THE life-boat service broke two records in 1938. Its life-boats were launched to the rescue more often, and they saved or helped to save from destruction more boats and vessels, than ever before in its history of 115 years.

Life-boats were launched 485 times to the help of vessels in distress. That is 17 more launches than in 1936, the next busiest year. It is an average of over nine launches a week.

Life-boats saved or helped to save from destruction 88 vessels and boats.

That is twice as many as in 1937, and the largest number on record. They also helped in various ways another 250 vessels and boats.

A Very Busy Summer.

Not only was it the busiest year but the busiest summer in the Institution's history. There were more launches in each of the months June and August than ever before, and the total number of launches for the five summer months from the beginning of May until the end of September was the record number of 186. That is over eight launches a week, only one launch a week less than for the whole year. The busiest month was November with 59 launches. The quietest month was March with 24.

The Institution gave rewards for the rescue of 673 lives during the year.

That is 149 more than in 1937, and the largest number rescued since 1923.

Up to the end of 1938 the Institution had given rewards for the rescue from shipwreck round the coasts of Great Britain and Ireland of 66,099 lives.

That is an average of eleven lives a week for 115 years.

Services to Foreign Vessels.

Life-boats helped 24 foreign vessels belonging to 11 different countries; rescued 124 lives from them; and saved or helped to save 11 of the vessels. They were also called out to the help of 19 other foreign vessels, but their help was not needed. Of the 24 to which help was given six were French, four Dutch, three German, two Danish, two Greek, two Finnish, and one each from Norway, Sweden, Belgium, Spain and Panama. Thirty-two lives were rescued from the six French vessels, and two of the vessels were saved; 28 lives from one of the two Greek vessels, and the vessel was saved; 18 lives from the Panama vessel; and 15 from one of the Finnish vessels.

Services to Yachts and Motor Boats.

The year was notable for the large number of services to yachts and motor boats. Life-boats went out to the help of 91, which was 30 more than in 1937. Fifty-three were sailing yachts and 38 were motor yachts and motor boats. They saved or helped to save 27 of them; helped in various ways 25 others; and rescued 88 lives from them. That is 38 lives more than in 1937.

Services to Fishing Boats.

The year was no less notable for the large number of lives rescued from fishing boats. Life-boats were launched to the help of fishing boats 135 times.

They rescued 216 lives from them.

They saved or helped to save 30 of the boats. That is more than twice as many lives as in 1937, and three times as many boats.

Launches to Aeroplanes.

The year also showed the increasing call made on the life-boat service by flying. There were 24 launches to aeroplanes reported in distress. Help was given to three of them and four lives were rescued from another aero- plane. During the past eight years there have been 89 launches to aeroplanes, so that of that total for eight years more than a quarter of the launches were in 1938.

Twenty-seven Medals for Gallantry.

Twenty-seven medals in all were won for gallantry, three times as many as in 1937. One silver and eight bronze were awarded to St.

Ives, Cornwall; one silver and three bronze to New Brighton, on the Mersey; one silver and one bronze to Tenby; one silver to Torbay; seven bronze to Galway Bay on the west coast of Ireland; two bronze to Southend-on-Sea; one bronze toAldeburgh; and one bronze to Great Yarmouth and Gorleston. Coxswain Sidney Page of Southend-on-Sea, who twice won the bronze medal, is only the second man in thirty years to win two medals in one year.

One other medal was awarded for a shoreboat service at Nairn in Scotland, which took place in 1937.

Thirty-seven Motor Life-boats under Construction.

It was a record year for the service in another way. Thirty-seven motor life-boats were being built during the year, the largest number there has ever been in one year. Twelve were com- pleted and eleven were sent to the coast, seven for England, two for Scot- • land and two for Ireland. Eight of them replaced motor life-boats, two replaced pulling and sailing life-boats, and one was sent to the new station established at Tobermory (Isle of Mull). The other stations to which the new boats went were Selsey (Sussex), Yarmouth (Isle of Wight), Salcombe (Devon), Whitby (Yorkshire), Newbiggin (Northumberland), New Brighton (Cheshire), Appledore (Devon), Wick (Caithness-shire), Arklow (Co.

Wicklow) and Kingstown (Co. Dublin).

The twelfth boat is for Poolbeg (Co.

Dublin), where she will replace a pulling and sailing life-boat as soon as the alterations to the station have been finished. n At _j the * end of the year there were 140 * motor life-boats and 23 pulling and'sailing life-boats, making a fleet of 103 life-boats round the coasts of Great Britain and Ireland..