THE LIFE-BO AT FLEET Motor Life-boats, 111 :: Pulling & Sailing Life-boats, 66 LIVES RESCUED from the foundation of the Institution in 1824 to February 28th, 1933 - 63,209 The Life-boat Service in 1932.

DURING 1932 the number of lives rescued from shipwreck round the coasts of Great Britain and Ireland was 395, the largest number for four years, and Life-boats saved from destruction or helped to save fifty-four boats and vessels. Not a month passed without the rescue of lives somewhere round our coasts, and the two busiest months were February and December, in each of which rewards were granted for the rescue of 71 lives.

Up to the end of 1932, from its found- ing in 1824 the Institution had given rewards for the rescue of 63,153 lives.

Of the 395 lives last year, 354 were rescued by Life-boats, and forty-one by shoreboats. This is the largest pro- portion of lives rescued by Life-boats in the history of the Institution, with the exception of the years 1898 and 1916.

Of the 354 lives rescued by Life-boats, 298 were rescued by Motor Life-boats, and fifty-six by Pulling and Sailing Life- boats. That is to say, over 84 per cent of the lives were rescued by Motor Life-boats, although, at the end of the year, less than 63 per cent of the fleet consisted of Motor Life-boats. These figures confirm the fact that Motor Life-boats are being placed at those Stations where there is the greatest call on their services.

Ill Lives Rescued from Foreign Vessels.

Although the majority of the lives rescued were British, the Life-boats rendered help to fifteen foreign vessels, belonging to nine different countries, and rescued 111 lives from them. Two of the vessels were French, two Belgian, two Swedish, two Dutch, two Nor- wegian, one German, one Italian, one Spanish, and two from the republic of Panama.

. Loss of Life.

Although there were 337 launches of Life-boats on service, and, in addition, the monthly launches for exercise of all Motor Life-boats, and the quarterly launches of Pulling and Sailing Life- boats, the year passed without the loss of a single life at sea. Unfortunately one of the helpers at St. Andrews, Fifeshire, was accidentally killed when the Life-boat was being launched. His widow was pensioned, with allowances for her dependent children, on the scale of the Navy, Army or Air Force for the widow of a man killed in action.

The Five Finest Services of the Year.

Two Silver Medals and two Bronze Medals were won for gallantry. Cox- swain Henry Blogg, of Cromer who has twice won the Institution's Gold Medal for exceptional gallantry, was awarded the Silver Medal for his faultless seamanship and the courage, endurance and devotion to duty shown by him and his Crew in the rescue of thirty lives from the Italian steamer Monte Nevoso.

The Life-boat was on service for forty-two hours, with a short interval, during which the Crew got food and dry clothing, after the first thirty-five hours. Each member of the Crew received the Institution's thanks in- scribed on vellum.

Coxswain John Swanson, of Long- hope, Orkneys, received a second service clasp to his Silver Medal, for the rescue of eight men of the crew of the trawler Dorbie, of Hull. He handled the Life-boat with great skill, taking her over the rocks and into a channel so narrow that it was little more than the width of the boat herself. Each member of the Crew received the thanks of the Institution on vellum, and the Honorary Secretary of the Station, Mr. William Sutherland, was awarded an inscribed aneroid barometer in recognition of his energy and initiative in directing operations from the land.

Coxswain John Campbell, of Port- patrick, Wigtownshire, was awarded the Bronze Medal for his skill and courage in rescuing the crew of ten of the Belfast steamer Camlough in very dangerous waters. The service lasted nearly twelve hours; the Life-boat travelled seventy miles ; and Coxswain Campbell remained at the wheel the whole time.

Coxswain Bartholomew Stanton, of Boulmer, was awarded the Bronze Medal for the courage and skill with which he handled the Life-boat in the rescue by night of three men from the steam trawler Guillemot, of Grimsby.

She lay among rocks and breaking seas, and the Life-boat at times had only a few inches of water under her keel.* Coxswain Douglas Oilier, of the Pulling and Sailing Life-boat at Dun- geness, Kent, was awarded the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum for the rescue of the crew of three men of the barge Shamrock, of London, which was being driven ashore in a * A full account of this service appears ou pages 5 aud 6.

whole gale with heavy seas breaking over her. The thanks of the Institu- tion inscribed on vellum was also awarded to the women of Dungeness for their gallantry on this and other occasions in helping to launch the Life-boat.

Coxswain J. Roach, of Plymouth, was awarded the thanks of the Institu- tion inscribed on vellum for the rescue of the three men of the ketch Millom Castle, of Plymouth, in a strong gale, when she was waterlogged and about to founder, f Seven New Motor Life-boats.

The Institution is drawing steadily towards the completion of its, pro- gramme of Motor Life-boat construc- tion, designed to replace Pulling and Sailing Life-boats with Motor Life- boats at all the principal stations.

During the year seven new Motor Life- boats went to the coast, and the active fleet at the end of the year consisted of 110 Motor Life-boats and 66 Pulling and Sailing Life-boats.

A New Type of Motor Life-boat.

The design of a new type of Motor Life-boat is under consideration. The lightest modern Motor Life-boat at present in the Institution's fleet is the 35 feet 6 inches boat, which weighs 6| tons, with crew and gear on board.

The new type is intended for Stations where a still lighter boat is necessary, and it is expected that it will be 32 feet long and will weigh only 3J tons.

The 35 feet 6 inches boat has a single screw, driven by one 35 h.p. engine.

The new type will have twin screws and two engines, of 10 h.p. each. With the aim of keeping the weight down, all the parts will have to be specially designed.

Inaugural Ceremonies of Motor Life-boats.

Eleven inaugural ceremonies of new Motor Life-boats were held during the year and one of a boarding boat. Five were of boats for the English coast, four for Scotland, two for Wales, and one for Ireland. Among those who took part in these ceremonies were H.R.H. the Prince of Wales, t A full account of this service appears on page 15.

Full accounts of the other services mentioned have been given in previous issues of The Life-boat.

K.G., President of the Institution; H.R.H. the Prince George, K.G.; H.R.H. the Duchess of York ; H.R.H.

the Princess Arthur of Connaught, Duchess of Fife ; The Duke of Montrose, C.B., C.V.O., V.D., LL.D., a Vice- President of the Institution and Chair- man of the Scottish Life-boat Council, and the Duchess of Montrose; the Earl of Strathmore, K.T., G.C.V.O., Lord Lieutenant of Angus; the Right Hon. the Earl of Shaftesbury, P.C., K.P., G.C.V.O., Lord Lieutenant of Dorset, and the Countess of Shaftes- bury ; the Viscount and Viscountess Bangor; the Right Hon. the Lord Southborough, P.C., G.C.B., G.C.M.G., G.C.V.O., K.C.S.I., a Vice-President of the Institution and Chairman of the Civil Service Life-boat Fund; the Right Hon. the Lord Mildmay of Flete, P.C., Lord Lieutenant of Devon; Sir Godfrey Baring, Bt., Chairman of the Institution; Sir Percy MacKinnon, Chairman of Lloyd's, and Lady Mac- Kinnon ; the Bishops of Exeter, Chester, Salisbury, St. Edmundsbury and Ipswich, Down and Connor, Colchester, and St. Davids ; the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ireland; the President of the Methodist Church in Ireland; the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress of Leicester, and the Mayor of Oldham..