ADMIRAL OF THE FLEET SIR ROGER KEYES, BT., G.C.B., K.C.V.O., C.M.G., D.S.O., D.C.L., M.P., named at Shering- ham on 18th July a new motor life-boat, presented to the Institution by the Ancient Order of Foresters in com- memoration of its own centenary, which was celebrated in 1934. The name given to the life-boat was Foresters Centenary.

It is seventy-two years since the Ancient Order of Foresters first raised a fund to provide a life-boat, and they have already given five boats to the Institution. The first was stationed at Newquay, Cardigan, in 1864, with the name Forester. She was launched on service four times, but saved no lives.

Eight years later the name was trans- ferred to the life-boat at Tynemouth.

This life-boat remained in commission until 1900. She was launched on ser- vice 31 times and rescued 19 lives.

The life-boat which then replaced her was also given the name Forester.

She was launched on service four times, but saved no lives. Only five years after this life-boat went to Tynemouth the station was closed.

The name Forester was then transferred to another new life-boat, which had been built for Flamborough. This life- boat had a notable record. She was in commission from 1905 until 1934, when she was withdrawn to make way for a motor life-boat. She was launched on service 78 times and rescued 71 lives.

Meanwhile a second life-boat pre- sented by the Order was stationed ajt Hartlepool in 1869, with the name Foresters' Pride. She served until 1887, when she was replaced by another life- boat with the same name, which serveduntil 1906. The two Foresters' Prides were launched on service 9 times and rescued 18 lives.

Another Foresters' life-boat was stationed at Broughty Ferry from 1888 until 1910. She was named Samuel Shawcross, was launched on service 20 times, and rescued 17 lives.

Five Life-boats: 125 Lives Saved.

Thus—not including the transference of the name Forester from Newquay to Tynemouth—there have been five life- boats presented by the Order. Its boats have been out on service 142 times and have rescued 125 lives.

For seventy years, from 1864 to 1934, the Institution's fleet was never without a Foresters' life-boat. Between 1864 and 1902 the Order raised, by special appeals, for the building of these life- boats, £2,301! This was in addition to regular contributions made to the general funds of the Institution by the head office of the Order and its branches.

As soon as the Order heard that the Flamborough life-boat was to be with- drawn it decided to present a motor life-boat; the Prince of Wales, President of the Institution, who presided at the centenary dinner of the Order at the Guildhall in October, 1934, was in- formed of the decision; and an appeal was issued for £3,500 to build a motor life-boat of the light Liverpool type.

The New Life-boat.

With the approval of the Order, which is very strong in East Anglia, it was decided to place this boat at Sheringham, Norfolk. There has been a life-boat station there since 1839. The first of the Institution's life-boats was stationed there in 1867. Since then its life-boats have been launched 63 times and have rescued 88 lives. The motor life-boat, which has' replaced a pulling and sailing life-boat, arrived at the station in June of this year.

She is 35 feet 6 inches by 10 feet 3 inches. On service, with crew and gear on board, she weighs 7 tons. She is divided into six water-tight com- partments, and is fitted with 115 air- cases. If a sea breaks on board she can free herself in twelve seconds. She has one screw, driven by a 35-h.p. engine in a water-tight engine-room. The engine itself is water-tight, so that it could con- tinue running even if the engine-room were flooded. Her speed is 7£ knots, and she carries enough petrol to be able to travel 100 miles at full speed without refuelling. She carries a crew of seven, and can take thirty people on board in rough weather.

Two Thousand Foresters Present.

Two thousand members of the Order, of whom 800 had travelled by special train from London, attended the naming ceremony on 18th July, and marched in procession, with the Sheringham Temperance Prize Band and the Cawston Silver Prize Band, from the church near Sheringham station to the old life-boat house, headed by the High Chief Ranger, members of the executive council, trustees of the Order, and Past High Chief Rangers, wearing their regalia.

There was also a large gathering of the general public, filling the beach round the life-boat house and lining the cliffs for a quarter of a mile. " Never before," said one of the local papers, " has Sheringham seen so many people." Mr. H. E. S. Upcher, J.P., C.C., president of the branch, was in the chair at the ceremony. The High Chief Ranger of the Foresters, Brother S. Parker, of Leeds, presented the life- boat to the Institution, and she was received by Sir Godfrey Baring, Bt., chairman of the Institution, who re- called the long and generous associ- ation of the Ancient Order of Foresters with the life-boat service. Sir Godfrey then formally handed the life-boat to Sheringham. She was received on behalf of the county and the branch by Mr. Russell J. Colman, J.P., C.C., Lord Lieutenant for Norfolk, and Mr. H. R.

Johnson, C.C., one of the joint honorary secretaries of the branch.

After the life-boat had been described by the district inspector, she was dedi- cated by the Right Rev. Bishop Neville S. Talbot, M.C., D.D., Centenary High Court Chaplain of the Order, assisted by the Vicar of Sheringham, the Rev. J. F.

Grattan Guinness, M.A., LL.B. The singing was led by the choir of St.

Peter's Church, accompanied by the two bands. Admiral of the Fleet Sir Roger Keyes, Bt., then named the life-boat Foresters' Centenary. In doing so he paid tribute to the work of the Ancient Order of Foresters, to the life-boat service, and to the fishermen of the East Coast, whom, he said, he had known in peace, when, as he cruised on the East Coast, in command of sub- marines, they had thrown fish at him, and in war, when they had served under him with the greatest courage and con- tempt for death on the Dover Patrol.

A vote of thanks to Sir Roger Keyes, Bt., was proposed by the High Sub.- Chief Ranger, Brother E. Broad, of Plymouth, and seconded by Brother W. J. Hyner, P.H.C.R., of King's Lynn; and, as a souvenir of the occasion, a silver cigarette-case was presented to him by Sister E. Parker, of Leeds.

The life-boat was then launched..