ON 31st December, 1938, Commander E. D. Drury, O.B.E., R.D., R.N.R., retired from the service of the Institu- tion, having been chief inspector of life-boats since August, 1930.

Commander Drury, whose early years were spent within sound of the life-boat maroons on the Cornish coast, and in the Isle of Man, was educated at Mer- chant Taylor's School, whence'he went to sea at an early age. He served in sail and steam, and was awarded an American medal for saving life in the St. Lawrence River. In August, 190S, at the age of thirty, he was appointed district inspector of life-boats. He was posted to the Western District, where he served until called up as a Lieutenant, R.N.R., on the outbreak of War in 1914. He was in the Black Sea, in Syrian waters, at Gallipoli, in the Grecian Archipelago, and later at Constantinople and in the Sea of Azov.

In 1917 he was promoted commander and given command of H.M.S. Empress.

He was twice mentioned in despatches and awarded the O.B.E.

On returning to the Institution in 1920, he was posted to the Northern District, where he served until called to London in 1928, to deputize for Com- mander Stopford Douglas, the deputy chief inspector of life-boats, who had been taken ill, and whose illness ended fatally in September of that year.

Commander Drury then became deputy chief inspector, and on the retirement of Captain H. F. J. Rowley two years later he was selected for the post of chief inspector.

The period of his tenure of that post, while not perhaps so full of new develop- ments as that of his predecessor, has been one of steady and, latterly, of rapid progress in the modernization of the life-boat fleet. At the outset of his term, economy in the constructional programme was a clear necessity, in view of the grave financial situation which culminated in 1931; but his early years saw the design of the 35-feet 6-inch Liverpool type of motor life- boat and the 41-feet Beach type, while a start was made on the design of the light 32-feet Surf motor life-boat, the first of which type went to the coast in 1936.

50 New Motor Life-boats in eight years.

In 1935 the programme for full mechanization of the fleet was approved, and since that date the building of new life-boats has pro- ceeded rapidly. When Commander Drury became chief inspector the fleet consisted of 90 motor and 104 pulling and sailing life-boats; when he retired, there were 140 motorand 23 pulling and sailing boats on service.

, No chief inspector has ever exercized such close personal supervision over the details of life-boat construction, and his visits to the building and repairing yards were regular and frequent, and always useful.

The work of the chief inspector's office must necessarily be carried out mainly from headquarters, but it is no reflection on the manner in which Commander Drury dealt with this side of his task to say that he was always happiest when on the coast. As a district inspector, he had gained, and retained to the end of his service, the friendship of the Western and Scottish committees and crews; and during his chief inspectorship he visited every station in the four countries. He could, therefore, speak from personal ex- perience of the local conditions at each.

Many times he was fortunate enough to be able to go out in life-boats on service.

He knew the conditions the life-boatmen have to face, and, while they respected his knowledge and judgment, he in his turn, appreciated and admired their seamanship and their courage.

He made many friends among the officials of the foreign life-boat societies.

His services were recognized in a cordial letter from the Board of Trade, and by a special resolution of the committee of management. For his retirement, he has chosen his native county of Corn- wall, and in the many active years that he should still have before him the life- boat stations on that dangerous coast will not be far away, and will certainly be always in his thoughts..