IN 1957 three life-boat stations celebrated the centenary of their foundation.

These were the stations at Great Yarmouth & Gorleston, Caister and Wicklow.

Caister can claim, among other distinctions, that its life-boats have rescued more lives than those of any other life-boat station in Great Britain or Ireland. The figure at present stands at 1,765. The total number of launches of Caister life-boats on service has been 745.

A commemorative service, conducted by the Bishop of Norwich, assisted by the Rector of Caister, the Reverend J. G. Markham, and by the Methodist Minister, the Reverend E. Hughes, took place on the beach at Caister on the afternoon of Sunday the 28th of July. The deputy chairman of the Committee of Management, Captain the Hon. V. M. Wyndham-Quin, R.N., took the chair, and the Lord Lieutenant of the County of Norfolk, Colonel Sir Edmund Bacon, Bt., presented the centenary vellum to the branch.

Unique Distinction Great Yarmouth & Gorleston as a station also has a unique distinction, for its life-boats have been launched on service more often than those from any other station. The figure for the number of launches is 1,140. and since 1857 1,753 lives have been rescued by life-boats of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. There have, in addition, been volunteer life-boats operating from Great Yarmouth & Gorleston, whose achievements are not included in the official figures.

The Gorleston ceremony took place on the flag day on the 18th of July, the life-boat being moored at the Hall Quay. The Institution's flag was flown all day from the Town Hall, and at the ceremony the Eastern District Inspector, Commander H. B. Acworth, presented the centenary vellum to the chairman of the branch. The Mayor, Mrs. B. Adlington, who is also president of the branch, promised to have the vellum hung in a place of honour in the Town Hall.

Commemorative Booklet Religious services were held in the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches in Wicklow on the 3rd of August to mark the centenary of the station. The Earl of Meath represented the Committee of Management.

A commemorative booklet was also produced recording some of the outstanding achievements in the station's history. In this booklet Mrs. O'Kelly, wife of the President of Ireland, wrote a foreword recording that the year before she had named the new Wicklow life-boat. In commending the booklet she stated that it would serve the citizens of Wicklow and visitors as a sourvenir of their life-boat station and its history. She added: "They have every reason to be proud of it." Wicklow life-boats have been launched on service 142 times and have rescued 207 lives..