BY winning a third-service clasp to his silver medal for the rescue of the crew of the Mount Ida, Coxswain Henry G. Blogg, of Cromer, takes the first place in the Institution's records for gallantry. He has now won its gold medal twice and its silver medal three times. In the 115 years of the Institution's history no other man has such an achievement.

It is a remarkable fact also that of the five services for which these medals have been awarded, four have been to foreign steamers, Swedish, Dutch, Italian and Greek. The other sendee was to an English barge.

Between the years 1828 and 1830 Lieut.-Col. Sir William Hillary, Bt., the founder of the Institution, was three times awarded the gold medal for gallantry in rescuing life in Douglas Bay. Between the years 1838 and 1848, Lieut. J. Bulley, R.N., chief officer of coastguard at Atherfield, Isle of Wight, was twice awarded the gold medal and twice the silver medal.

That achievement of Sir William Hillary and Lieut. Bulley remained unchallenged for eighty-five years. It was then equalled by Coxswain Blogg himself when, by winning a secondscrvicc clasp to his silver medal, he had been awarded two gold and two silver medals.

Now Coxswain Blogg has beaten it, and, although Sir William Hillary still remains the only man who has won the gold medal three times, Coxswain Blogg may fairly be said to have surpassed him.

Apart from these three men only five other men have won the gold medal twice, and of those five only three have won the silver medal also.

One man has won one gold and three silver medals. One man has won the silver medal five times. These figures show how great is Coxswain Blogg's achievement and how rare the distinction he has won.

Coxswain Blogg became a member of the Cromer crew in January, 1894, at the age of eighteen. In 1902 he was appointed second coxswain and in 1909 coxswain. Thus he was a member of the crew for eight years and second coxswain for seven years.

He has now been coxswain for thirty years and, at the age of sixty-three can look back upon forty-five years of service in the Cromer life-boats. During that time the Cromer life-boats have been on service 245 times and have rescued 502 lives. During his thirty years as coxswain the life-boats have been out on service 214 times and have rescued 448 lives.* The following are the awards which Coxswain Blogg has received: In 1917, the gold medal of the Institution for the rescue of eleven men of the crew of the Swedish steamer Fernebo.

In 1924, the medal of the Order of the British Empire, which he received from the King at Buckingham Palace.

In 1927, a second-service clasp to his gold medal for the rescue of fifteen men of the Dutch oil-tanker Georgia, and a gold watch from the Queen of Holland.

In 1932, the silver medal of the Institution, for the rescue of thirty men from the Italian steamer Monte Nevoso, and the silver medal of the Canine Defence League for the rescue of a dog from the same steamer.

In 1933, a second-service clasp to his silver medal for the rescue of the two men of the barge Sepoy, of Dover.

In 1939, he won a third-service clasp to his silver medal for the rescue of the crew of twenty-nine of the Greek steamer Mount Ida.

« The above figures are to the 31st Wee-ember, 1939..