As a consequence of the steady in- crease in the number of services by life- boats and the need to train crews in the use of new types of rescue craft and equipment it has been decided to increase from the 1st July, 1963, the number of the Institution's operational districts from five to six in order to ensure that district inspectors have the time to carry out their duties of supervision fully at all stations.

The following are the new districts with the names of the district inspectors: Scottish district: (Lieut.-Commander L. A. Forbes, R.N.), to include the whole of Scotland; North-Eastern: (Commander L. F. L.

Hill, R.N.R.), to include all life-boat stations on the north-east coast of England from Berwick-upon-Tweed to Skegness inclusive; South-Eastern: (Lieut. E. D. Stog- don, R.N.V.R.), to include all life-boat stations from Wells to Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, inclusive, as well as the Chan- nel Islands stations; South-Western: (Lieut. P. F. Glad- win, R.N.R.), to include all life-boat stations from Poole to Angle inclusive: North-Western: (Lieut.-Commander H. H. Harvey, R.N.R.), to include all life-boat stations from St. David's to Workington, inclusive, as well as the stations in the Isle of Man.

Irish district: (Lieut.-Commander D.

B. Cairns, R.N.R.), to include the whole of Ireland.

Two new district inspectors have been appointed. One is Lieut.-Commander L. A. Forbes, R.N., who was born in 1921. He served as a sub-lieutenant and lieutenant in cruisers and destroyers on the Russian convoys from 1942-1944 and on east-coast convoys for the remainder of the war. He became a torpedo and anti-submarine specialist and was on the instructional staff of H.M.S. Vernon.

From 1956-1962 he was fleet torpedo and anti-submarine officer in the reserve fleet, and sea trials officer at Portland in charge of sea trials of coastal and in- shore minesweepers.

The other is Lieutenant P. F. Glad- win, R.N.R., who was born in 1930 and who joined the B.P. Tanker Company in 1946. He obtained his master's certifi- cate in 1956 and was promoted Chief Officer five years later. He specialized in hydrographic surveying, his last period of training being in H.M.S. Scott, when she was engaged in the North Sea sur- vey. Since 1962 he has been employed by the Milford Haven Conservancy Board.

An Assistant District Inspector has also been appointed for Scotland. He is Mr. G. R. Walton, who was born in 1933 and joined the Blue Funnel and Glen Line in 1949. Five years later he joined the General Steam Navigation Company and was promoted Chief Officer in 1957, gaining a master's foreign-going certificate in 1959.

Lieut.-Commander M. Roden, R.M.N., has been transferred from the post of Northern District Inspector to the head office to serve as personal assistant to the Chief Inspector.

(For Operational Districts Map, see page 462.).