THE Institution has recently lost three very distinguished secretaries of life- boat stations, for whose long services it is very grateful.

Mr. Alexander Robertson, of Eastbourne Mr. Alexander Robertson, of East- bourne, died on the 15th of November, 1952, at the age of 83. He was honor- ary secretary of the station from December 1923 to March 1949. Dur- ing those twenty-six years he devoted himself with the greatest enthusiasm to the work of the station and took a deep personal interest in the welfare of the crew. It was said of him that he was never happier than when he was out with them in the life-boat on exercise. In 1925 he was awarded the Institution's gold badge, for dis- tinguished honorary services, and in 1926 its inscribed binoculars. In 1949, on his retirement, he was elected an honorary life-governor, the highest honour which can be given to an honor- ary worker. His funeral was attended by the whole crew, and by past mem- bers of the crew, and his ashes were scattered at sea from the life-boat.

Mr. Claude Hart, of the Lizard Mr. Claude M. Hart of The Lizard, who died on the 6th of November, 1952, at the age of 83, had served for thirty-nine years as honorary secretary of the station when he retired in 1948. During those thirty- nine years the life-boats at The Lizard rescued 269 lives. Mr. Hart was appointed in 1909. In 1912 he re- ceived a special letter of thanks, in 1919 he was presented with inscribed binoculars, in 1931 he received the gold badge, awarded only for distin- guished honorary services, and in 1933 a letter of appreciation for his part in a dangerous launch of the life- boat in a very heavy sea with a whole gale blowing. In 1948 he was pre- sented with an inscribed barometer, and on his retirement he was elected an honorary life-governor of the Insti- tution, the highest honour which it can give to an honorary worker. Mr.

Hart was an artist who gave his whole life to the sea, and some of his paint- ings have been reproduced in the Institution's journal, and in its annual, The Story of the Life-boat. Among them was one of the White Star cargo vessel the Bardic, aground off The Lizard, from which the life-boat res- cued the crew of ninety-three in 1929.

Mr. W. J. B. Moncas, of Rosslare Harbour Mr. W. J. B. Moncas, of Rosslare Harbour, died on the 18th of October, 1952. at the age of 65. He had been secretary of the life-boat station for twenty-four years, taking part regu- larly in the services of the life-boat.

Four times he received awards or letters from the Institution for his part in rescues. In 1926 he was awarded inscribed binoculars for putting out in a small boat, with several others, in a rough sea, and rescuing the crew of seven men of a fishing boat. In 1929 he won the bronze medal for his share in a very dangerous service, the rescue by night in a whole gale of the crew of the schooner Mount- blairy, as she lay surrounded by rocks.

In 1939 he received a letter of thanks for his share in a rescue on a night of January, in a very rough sea, when he went out without waiting to dress.

in pyjamas and an overcoat. Just a year later he received yet another letter of thanks for another night service in January when the life-boat was out for ten hours in a whole gale..