Award to the Peterhead Coxswain THE Royal Humane Society has awarded its "Testimonial on Parch- ment" to Coxswain John Buchan McLean, of Peterhead, a gold medallist of the Institution, for diving fully clothed into Port Henry Harbour last March to the rescue of a girl of eight.

The Admiral and the Life-boat ON the 21st of January last, Admiral Sir Rhoderick E. McGrigor, Com- mander-in-Chief, Plymouth, paid a visit to the Plymouth life-boat station and went aboard the life-boat. He was accompanied by his Chief of Staff, Captain H. N. H. Brown and one of his eight-year-old twin sons, Jock.

The Admiral inspected the life-boat was introduced to Coxswain Walter Crowther and the crew, and then went to sea in the life-boat. During the trip the mechanic explained the equip- ment to him in detail and various exercises were performed, including firing the line-throwing gun. Young Jock McGrigor was particularly inter- ested in this. (See page 222).

Nearly a Century of Evans FOR ninety-nine years and four genera- tions, the Evans family of Rhyl have been connected with the Rhyl life-boat. This magnificent record was only broken when Coxswain Eric Evans resigned last February in order to go and live in Canada.

Joseph Evans, great grandfather of Eric Evans, joined the Rhyl life-boat crew as far back as 1852. He became coxswain in 1881 and served until 1891 when he was succeeded in this post by his son Thomas Evans who had already been a member of the crew for several years. Thomas Evans Was coxswain for five years until 1896.

This Thomas Evans had two sons, Thomas and William, who were both members of the crew for many years.

They were most active during the period of service of the pulling and sailing life-boat Caroline Richardson; but they were both still serving when the motor life-boat Gordon Warren came to Rhyl in 1939.

It was Thomas's son, Thomas Eric Evans, who became coxswain in January 1949, until February, 1951.

In August, 1950, he was unable to answer a call for service as he was out of reach when the maroons were fired.

The second coxswain (who is now coxswain of the life-boat) took com- mand but Coxswain Evans' father Thomas Evans was a member of the crew. That was the occasion when two small boys, the sons of Mrs.

Dorothy Mullins of Manchester, were saved from drowning from a sand- bank off Hoylake.

The Year's Best L.S.A. Service THE Ministry of Transport has awarded its shield for the best wreck service during the year to the Camp- beltown (Argyll) Company of the Coast Life-Saving Corps, for their part in the rescue of the crew of eight of the steamer Biscoe 9 on 7th of September, 1950. The Campbeltown life-boat, launched to the help of this steamer, stood by her during the rescue. Each member of her crew received a special reward of £2 for their part in this outstanding service.

THE HONOURS LIST M.B.E. for New Brighton Coxswain COXSWAIN J. R. NICHOLSON, of New Brighton, was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire, in the Birthday Honours List, for his work as Fishery Officer of the Lancashire and Western Sea Fisheries Committee.

He has also had a long and distin- guished service with the New Brighton life-boat crew.

On the 24th of November, 1928, he was awarded the bronze medal of the Institution for his part in what was considered the finest service of that year: the rescue of twenty-three men from the French steamer EmileDelmas.

Almost exactly ten years later, on the 23rd of November, 1938, he was awarded a second service clasp to his bronze medal for a fine service in which three men were rescued from the Loch Ranza of Annalong.

B.E.M. for Adam Storey FOR his services as an inshore fisher- man and • life-boatman, the British Empire Medal was awarded to Mr.

Adam Storey in the Birthday Honours List. Unfortunately he died— at the age of 98—a week before the award, and before he could be told of it.

Adam Storey was a familiar and colourful figure on his part of the Northumbrian coast. For no less than thirty-nine years he was a member of the Newbiggin life-boat, being awarded the life-boatman's certificate in 1932; and from 1910 to 1929 he was shore signalman. Even after giving up this post at the advanced age of 76, he took a very active interest in life-boat affairs in Newbiggin.

He became a member of the New- biggin Station Branch Committee in 1928, and in 1934 its chairman, an unusual honour for an ex-life-boatman, and a tribute to his personality. He served as chairman for several years, and indeed kept up his life-boat activities for the remainder of his life.

Only a week before he died he attended a meeting of the station branch com- mittee which discussed the centenary and naming ceremony celebrations held at the end of June.

His family will receive his reward.

Eleven Years After THE Walmer life-boat, Charles Dibdin, was one of the nineteen life-boats which went to Dunkirk in 1940 to help bring the British Expeditionary Force off the beaches. She was manned by a naval crew and of her adventures nothing is known, but she came back with holes in both sides. Eleven years later, in the spring of 1951, when she was being surveyed, the surveyors, on opening one of the compartments and taking out the air-cases, found a tracer bullet and the surrounding wood charred.

A Royal Holiday DURING the summer of 1873 two little princes spent a fortnight's holiday at St. Leonards, which had been incor- porated into Hastings a few years previously. The elder was H.R.H.

Prince Albert Edward of Wales and the younger, H.R.H. Prince George, later King George V. They were staying at the Royal Victoria Hotel with their tutor. Both boys were particularly fond of the old fishing quarter, and one day, with fishermen forming a guard of honour, they went for a trip in the Ellen Goodman life-boat.

They also watched the rocket apparatus at Bo-peep.

One of the few townspeople who were intimate with them was Commander Garforth (later Admiral Garforth, C.B.) then in charge of the coastguard at Hastings. His son, Captain F. E. M, Garforth, C.B.E., R.N., has recently placed on permanent loan to the Hastings Museum the "thank you" letters he received after the visit.

Headed "Osborne, July 30th, 1873," in a boyish hand (the young Prince was only eight years of age), Prince George's letter ran as follows: DEAR SIR, The life-boat has come down here all right, and we shall always think of our visit to St. Leonards and all the coast guards did for us in the boats so willingly.

Yours sincerely, GEORQE.

The reference to the "life-boat" ia explained in the other letter from his elder brother. Patrick Mahoney, one of the coastguards, made a model and sent it on to remind them of their visit.

Coxswain Blogg in the Sunday Times THE life of Henry Blogg, G.C., B.E.M., former coxswain of the Cromer life-boat, has been full of honours, richly deserved.

They go on into his retirement. On March the 18th, 1951 he was chosen as the subject of the weekly "Portrait Gallery" in the Sunday Times, which published a large, very fine photograph of him and with it a biographical sketch..