution's Fleet.

She was a 43-feet Watson Life-boat with a 40 h.p. engine. She remained at Donaghadee until the present year, and has now been transferred to Aranmore, Co. Donegal. She rescued 62 lives, and her Crew were awarded Silver Medals and Diplomas by the French Govern- ment for the rescue in 1915 of the crew of six men of the French lugger Cyrano, of Brest.

The new Donaghadee Motor Life-boat is of the Watson Cabin type, 45 feet 6 inches by 12 feet 6 inches. On service, with crew and gear on board, she weighs 20£ tons. She is divided into eight water-tight compartments, and is fitted with 142 air-cases. She has twin screws, and is driven by two 40 h.p.

engines. Her speed is 8J knots. She carries enough petrol to be able to travel 116 miles at full speed, without refuelling. She has seating accommoda- tion in her cabin for ten people, in rough weather can take ninety-five people on board, and carries a Crew of eight men.

She has a line-throwing gun and an electric searchlight, and is lighted throughout with electricity.

The Inaugural Ceremony was held on 3rd September. Mr. George L. de Lacherois, J.P., President of the Branch, presided, the Viscount Bangor presented the Life-boat to the Branch on behalf of the Civil Service Fund, and she was named by the Viscountess Bangor.

The Ceremony took place in the presence of a large gathering of towns- people and visitors. Among them were the Right Hon. the Viscount Craigavon, P.C., D.C.L., M.P., Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, and the Viscountess Craigavon. The singing was accom- panied by the band of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.

In presenting the Life-boat to the Branch, Lord Bangor gave the record of the Civil Service Life-boat Fund, and the record of Donaghadee as a Life-boat Station. He spoke also of the generous way in which Donaghadee contributed to the Institution. Its contribution oi £75 in 1931 was 9 Z. per head of its population. For its record, both as a Station and as a Financial Branch, Donaghadee had earned in every way the beautiful new Motor Life-boat which he was presenting to it on behalf of the Civil Service Life-boat Fund.

The Life-boat was received by Mr. W.

Miiliken, the Chairman of the Branch, and described by Lieut.-Commander J. M. Upton, R.D., R.N.R., the District Inspector of Life-boats.

The service of dedication followed, in which representatives of three churches took part. The Right Rev. J. J.

Macaulay, D.D., Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, read a psalm, the Rev. J. A. Duke, B.A., President of the Methodist Church in Ireland, offered a prayer, and the service was concluded by the Lord Bishop of Down and Connor (the Right Rev. Charles T. P. Grierson, D.D.) with a prayer and the blessing of the Life-boat. Lady Bangor then named the Life-boat Civil Service No. 5, breaking over her bows a bottle of Empire champagne.

A V'ote of Thanks to Loid and Lady Bangor and the officiating clergy was proposed by Mr. J. F. Ward and seconded by Dr. J. Martin, and a Vote of Thanks to the Chairman was proposed by Mr. T. L. M. Fuge, District Organising Secretary, and seconded by Mr. W. S.

Adams.

The Life-boat then made a number of trips outside the harbour, on the first of which Lady Bangor took the wheel.

The Whitehills Inaugural Ceremony.

A Life-boat Station was established by the Institution at Banff in 1860.

The Boathouse was moved to half-way between Banff and Macdufi in 1867, and in 1902 it was decided to call it the Banff and Macdufi Station. In 1922 it was moved to Whitehills, and two years later was named Whitehills. Its Life- boats have rescued 54 lives.

The new Motor Life-boat, which replaces a Pulling and Sailing Life-boat, is one of the light self-righting type of Motor Life-boat, 35 feet 6 inches by 8 feet 10 inches. On service, with crew and gear on board, she weighs 6| tons. She is divided into eight water-tight compart- ments, and is fitted with 115 air-cases. If a sea breaks on board she can free herself in twelve seconds, and if she were cap- sized, even with a hole in her bottom, she could right herself in four seconds. She has one screw, driven by a 35 h.p.

engine, in a water-tight compartment.

The engine itself is water-tight, so that it could continue running even if the engine-room were flooded. Her speed is 7J knots, and she carries enough petrol to be able to travel 116 miles without refuelling. She can take thirty people on board in rough weather, and carries a crew of seven men.

The Inaugural Ceremony was held on 5th October, and H.R.H. the Princess Arthur of Connaught, Duchess of Fife, named the Life-boat. Sir George W.

Abercromby, Bt., D.S.O., President of the Branch, presided, the Right Hon.

the Lord Southborough, P.O., G.C.B., G.C.M.G., G.C.V.O., K.C.S.I., Chair- man of the Civil Service Life-boat Fund, himself presented the Life-boat to the Institution, and she was received by the Duke of Montrose, C.B., C.V.O., V.D., LL.D., Chairman of the Scottish Life- boat Council, and a Vice-President of the Institution.

People from all over the county of Banff came to take part in the ceremony, and the Motor Life-boats from the neighbouring Stations of Buckie and Fraserburgh. The music was provided by the Banff Pipe Band and the Turrifi Silver Band.

In presenting the Life-boat, Lord Southborough said : " The boat is the gift of che Civil Service Life-boat Fund; that Fund is liberally supported by the Civil Service of the Crown, and members of the Service who work in Scotland are generous and kindly contributors. The Fund has subscribed altogether £87,177 to the Institution. The first occasion on which it presented a Life-boat to be stationed in Scotland was as far back as 1877, when it gave a Pulling and Sailing Life-boat, 37 feet long, and capable of carrying 40 persons. This boat was stationed at Port Patrick. The Fund has for some time been anxious to present a Motor Life-boat to the Institution for the special use of Scot- land. There you see her, and when Her Royal Highness has been pleased to perform the christening ceremony the Life-boat will be known as Civil Service No. 4." In accepting the Life-boat, the Duke, of Montrose said: " Nothing has equalled the generosity towards the Life-boat Service of the Civil Service Life-boat Fund, and though Lord Southborough has rendered valuable services to his country in many parts of the world, he has never done better work than as Chairman of this Fund.

He has told us that it has raised over £87,000 for the Institution. That is a prodigious sum. We wholeheartedly appreciate the generous work done by the Fund, and we thank Lord South- borough for coming all the way from London to present this Life-boat to us." The Life-boat was received on behalf of the Branch by its Chairman, ex- Provost Adam Walker. She was described by Lieut.-Commander T. G.

Michelmore, E.D., E.N.R., District Inspector of Life-boats, and was dedi- cated by the Rev. J. G. Ledingham, M. A.

H.R.H. the Princess Arthur of Con- naught, Duchess of Fife, then broke a bottle of champagne over the bows of the Life-boat and named her Civil Service No. 4.

A Vote of Thanks to the Princess was proposed by Harriet, Lady Findlay, D.B.B., Honorary Secretary of the Scottish Life-boat Council, and a Vote of Thanks to the Chairman and others by Provost J. H. Stephen, D.S.O., M.B., Ch.B., of Banff, who referred to the work done in arranging the Ceremony ay the two Honorary Secretaries, Mr.

Vincent Desson and Mr. A. Findlay.

After the Ceremony Princess Arthur went out in the Life-boat..