COMMANDER DRURY has been succeeded as chief inspector of life-boats by Lieut.-Commander P. E. Vaux, D.S.C., R.N., inspector of life-boats for the Eastern district.

Commander Vaux was educated at the Rojral Naval Colleges of Osborne and Dartmouth, and joined the Navy as a midshipman in 1913. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1917. He served during the war in H.M.S. Lion in the actions at Heligoland and Dogger Bank, in H.M.S. Warspite in the battle of Jutland, and in H.M.S. Iphigenia, as first-lieutenant and navigating officer, in the attack on Zeebrugge. For his share in this last engagement he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. In 1919 he served in coastal motor boats with the North Russian Relief Force, and was mentioned in despatches. He retired from the Navy in 1920 at the age of 24 and entered the service of the Institution in March, 1921, as inspector of life-boats for the Irish district. While serving in the Irish district he won the Institution's bronze medal for gallantry in February, 1926, for landing on an island off the west coast of Ireland, in search for men ship- wrecked from the trawler Tenby Castle.

Commander Vaux was transferred from the Irish to the Eastern district in 1929, and remained there until he took up his duties as chief inspector at the beginning of 1939..