Newhaven H.R.H. the Duchess of Kent, President of the Institution, named the new Newhaven life-boat Kathleen Mary on the 13th of July, 1959. The life-boat had been presented to the Institution by a lady who wished to remain anonymous.

In naming the life-boat the Duchess of Kent stated : " The Newhaven life- boat station is the oldest of the five life-boat stations in Sussex, and in its long history no fewer than 420 lives have been saved and 19 medals for gallantry have been awarded." Vis- count Gage, president of the branch, took the chair, and Commander S. W. F. Bennetts, Chief Inspector of Life- boats, described the boat, which is one of the 47-feet Watson cabin type. Earl Howe, chairman of the Committee of Management, handed the life-boat over to the branch, Mr. Geoffrey Sargeant, chairman of the branch, accepting her.

The Bishop of Chichester dedicated the life-boat, assisted by the Rev. R. G. G. Hooper, Rector of Newhaven, the Rev. A. V. Downs, Rector of Denton with South Heighten and Tarring Neville, and the Rev. H. A. Harcup, Minister of the Baptist Church of New- haven.

A vote of thanks was proposed by Councillor V. Hedges, chairman of the Newhaven Urban District Council.

The singing was led by the Newhaven parish choir, and music was played by the No. 1 Regional Band, Royal Air Force, conducted by Mr. D. G. Robinson.

Aldeburgh The new Aldeburgh life-boat The Alfred and Patience Gottwald, which was provided from a legacy of the late Mrs.

Patience Alice Gottwald of Southport, was named by the Countess Cairns on the 15th of July. The ceremony began with a presentation of a bouquet to Lady Cairns by one of the two survivors of the Aldeburgh life-boat disaster in 1899, Mr. Daniel Wilson, who is aged eighty-eight.

The Mayor of Aldeburgh, Alderman Dudley Knowles, took the chair, and Commander E. W. Middleton, Super- intendent of the Depot, described the boat, which is one of the 42-feet beach type. Mrs. R. Downs, niece of the late Mrs. Gottwald, presented the life-boat to the Institution, Captain the Hon. V.

M. Wyndham-Quin, R.N., Deputy Chairman of the Committee of Manage- ment, accepting her and handing her over to the branch. Mr. Tom Riggs, chairman of the branch, accepted the life-boat, which was then dedicated by the Rev. Canon R. C. R. Godfrey, Vicar of Aldeburgh.

Captain Lord Ailwyn, R.N., a vice- president of the Institution and a mem- ber of the Committee of Management, proposed a vote of thanks. Music was played by the band of the Royal Marines, H.M.S. Ganges, conducted by Bandmaster M. G. Pearce.

Walmer The Archbishop of Canterbury dedi- cated the new Walmer life-boat on the 25th of July. He was assisted by the Rev. Raymond Heath, Vicar of Walmer, the Rev. M. E. Adie, Chaplain to the Archbishop, and Mr. Kenneth Woods, president of the Deal, Sandwich and District Free Church Federal Council.

The life-boat is the thirty-second to be provided by the Civil Service Life- boat Fund, and Dame Evelyn Sharp.

Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, named her Charles Dibdin (Civil Service No.

32).

Captain E. H. Hopkinson, R.N., chairman of the Goodwin Sands and Downs branch, took the chair, and Lieutenant E. D. Stogdon, Eastern District Inspector, described the boat, which is also one of the 42-feet beach type. Sir Eric Seal, chairman of the Civil Service Life-boat Fund and a member of the Committee of Manage- ment, presented the life-boat to the Institution, Earl Howe accepting her and handing her over to the branch, on whose behalf she was accepted by Alderman N. U. Cavell, the branch honorary secretary.

A vote of thanks was proposed by Alderman J. A. Tapping, Mayor of Deal. Music was played by the band of the Royal Marines School of Music, conducted by Second Lieutenant L. H.

A. Arnold. When the life-boat was launched in the traditional manner at the end of the ceremony the Archbishop of Canterbury was among those who went afloat in her. The Calais life-boat Marechal Foch visited Walmer for the occasion.

Aberdeen A new life-boat of the 52-feet Barnett type, the largest type in the service, was named Ramsay- Dyce at a ceremony at Aberdeen on the 1st of August. The life-boat was provided from a legacy of the late Mr, William Ramsay of Dyce, Aberdeenshire ; and his niece, Mrs.

Wellington, named the boat. A bouquet was presented to her by Miss Catherine Campbell, grand-daughter of the mech- anic of the life-boat.

The Lord Provost of Aberdeen, Mr.

George Stephen, who is also president of the Aberdeen branch, took the chair and Lieutenant-Commander D. G.

Wicksteed, Northern District Inspector, described the boat. Lord Saltoun, a member of the Committee of Manage- ment of the Institution and chairman of the Scottish Life-boat Council, handed the life-boat over to the branch, the Lord Provost accepting her.

The Rev. Anderson NicoJ, Minister of West Church, Aberdeen, dedicated the life-boat, and a vote of thanks was proposed by Mr. R. A. Fairley. Music was provided by the Aberdeen City Band conducted by Mr. Alex. Buchan.

Lerwick H.M. the Queen had planned to honour the Institution by naming the new life-boat at Lerwick on the 10th of August, 1959. Had it been possible for her to do so, this would have been the first life-boat to be named by a reigning monarch. Her Majesty had shortly before been obliged to cancel her public engagements, but she sent the following message, which was read out at the ceremony : " I am very sorry not to be with you to-day. Please convey my best wishes to all attending the naming ceremony of the new Lerwick life- boat, and especially to those who are to serve in her." The daughter of the Lord Lieutenant of the County of Zetland, Miss Annette Neven-Spence, performed the naming ceremony. The life-boat was named Claude Cecil Staniforth, having been provided from a legacy of the late Mr.

C. C. Staniforth of East Molesey, Surrey.

Sheriff R. J. Wallace, chairman of the branch, took the chair, and Commander S. W. F. Bennetts described the life- boat, which is also one of the 52-feet Barnett type. Earl Howe handed over the life-boat to the branch, Mr. P.

Bruce Laurenson, honorary secretary of the branch, accepting her. A vote of thanks was proposed by Provost R. B.

Blance.

The Rev. K. N. Macrae, Minister of Lerwick and Bressay, dedicated the life-boat. Music was provided by the Lerwick brass band conducted by Mr.

Robert Burgoyne. Miss June Sales, daughter of Second Coxswain W. B.

Sales, presented a bouquet to Miss Neven-Spence.

Among the many vessels in the harbour on the occasion of the ceremony was the rescue cruiser /. M. Johansen of the Norwegian life-boat service.

Dunbar The Duchess of Northumberland named the new Dunbar life-boat Margaret on the 22nd of August. The life-boat had been provided from legacies of the late Mr. Alexander Black of Edinburgh, and the late Mr. John Taylor of Dore, Sheffield. She is one of the 47-feet Watson cabin type.

The Earl of Haddington, president of the branch, took the chair, and Lieu- tenant-Commander Wicksteed described the boat. Earl Howe handed over the life-boat to the branch, the Earl of Balfour, chairman of the branch, accepting her.

After a vote of thanks, proposed by Provost W. G. R. Findlay and seconded by Major S. G. Maitland, honorary secretary of the branch, the Rev. H. C.

M. Eggo dedicated the life-boat.

Music was played by the military band of the Royal Highland Fusiliers con- ducted by Bandmaster R. A. Y. Mitchell.

Miss Ina Johnstone, daughter of the coxswain, presented a box of chocolates to the Duchess of Northumberland.

Ballycotton The only life-boat to be named in the Republic of Ireland in 1959 was the new Ballycotton boat, one of the 52-feet Barnett type. She was named Ethel Mary by the Hon. Mrs. Bertram Bell, wife of Major Bertram Bell, a member of the Committee of Management, on the 16th of September. The Bishop of Cloyne, the Most Rev. J. J. Ahern, blessed the life-boat. Among those who spoke was the Irish Minister for Lands, Mr. Michael O'Morain, who in pointing out that the Institution depen- ded entirely on voluntary contributions said that it was heartening to know that the unselfish and Christian spirit which inspired the foundation of the Institu- tion more than a century ago had managed to survive.

Dr. John Murphy, chairman of the branch, took the chair, and Commander H. B. Acworth, Irish District Inspector, described the boat. The life-boat was provided as a gift from the trustees of the estate of the late Mrs. Ethel Mary Brereton of Hemel Hempstead, and Mr.

H. A. Sandford, a trustee of the estate, presented her to the Institution, Major Bertram Bell accepting her and handing her over to the honorary secretary of the branch, Mr. R. H. Mahony.

A vote of thanks was proposed by the Very Rev. Canon M. Fitzpatrick, parish priest of Cloyne, and seconded by the Very Rev. P. Bury, Dean of Cloyne. The singing was led by the Ballycotton parish choir..