THE portrait on the cover is of Coxswain John Strachan, of Peterhead. He has been coxswain since 1922, and during those fourteen years the Peterhead life- boat has rescued 104 lives. Coxswain Strachan was awarded the silver medal of the Institution for his conspicuous courage and magnificent seamanship in rescuing the crew of the trawler Struan on the night of 18th January, 1933, when she had gone on the rocks in a thick haze and a very heavy sea.

She was lying in very shallow water, where it was most dangerous to take the life-boat, but Coxswain Strachan knew that if he waited, the rising tide would sweep the men off the trawler, so he accepted the risks. After repeated attempts—during one of which he was washed overboard himself, but seized a guard-rope and was hauled in again—he rescued the whole crew of nine men..