THE Life-boat Institution's depot at Boreham Wood was completed in July, 1939. It replaced the old store-yard on the Thames at Poplar, which had served the Institution for more than fifty years.

The Poplar store-yard was estab- lished in 1882. Before then life-boats had been fitted out at the boat builders' yards, the ropes and gear for each boat being separately ordered from the manufacturers. By 1882, however, the life-boats in the fleet numbered as many as 272, and the Institution then decided to have its own store-yard.

For more than thirty years the store-yard at Poplar changed little, but with the development of motor life-boats a new shed and new equip- ment had to be provided. In time it became clear that larger and more modern workshops would be needed, and the Institution decided that it would be both more efficient and more economical to set up a new and diff- erent type of depot.

It was no longer necessary to have a store-yard near the Thames. The Institution was already sending dam- aged life-boats to shipbuilding yards on the coast instead of bringing them to Poplar for repair, and in place of the reserve fleet, formerly kept at Poplar, reserve boats were held in readiness at different parts of the coast.

The site at Boreham Wood was chosen largely because it offered such excellent facilities for road transport.

The cost of building the depot was £60,000. The architect was Mr.

Herbert Kenchington, and the builders Messrs. Moss and Sons. The depot was formally opened on the 14th of July by Mrs. Guy Fanshawe, wife of a member of the Committee of Management.

War Headquarters Within a few weeks of its formal opening the depot became in effect the headquarters of the Institution, for it was at Boreham Wood that the head- quarters staff operated throughout the war. During the war part of the premises at 42, Grosvenor Gardens were let, a few rooms being kept for committee meetings.

The depot today provides stores for all the life-boats in. the British Isles.

It also has a large publicity store to provide material needed by the finan- cial branches.

There are in the depot many thou- sands of different items of equipment needed for the machinery and the hulls of life-boats, varying from the smallest screw to the largest parts of an engine.

A few items needed by the life-boats, such as petrol and oilskins, are sent directly from the suppliers, but the provision of these too is controlled by the depot staff.

The depot's machine shop makes many machinery parts, and items returned from the coast are repaired, renovated and made suitable for re- issue wherever possible. Tractors too are brought to the depot from the coast and overhauled.

A sign-writer paints the lettering for all service boards as well as for notices, banners and other decorations used for publicity purposes. Carpenters and painters are employed in making and renovating items needed for the life-boats and for publicity stores.

Life-belts Made in Depot In the rigging loft rigging, covers, sails, life-belts and life-buoys are made, and the riggers sometimes go to the coast to carry out splicing work.

The publicity staff at the depot disinfect, wash and renovate all collect- ing boxes. The stock of collecting boxes numbers about 40,000, and every box goes out from the depot, on an average, two and a half times a year.

P'ourteen million emblems are sent out each year, those which are returned being sorted and repacked. Flags, bunting, decorations, jerseys and caps sent out on loan are washed and pressed before re-issue. The distri- bution of stores by the depot's vans for the Greater London flag day alone lasts nearly a month.

The examination department in- spects all stores, except rope, as soon as they arrive at the depot. The system of a percentage examination is never used, every item being examined individually. Rope is examined at the makers, and a breaking test carried out. Life-belts and life-buoys under- go a severe twenty-four hour buoyancy test in water tanks.

Records of receipt and despatch of all items are kept on cards in the clerical department, and as stocks of items decrease requisitions for further supplies are sent to headquarters.

Stores are requisitioned from the coast by telephone, telegram or demand note. The depot undertakes to send off all stores required urgently within one hour. These stores may be sent by road, rail or air.

Port and Starboard Watches The depot is divided into eight departments: administration and cleri- cal, examination, stores, machine shop, rigging loft, carpenters, sign-writer and painters, and publicity. The staff numbers one hundred and is under the control of Commander J. M.

Upton, the superintendent. Com- mander Upton, who was formerly Irish district inspector and then eastern district inspector, has been in charge of the depot since 1941.

Apart from the publicity staff, the whole staff at the depot is divided into port and starboard watches. The depot remains open for service through out the twenty-four hours.

The administrative cost of the depot, including rates, insurance, equipment, repairs, salaries and pensions, is approximately £50,000 a year. In 1952 the cost of life-boat stores was a little over £38,000. At any one time there may be stores to the value of £100,000 in the depot..