BY the death on 4th August last of Captain T. Fitzgibbon McCombie, M.B.E., the honorary representative in Dublin of the Royal Humane Society, passed away, at the age of 82, a man who, though he was not a life-boatman, had the rare distinction of winning both the silver and the gold medals of the Institution for gallantry. He also did the Institution fine service by the part he took in its appeals in Dublin.

Captain McCombie won both his medals while in the service of the Commissioners of Irish Lighthouses.

He won the silver medal nearly sixty- one years ago, when he was second officer of the Commissioners' steamer Princess Alexandra. On 13th April, 1874, the brig Hampton, of Dublin, was wrecked on the Bull Sand, in Dublin Bay, in a heavy gale. The first and second officers of the Princess Alexandra, with twelve men, put off in the steamer's gig and cutter, and succeeded, at great peril, in rescuing three of the Hampton's crew. Both the first officer, Mr. Michael Langan, and the second officer, Mr.

Thomas McCombie, were awarded the silver medal.

Twenty-one years later Captain McCombie, who was then in command of the Commissioners' steamer Tearaght, played the principal part in a still more perilous and gallant rescue.

On the morning of the 24th December, 1895, the barque Palme, of Finland, was anchored off Kingstown harbour in a strong gale, with a very heavy sea running. Her anchors would not hold, and she went ashore. The Kingstown No. 2 life-boat put out to her help, but was capsized in the rough, confused sea, and her whole crew of fifteen were drowned. The Kingstown No. 1 life- boat also put out. She too capsized, but righted herself; her crew got on board again; but she had lost her mizen sail and some of her oars, and could not reach the wreck. Next day the Poolbeg life-boat went out in tow of a tug, but she too failed to reach the wreck. Captain McCombie also put out, from Kingstown Harbour, in the Tearaght, but was forced to put back.

On the third day, the 26th December, the Tearaght and the Poolbeg life-boat both again attempted a rescue. Captain McCombie put out at daylight, anchored ahead of the wreck, and lowered one of the ship's boats. He took command of the boat himself, and with eight volunteers from his crew, and his son, aged fifteen, he made two journeys to the wreck. His boat was nearly swamped by the heavy seas, but he rescued all on board the Palme, in- cluding the master's wife and child.

For this very gallant feat he was awarded the gold medal, his son a binocular glass, and each member of his crew a money reward.

Twenty-nine years later Captain McCombie was one of the seven gold medallists who were received by the King at Buckingham Palace, on the occasion of the centenary of the Institution in 1924, and presented by His Majesty with the medal of the Order of the British Empire..