St. Mary's, Isles of Scilly. At 12.30 on the afternoon of the 17th of Decem- ber, 1960, a message was received from the honorary medical adviser that he had to go by air to the mainland to take an expectant mother to Redruth hospital as complications were sus- pected. It was necessary for the doctor to return to St. Mary's without delay and he asked if the life-boat could pick him up at Penzance should he be unable to return by air because of fog. At 1.5 the life-boat Guy and Clare Hunter was launched on the flood tide. She reached Penzance at 4.50, and the doctorembarked for the return passage to St.

Mary's, which was reached at ten o'clock. The patient was the wife of the bowman of the life-boat, who is a son of a former coxswain. The crew refused payment for this service..