DUEING 1936 help was given by foreign life-boat services to 45 British vessels.

Three of these services were by Belgium, 1 by Germany, 2 by Holland, 3 by Iceland, 1 by Sweden, and 35 by the United States.

Belgium.

On May 23rd two motor life-boats from Zeebrugge went out to the help of the English yacht Lady Betty in a choppy sea. There had been an ex- plosion in the yacht's engine-room and she had lost two anchors. The yacht was towed into Zeebrugge. On 10th July the English yacht Islander was in distress off Ostend. The yacht was completely disabled and her two occu- pants exhausted. A tug went out and brought her in. On 16th October the motor vessel Alpheus, of London, was in distress between Blankenberghe and Zeebrugge, with her motor broken down. One of the Zeebrugge motor life-boats brought her in.

The Belgian life-boat service has 7 stations, with 5 motor life-boats, 7 pulling life-boats and 1 tug. Each station has a life-saving apparatus and there is one station with this apparatus only.

Denmark.

There were no services to British vessels.

The Danish life-boat service has 63 stations, with a fleet of 22 motor life- boats and 38 pulling and sailing life- boats. Twelve of these stations have life-saving apparatus only.

France.

There were no services to British vessels.

The French life-boat fleet has 42 motor life-boats and 65 pulling and sailing.

Germany.

The motor life-boat of the Norderney station rescued the crew of nine of the yacht Hepatica, which had run aground, and saved the yacht herself.

The German fleet has 32 motor life- boats and 57 pulling life-boats.

Holland.

On llth August the motor life-boat of Oostmahorn piloted in the British steamer Staghound, which was following a very dangerous course by attempting to enter the wrong fairway. On 4th December the motor life-boat of Ter- schelling helped to refloat the British trawler William Hanbury, of Grimsby.

The North and South Holland Society has a fleet of 12 motor life-boats and 24 pulling and sailing life-boats. It has also 19 life-saving apparatus. The South Holland Society has 7 motor life- boats and 4 pulling and sailing, making a total fleet on the Dutch roast of 19 motor life-boats and 28 pulling and sailing life-boats.

Iceland.

On 23rd March the English steam fishing boat Hilaria, of Grimsby, stranded on the south coast of Iceland and her crew of 14 were brought ashore. The vessel herself became a wreck. On 26th June the steam trawler Wigmore, of Grimsby, stranded in a fog and a coastguard vessel towed her off. On 4th September the steam trawler Evelyn, of Aberdeen, stranded on the north coast of Iceland and her crew of 12 got ashore in their own life- boat. On 6th September the steam trawler Trocadero, of Grimsby, stranded on the south coast and her crew of 14 were rescued from the shore by the life- saving apparatus. The trawler became a wreck.

Iceland has 1 British-built pulling and sailing life-boat of the self-righting type and 7 other pulling and sailing life-boats.

Latvia.

There were no services to British vessels.

The Latvian fleet consists of 4 motor life-boats, 7 sailing life-boats and 6 pulling life-boats. It also has 2 life- saving apparatus.Norway.

There were no services to British vessels.

The Norwegian fleet consists of 12 motor cruising ketches and 13 sailing cruising ketches. There are also 32 shore stations with life-saving apparatus or surf-boats.

Portugal.

There were no services to British vessels.

The Portuguese fleet consists of 7 motor life-boats and 40 pulling life- boats.

Spain.

The Secretary of the Spanish life-boat society writes : " Up to the month of July 1936 our stations had no occasion to render any service to English vessels, and from the above month until to-day we do not know if they have effected any, because, owing to present circum- stances [the civil war], the news which we have received from the local councils is very meagre." The Spanish fleet consists of 18 motor life-boats and 27 pulling and sailing.

There are also 15 stations provided with life-saving apparatus only.

Sweden.

On 1st November in a dense fog a British steamer, which had lost her bearings, had anchored in the open sea outside Goteborg. The patrolling life- boat found her, gave the captain her position and brought her a pilot.

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 life- saving apparatus, and there are 3 stations with this apparatus only.

The Government maintains 12 pulling and sailing life-boats. Eight of its 12 stations have also 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 7 pulling and sailing life-boats.

The United States.

The life-boat service of the United States went to the help of 35 British vessels, with passengers and crews on board numbering 299. It also went to the help of 46 Canadian vessels.

The United States fleet consists of 2 large motor life-boats, 141 self- righting motor life-boats, 177 motor surf-boats and 284 pulling surf-boats, a total fleet of 604 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 31 foreign vessels belonging to 14 different countries and rescued 161 lives from them. They were also called out to 18 other foreign vessels, but their help was not needed. Of the 31 vessels to which help was given, 7 were French, 4 were Dutch, 3 Norwegian, 3 Spanish, 3 Latvian, 2 belonged to the United States of America, 2 were Finnish, 2 Esthonian and one each from Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Iceland and Italy.

The British life-boat fleet at the end of 1936 consisted of 131 motor life- boats and 37 pulling and sailing life- boats..