WILLIAM FLEMING, former coxswain of the Gorleston life-boat, died on the 30th of September, 1954, at the age of 89.

He was born in 1865 and first served as a member of the Gorleston crew before he was twenty. He became second coxswain of the No. 1 life-boat in 1903.

In the same year he became second coxswain of the No. 4 life-boat and in 1922 he became coxswain of the No. 1 life-boat. The first two life-boats in which he served as second coxswain were pulling and sailing boats and the third was a steam life-boat. He served as coxswain in a motor life-boat.

In 1922 Coxswain Fleming was awarded the gold medal of the Institu- tion for the rescue of 24 people from the S.S. Hopelyn. This service, one of the greatest of the century, has been fully described in The Story of the Life-boat, 1954.

Coxswain Fleming was also awarded the George Cross and won two other life-boat medals. One was the silver medal for the rescue from the S.S.

Georgia in 1927, and the other was the bronze medal for the rescue in 1925 from the ketch Henrietta. Mr. A. C. Harrison, chief reporter of the Eastern Daily Press at Great Yarmouth, and a member of the local committee, writes: "No one on the East Anglian coast ever thought of him as Coxswain or ex-Coxswain William Fleming. He was Billy Fleming to several generations —a brave, modest and friendly man whose delight in his last years was to talk of the incidents he could remember.

"Like his friend, the late Coxswain Henry Blogg, of Cromer, he was much decorated and when he received the Empire Gallantry Medal (which was later exchanged for the George Cross) from King George V, the King said to him: 'You're getting along now, Flem- ing, with your medals.' "Another of his proud possessions was a silver watch presented to him by Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands in 1927 for his fearless seamanship when helping to rescue the crew of the Dutch oil tanker Georgia.

"His record of helping to save 1.183 lives in the life-boats of the Institution and in the volunteer life-boats which used to serve at Gorleston speaks for itself. His last active links with the sea were trips in his small boat, and holidaymakers he took out always returned wiser and happier. An hour with Billy Fleming was an insight into the character of a man whose qualities inspired. Until his legs failed him he was almost a daily caller at the Gorles- ton life-boathouse. No retired life- boatman was ever more welcome.

"Four Norfolk coxswains, P.

Williment (Gorleston), H. T. Davies (Cromer), J. H. Brown (Caister), and W. E. West (Sheringham) were among the bearers at his funeral." The deaths have also occurred of two most prominent supporters of the Institution in the north-west of Eng- land. One was Mr. Alfred Weiser, who was associated with the Manchester and district branch for over 30 years and had been honorary organiser for the Withington district and the founder of the Fallowfield and Withington Junior Life-boat Guild.

The other was Mrs. Parkinson, a holder of the gold badge, who was associated with the Wallasey Ladies' Guild for 36 years. Mrs. Parkinson, a former Mayor- ess of Wallasey, was, in turn, both president and chairman of the guild..