DURING 1937 the Institution gave rewards for the rescue from shipwreck round the coasts of Great Britain and Ireland of 524 lives. It is the largest number rescued for nine years. Of those lives 439 were rescued by life- boats and 85 by shoreboats.

Life-boats saved or helped to save from destruction 44 vessels and boats, and stood by, escorted to safety, or helped in various ways over 150 more.

Up to the end of 1937 the Institution had given rewards for the rescue of 65,426 lives. That is an average of eleven lives a week for 114 years.

Services to Foreign Vessels.

'Life-boats helped 20 foreign vessels, belonging to eight different countries ; rescued 101 lives from them; and saved or helped to save four of the vessels. They were also called out to 18 other foreign vessels, but their help was not needed. Of the 20 vessels to which help was given five were Dutch, three Danish and three French, two Belgian, two German, two Italian, two Norwegian and one Greek. Forty-four lives were rescued from the Italian vessels, 27 from the Danish, and 21 from the Greek vessel.

Rewards to the life-boat crews or thanks to the Institution were received from the Governments of five foreign countries : Belgium, Denmark, Finland (for a service in 1935), Italy, and the United States of America (for a service in 1936).

Services to Yachts and Fishing Boats.

Life-boats went out to the help of 61 yachts (23 of them sailing yachts and 38 motor boats or motor yachts); saved or helped to save 17 of them; helped in various ways 18 others; and rescued 50 lives. They went out to the help of fishing boats on 111 occasions ; rescued 90 fishermen ; and saved or helped to save 9 of the boats.

Of these services 37 were to trawlers; 73 of the lives rescued were from trawlers; and 4 of the 9 fishing boats saved or helped to safety were trawlers.

Nine Medals for Gallantry.

Nine medals for gallantry were awarded. The outstanding achieve- ment of the year was Coxswain Thomas Sinclair's, of Aberdeen, who won the silver medal on 26th January for the rescue of the crew of seven of the steamer Fairy, of King's Lynn, and a second-service clasp to it on 5th No- vember for the rescue of two lives from the trawler Roslin, of Aberdeen. Mr.

Alexander Weir, the Aberdeen motor mechanic, and Mr. John M. Masson, a member of the Aberdeen crew, were each awarded the bronze medal for the service to the Fairy, and each of the other five members of the crew the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum. Second Coxswain George A.

Flett, and Mr. Robert J. B. Esson, assistant and acting motor mechanic, were each awarded the bronze medal for the service to the Roslin, and each of the other four members of the crew the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum. Thus, of the nine medals awarded during the year, six were won by men of Aberdeen.

Coxswain George Leng, of Flam- borough, won the silver medal for the rescue on 2nd March of the crew of fifteen of the trawler Lord Ernie, of.