THE LIFE-BOAT FLEET 155 Motor Life-boats 1 Harbour Pulling Life-boat LIVES RESCUED from the foundation of the Life-boat Service in 1824 to 31st March, 1954 - 78,633 Notes of the Quarter THE first of the major flag days of the year, that in London, was held on the 16th of March. It was a spectacular success. In 1953 a peace-time record for London flag days was established when the practice of holding the flag day in May was given up and flag day was held on the 17th of March.

The total then collected was £15,858 18s. ad. It happened to be a beautiful spring day. Collectors suffered no hardship and the public could be expected to be in a beneficent mood.

This year there was a bitter wind blowing and it was extremely cold.

Yet the flag day produced the sum of £15,087 16*. 8d., substantially more than any figure for peace-time before 1953. Before the London flag day was changed to March the peace-time record had been £13,919 9s. Od.

The Institution is deeply grateful to all those collectors who worked so splendidly in the conditions. One lady who had been collecting for hours on Victoria Station said she felt a little tired and wanted a rest. It was learned that she was 81 years old.

She would not be persuaded to leave the field, and her rest was a very short one. Another lady who felt like succumbing to the cold heard someone say that it was colder in the sea and felt encouraged to continue.

The generosity of the public on this occasion was a most welcome tribute to the work of the Service, yet collec- tors were still surprised at the lack of knowledge of the way in which the Service is run displayed by many who were willing to give to it. The belief that the State supports the Institution in some way still seems to be wide- spread, and one member of the public- said he was under the impression that the Institution had been wound up.

On learning with relief that this was not so, he contributed generously.

Flag day collectors, in addition to the fine work they do, can help the Insti- tution everywhere by telling the public the true facts about the Service.

SALVAGE AND THE LIFE-BOAT SERVICE The records for January and February show that whereas life-boats were launched on service 80 times and rescued 87 lives, only one claim for property salvage was put forward.

This may not surprise those who know the work of the Institution well, yet the harmful and false suggestion that life-boatmen are continually making salvage claims is still occasionally heard. The Institution exists, of course, solely for the purpose of saving life at sea. At the same time, if without interfering with its primaryobject, it can also help to save property as well, that is clearly to the advantage of ship-owners. The Institution never makes salvage claims, but the crews themselves, acting on their own behalf, are naturally entitled to make claims as individuals. That is the law, and the law does not in this respect make any distinction between life-boatmen and other persons. The records for January and February show how relatively seldom life-boatmen do make salvage claims.

TO ENCOURAGE THE YOUNG A COMPETITION for the best essays on the Life-boat Service has been held this year for secondary schoolboys and schoolgirls under the age of sixteen.

This is a revival of an old and un- usually popular competition. The competition was first held at the end of the 1914-18 war, when challenge shields were presented by the 7th Duke of Northumberland, President of the Institution. These challenge shields, of which there is one for each of nine districts, have been competed for again. There are also individual prizes of a book token to the value of two guineas for the writer of the best essay in the district, and a book token to the value of five guineas for the national prize winner. A copy of Storm on the Waters, by Charles Vince, is being presented to each of the 35 best essay writers in each district.

The competition has been held not only in Great Britain and Northern Ireland but also in Eire, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. Permis- sion for schools to enter has had to be sought from the educational authori- ties, and the great majority of these authorities have given their sanction.

Out of 687 authorities approached 654 have agreed that the competition may be held within their areas. This generous co-operation is much appre- ciated by the Institution.

The results of the competition will be announced in a later number of the Life-boat.

A NEW PUBLICATION A NEW type of annual publication on the Life-boat Service has recently appeared. It is replacing, as an experi- ment, the familiar Story of the Life- boat. The book contains accounts of some of the most dramatic rescues by life-boats in the past. These include two rescues carried out in 1868 by the Appledorc and Pcnzancc life-boats.

The accounts are reproduced from the Journals of the time. One of the re- markable features of the Penzance rescue was that when the life-boat had to go out a second time it was thought advisable to form a fresh crew. This was done, the crew including the Chief Officer of Coastguard and the French Vice-Consul. The French Vice-Consul won the silver medal.

Rescues of more recent years, which are also reported in full, include the service to the llopelyn by the Gorleston and Lowcstoft life-boats in 1922; the rescue from the Daunt Rock lighthouse by the Ballycotton life-boat In 1936; the service by the Runswick life-boat in 1934, when Robert Patton gave his life to save a cripple; and two post-war services, by the St. Helier life-boat in 1949 and by the Walmer life-boat in 1952. There is too an account of the services by the Humber life-boat in the first months of the war.

The book is fully illustrated and contains a brief history of the Service.

It is being sold at one shilling per copy. A Scottish edition of the book is also being sold at the same price.