THE SOUTH EAST coast of England, as was the case during the war, still hears (and sometimes sees) military aircraft belonging to the R.A.F. and the U.S.A.F.

During this summer alone life-boats of the Institution have searched three times for 'downed' pilots.

With this fact in mind Staff-Sergeant Richard Fennessey, a personal equipment specialist with the 8ist Tactical Fighter Wing, U.S.A.F., at R.A.F.

Station, Bentwaters, Suffolk, has been touring east coast life-boat stations for the purpose of instructing life-boatmen about U.S.A.F. survival equipment as it applies to the 1,584 m.p.h. McDonnell F-4C Phantom II fighter.

In recent months Staff-Sergeant Fennessey has visited Wells, Sheringham Caister, Great Yarmouth and Gorleston, Lowestoft, Southwold, Aldeburgh, Harwich, Walton and Frinton, Clacton-on-Sea, Southend-on-Sea, Whitstable, Margate and Dover.

Staff-Sergeant Fennessey says: 'I feel these visits are very important} especially if the life-boat crews ever have to pick up our own people. ... One thing we point to with pride is that on these exercises, the R.A.F., U.S.A.F. and the Institution all work in perfect harmony as a team'..