THE two new motor life-boats stationed at Cromer in 1934 and 1935 were named this year by the Right Hon.

Sir Samuel Hoare, Bt., P.C., G.C.S.I., G.B.E., C.M.G., M.R, Secretary of State for Home Affairs.

The life-boats are of the Watson cabin type, launched off a slipway, and the light Liverpool type launched off the beach. The Watson cabin life- boat is 46 feet by 12 feet 9 inches. On service, with crew and gear on board, she weighs 20 J tons. She is divided into seven water-tight compartments, and is fitted with 142 air-cases. She has twin screws, and is driven by two 40-h.p. engines. The engine-room is a water-tight compartment, and each engine is itself water-tight, so that it could continue running even if the engine-room was flooded. Her speed is 8J knots, and she carries enough fuel to travel 116 miles at full speed without refuelling. She carries a crew of twelve, and in rough weather can take ninety-five people on board. She has a line-throwing gun and an electric searchlight, and is lighted throughout with electricity.

She has cost £7,307, and is a gift from the estate of the late Mr. H. F.

Bailey, of Brockenhurst, Hants, a London merchant, born in Norfolk, who died in 1916, directing that the residue of his estate, amounting to about £150,000 should be divided among charitable societies. Ten thou- sand pounds was given to the Insti- tution, and a motor life-boat of the Watson cabin type, bearing Mr.

Bailey's name was stationed at Cromer in 1923. This life-boat was replaced by the new life-boat, also to bear his name, in 1935.

The new boat's searchlight is a gift from the Mitcham Schools, Surrey, and her compass is provided out of gifts from supporters of the Institution in Warsaw, received through t .e British Embassy in Warsaw.

The light Liverpool motor life-boat is described on page 392. She has cost £3,316, and has been built out of a legacy of £3,750 from the late Mr.

William Edward Dixon, a surgeon, of West Worthing, Sussex, who died in 1921, and left the money for a life- boat to be named after his mother and stationed, if possible, on the Kentish or East Coast. She went to Cromer in 1934, replacing a pulling and sailing life-boat.

The Cromer station was established before 1825, and was taken over by the Institution in 1857. Since then its life-boats have been launched on service 233 times and have rescued 444 lives.

The naming ceremony was held on 27th August on the Cromer pier with the Lord Sumeld, president of the branch, in the chair. Sir Godfrey Baring, Bt., chairman of the Institu- tion, presented the life-boats to the branch, on behalf of the donors and the Institution, and they were received by Lieut.-Col. F. A. G. Noel, chairman of the branch.

The Bishop of Norwich (the Right Rev. Bertram Pollock, K.C.V.O., D.L ) dedicated the life-boats.

Sir Samuel Hoare, Bt.

Before naming the two life-boats Sir Samuel Hoare said : " As a Norfolk man I am very glad to take part in this ceremony. My earliest memories are connected with rescues by the Cromer life-boat. I am glad to think, too, that my interest is hereditary. I have here a news- paper cutting of the year 1803, giving an account of the wreck of the Duchess of Cumberland, which says that ' many gentlemen of respectability, among others Mr. Samuel Hoare, jun., exerted themselves at their own personal risk.' It is very pleasant in a world in which everything seems to change so quickly to find that in Cromer these old family associations persist. Lord Sumeld is the third member of his family to be president of the branch, and Mr. Peter Hansell, the honorary secretary, is the third member of his family to be closely connected with life-boat work." Sir Samuel Hoare then gave the history of the station, paid a tribute to Coxswain Henry Blogg, whose life- boat record had never been surpassed, and went on to say:"The Royal National Life-boat Institution still depends upon the sup- port of private people. Its work is well organized and managed by private citizens. Long may the country con- tinue to give this voluntary organization the support necessary for it to carry on its work." Sir Samuel Hoare, Bt., then named the life-boats H. F. Bailey and Harriot Dixon, and the H. F. Bailey was launched down the slipway..