THREE life-boat stations, those at Camp- beltown, Llandudno and Selsey, all celebrated this year the hundredth anni- versary of their foundation.

The Campbeltown station was founded in the first instance largely be- cause of a report received from Lloyd's agent on the desirability of a life-boat station at that point on the coast, the cost of the first life-boat being borne by Lady Murray of Edinburgh. By the time the station celebrated its centenary Campbeltown life-boats had been launched on service 184 times and had rescued 374 lives. Among recent out- standing services was one which took place in 1946, when no fewer than 54 men and women were rescued from the United States steamer Byron Dainton, which went ashore off the Mull of Kin- tyre. The service lasted seventeen hours, and the coxswain, Duncan Newlands, was awarded a clasp to his bronze medal. His first bronze medal had been earned as a member of the crew during a wartime service when the Campbel- town life-boat rescued 44 people from the vessel Mobeka.

Coxswain A Copper Miner A station was established at Llan- dudno when two ladies named Miss Browne, of Liverpool, left the money for a new life-boat in memory of their sister. The first coxswain, Hugh Jones, was a copper-miner, and when the life- boat was called out his daughter regu- larly ran to the top of the shaft half-way up the Great Orme. She then rapped with a stone according to a pre-arranged system of signals and the coxswain rushed up and made for the life-boat.

In the present century a medal was awarded to Coxswain John Owen for the rescue of two people from a schooner in a north-westerly gale which caused such a heavy sea that the life-boat, after carrying out the service, had to put into Colwyn Bay for shelter. At the time of the centenary celebration Llandudno life-boats had been launched on service 170 times and had rescued 160 lives.

When a life-boat station was estab- lished at Selsey in 1861 the journal of the Institution commented:— "Selsey being only a poor fishing village, a branch of the Institution has been formed at Chichester to aid in supporting this establishment." Service's Busiest Day The Selsey life-boat crew played an outstanding part on the busiest day the life-boat service has known in its history.

This was the 29th July, 1956, and Cox- swain Douglas Grant was awarded the silver medal for gallantry for the rescue of 18 people from three yachts. Six years earlier the Maud Smith award for the bravest act of life-saving by a mem- ber of a life-boat crew during the year was voted to W. Arnell, who jumped overboard from the life-boat and res- cued a man who was trying to swim ashore from an overturned boat in a choppy sea. When the station cele- brated its centenary, Selsey life-boats had been launched on service 299 times and had rescued 242 lives.

The Campbeltown centenary celebra- tion took place on the 18th July, 1961, when Provost A. P. McGrory took the chair. The Rev. J. R. H. Cormack con- ducted a service of thanksgiving, and Lord Saltoun presented the centenary vellum to the branch, Mr. A. G.

MacKelvie, chairman of the branch, accepting it and handing it to the Provost of Campbeltown for safe keep- ing. Other speakers were Bailie David W.

Gibson and Mr. A. G. MacKelvie.

Deputy Chairman Presents Vellum At Llandudno on the 5th July, 1961, the Venerable Archdeacon Gwynfryn Richards, Vicar of Holy Trinity Church, Llandudno, conducted a service of thanksgiving, assisted by the Rev. D.

Glanville Rees, Minister of the English Presbyterian Church, Llandudno. The Chairman of the Llandudno Urban Dis- trict Council, Councillor T. E. White, was in the chair. Captain the Hon. V. M.

Wyndham-Quin, Deputy Chairman of the Committee of Management, pre- sented the centenary vellum, Mr.

Thomas Taylor, honorary secretary of the branch, accepting it and handing it to Coxswain Gordon Bellamy for safe keeping. A vote of thanks was proposed by Councillor Harold Neville, chairman of the branch.

Selsey celebrated its centenary on the 5th August, 1961. The Rev. E. Gearey, chairman of the branch, was in the chair, and the Reverend Canon G. H.

Handisyde, Rector of Selsey, conducted a service of thanksgiving, assisted by the Rev. W. H. Bourne, Minister of the Selsey Methodist Church. Mr. C. G.

Freke, a member of the Committee of Management, presented the centenary vellum, and the Duke of Norfolk, president of the branch, accepted it on behalf of the branch and handed it to Coxswain Len Lawrence for safe keep- ing. A vote of thanks was proposed by Mr. A. G. Doggart, a member of the branch committee..