Rescues from British Vessels in 1935, and Numbers of the Fleets.

DURING 1935 foreign life-boats went to the help of 22 British vessels. One of these services was by Belgium, 1 by Germany, 1 by Iceland, 3 by France, 3 by Holland, and 13 by the United States.

Belgium.

On the night of 14th to 15th Septem- ber, the yacht Minna Dhu was in distress off Ostend, with four people on board, in a gale and a rough sea. She was towed into Ostend.

The Belgian life-boat service has 7 stations, with 3 motor life-boats, 7 pulling and sailing, and 4 tugs. Each station has rocket life-saving apparatus and there are 2 stations with this apparatus only.

Denmark.

There were no services to British vessels.

The Danish life-boat service has 64 stations, with a fleet of 21 motor life- boats and 39 pulling and sailing life- boats. Thirteen of its stations have rocket life-saving apparatus only.

France.

The French life-boat service went to the help of 3 British vessels, the steamer Devonbrook, of Liverpool, which stranded on 1st January at Trouville, the steamer Bramhall, which stranded on 27th September at Lescanil, on the coast of Brittany, and the yacht The Blue Shadow, which was disabled on 23rd November off Guilvinec, Brittany, and was towed in.

The French life-boat fleet has 40 motor life-boats and 68 pulling and sailing.

Germany.

The yacht Blue Skatow, with 9 on board, ran aground on 23rd September in a heavy storm at the mouth of the Elbe. She refloated, but was in a dangerous position, and was towed in.

The German life-boat fleet has 31 motor life-boats and 65 pulling life- boats.

Holland.

On 17th September an English yacht, stranded at Petten on the coast of North Holland, and the Ymuiden motor life-boat went out to her, but the two men on board got ashore without help.

On 29th October the steam drifter Boy Scout was in difficulties off Ymuiden and wanted a tug. Through the help of the life-boat station she was taken in tow by another English drifter. On 20th October, the Pendennis was in danger of sinking off Oostmahorn, and the motor life-boat went out, but the Pendennis's crew had already been rescued by a Norwegian ship.

The North and South Holland Society has a fleet of 11 motor life-boats and 24 pulling and sailing. It has also 20 life-saving apparatus. The South Holland Society has 7 motor life-boats and 4 pulling and sailing, making a total fleet on the Dutch coast of 18 motor life-boats and 28 pulling and sailing life-boats.

Iceland.

On 26th October the British trawler Waldorf, of Grimsby, went ashore in a snowstorm in Seydisfjord. Her crew got ashore in their own boat, and the coastguard boat JEgir got the trawler afloat, and towed her to Reykjavik. .

Iceland now has one British-built pulling and sailing life-boat of the self-righting type and five pulling and sailing surf-boats.

Latvia.

There were no services to British vessels.

The Latvian fleet consists of 3 motor life-boats, 7 sailing and 6 pulling. It has also 2 rocket life-saving apparatus.

Norway.

There were no services to British vessels.

The Norwegian fleet consists of 11 motor ketches, 16 sailing ketches, and 2 surf-boats. There are also 32 stations with life-saving apparatus.

Portugal.

There were no services to British vessels.

The Portuguese fleet consists of 6 motor life-boats and 40 pulling and sailing life-boats.

Spain.

There were no services to British vessels.

The Spanish fleet consists of 18 motor life-boats and 27 pulling and sailing.

There are also 15 stations provided with life-saving apparatus, either rockets or guns.

Sweden.

There were no services to British vessels.

The fleet of the Swedish Society for Saving Life from Shipwreck con- sists of 3 cruising motor life-boats, 8 motor life-boats, and 5 pulling and sailing life-boats. One of its motor life-boat stations, and its 5 pulling and sailing life-boat stations have rocket life-saving apparatus, and there are 3 stations with this apparatus only.

The Government maintains 12 pull- ing and sailing life-boats. Eight of these 12 stations have also rocket life- saving apparatus, and there are 6 stations with this apparatus only.

This makes a total Swedish fleet of 11 motor life-boats and 17 pulling and sailing life-boats.

Turkey.

There were no services to British vessels.

The Turkish fleet consists of 9 pulling and sailing life-boats.

The United States.

The United States went to the help of 13 British vessels. Of these vessels, 5 were taken in tow when their engines had broken down; 1 was taken in tow when unable to make way against the tide ; 2 were refloated ; 1 was piloted ; 1 was freed when caught in the ice; 1 helped out of harbour; to another a pilot was taken out; and a sick man was brought ashore from another. Ten lives were rescued in the course of these services, 9 of them being from the steamer Semiramis, on 10th November.

She had been adrift for a week with her engine disabled, and was towed 315 miles to Cuba. In addition to these British vessels help was given to 39 Canadian vessels.

The United States fleet consists of 2 52-feet motor life-boats, which have been built during the past year, 137 self-righting motor life-boats, 171 motor surf-boats and 293 pulling surf-boats, a total fleet of 603 life-boats.

Japan, Roumania and Russia.

No information has been received from Japan, Roumania and Russia.

British Services to Foreign Vessels.

During the year British life-boats helped 17 foreign vessels, belonging to 10 different countries, and rescued 115 lives from them. They were also called out to 13 other foreign vessels, but their help was not needed. Of the 17 vessels to which help was given, 3 were French, 3 Swedish, 2 German, 2 Belgian, 2 Greek, and 1 each from the United States, Holland, Norway, Iceland and Danzig..