H.R.H. THE DUCHESS OF KENT, President of the Institution, paid a visit to the West Country in May, 1952, and named the new life-boats at the Port of Plymouth and at Padstow.

The Port of Plymouth had a life- boat station as long ago as 1803, twenty-one years before the Life-boat Institution was founded, but of the first two life-boats nothing is known, except that in 1840 the life-boat was transferred to the Scilly Islands.

The station was revived when, in 1862, the Institution sent the Prince Consort life-boat to Plymouth. Since then the station has had eight life- boats, including this new life-boat which the Duchess of Kent has named.

The eight also include a Belgian life- boat, picked up derelict in the English channel early in the last war. She replaced for four years the Robert and Marcella Beck, which had been taken over by the Admiralty in 1943 for duty in Iceland. The record of the Plymouth life-boats since 1862 is 127 launches and 211 lives rescued.

The new life-boat is one of the largest type, a 52-feet Barnett boat, with two 60 h.p. engines. She has been built out of a gift from Miss A. Charlton Rowse, of Birmingham.

Miss Rowse not only gave the money to build this boat, but a second gift to endow it, so that all future Plymouth life-boats will bear the name which she has chosen, Thomas Forehead and Mary Rowse.

The naming ceremony was held on the 16th of May, and the Earl of Mount Edgcum.be, president of the Port of Plymouth branch, presided.

Among those present were the Vis- countess Astor, and a hundred Aus- tralian schoolboys visiting Great Britain under the auspices of the Overseas League. A telegram was read from the First Sea Lord, late Commander in Chief, Plymouth, Ad- miral Sir Rhoderick R. McGrigor, G.C.B., D.S.O., and Lady McGrigor which said: "Farewell Marcella Beck.

All success to the new life-boat and all good wishes to her crew." Commander T. G. Michelmore, R.D., R.N.R., chief inspector of life-boats, described the boat, and Commodore the Earl Howe, C.B.E., V.R.D., P.C., R.N.V.R., deputy chairman of the Institution, handed her to the branch on behalf of the donor and the Insti- tution. In doing so Lord Howe spoke of Miss Charlton Rowse as "a great public servant and a great-hearted lady." Mr. A. S. Hicks, M.B.E., honorary secretary of the station, accepted the life-boat, and the Bishop of Exeter, the Right Rev. R. C.

Mortimer, D.D., dedicated the life- boat. The hymns were accompanied by the band of the Royal Marines of Plymouth.

The Duchess of Kent then named the life-boat Thomas Forehead and Mary Rowse and wished her and her crew God-speed in their work of rescue.

A vote of thanks was proposed by Vice-Admiral Sir Maurice Mansergh, K.C.B., C.B.E., Commander in Chief, Plymouth, and seconded by Colonel Sir John Carew Pole, Bt., D.S.O., T.D.

PADSTOW The Padstow life-boat station was established in 1805. Since 1899 it has had two life-boats and from 1901 to 1929 it had also a steam tug to tow out the larger of the two life-boats.

Altogether, including the tug and the new boat, it has had thirteen. They have been launched on service 253 times and have the splendid record of 455 lives rescued.

The new life-boat is a boat of the light Liverpool type, 35 feet 6 inches long, with two 20 h.p. diesel engines.

It has been built out of a gift from Mr. W. H. Bassett-Green of Winch- combe, Gloucestershire. Mr. Bassett- Green, who is now eighty-three years old, had a life's ambition to present three gifts to Great Britain; one to the air, one to the earth and one to the sea. In 1940 he presented a Spitfire aeroplane to the nation to revenge the terrible air-raids on Coventry. To Coventry he has also presented an equestrian statue of Lady Godiva.

These were his gifts to the air and land.

His gift of the Padstow life-boat has completed his ambition with a gift to the sea.

The naming ceremony was held on the 17th of May. Mr. C. George, chairman of the Padstow Urban Dis- trict Council, welcomed the Duchess of Kent, and Mr. L. H. L. Saunders, president of the station presided.

Commander T. G. Michelmore, R.D., R.N.R., chief inspector of life-boats, described the new boat and Commo- dore the Earl Howe, C.B.E., V.R.D., P.C., R.N.V.R., accepted her on behalf of the Institution and handed her over to the branch, on whose behalf she was received by the hono- rary secretary, Mr. R. R. Wilton.

The Bishop of Truro, the Right Rev. E. R. Morgan, dedicated the life-boat, assisted by the vicar of Padstow. The hymns were accom- panied by the band of the Royal Marines of Plymouth.

The Duchess of Kent then named the life-boat Bassett-Green, and wished her and her crew God-speed in their work of rescue.

Sir Harold Roper, C.B.E., Member of Parliament for North Cornwall, proposed the vote of thanks, and Mrs.

J. C. F. Prideaux-Brune, president of the Padstow Ladies' Life-boat Guild, seconded it..