A NEW LIFE-BOAT, Lloyd's II, was presented to the Institution at Ilfracombe, Devon, on I3th September, 1966, by Mr. R. W. Sturge, chairman of Lloyd's, on behalf of Lloyd's. The life-boat, which was so named by Mrs. Sturge, commemorates the generous support received over many years from the corporation and members of Lloyd's and Lloyd's brokers. Life-boat 70-001 visited Ilfracombe during the day.

After Mr. Sturge had presented the life-boat-a 37-foot self-righting Oakley-to the Institution, watched by hundreds of holidaymakers, the Chairman of the Committee of Management of the Institution, Captain The Hon. V. M.

Wyndham-Quin, R.N., who accepted the life-boat on behalf of the Institution, recalled that the life-boat service had always been generously supported by the corporation of Lloyd's. In fact, before the Institution came into being in 1824, most of the existing life-boats had been paid for by Lloyd's. In the foundation year there were 39 serviceable life-boats, of which Lloyd's had provided no fewer than 25. In the first years of the Institution's existence, when funds were low, Lloyd's regularly voted sums of money to the life-boat service. Thus the new Ilfracombe life-boat is not Lloyd's first by any means.

In 1932, the life-boat, Lloyd's, provided from the accumulated contributions received from the corporation of Lloyd's, went into service at Barra Island, Outer Hebrides, where she remained until 1957. During her service there she rescued 270 lives. Since then, as a reserve life-boat, she has rescued 55 more people.

EIGHT LIFE-BOATS Mr. F. G. Reed, honorary secretary of the Ilfracombe branch, recalled that for 138 years a life-boat had been stationed at Ilfracombe and said that during that time eight life-boats had been entrusted to their care. Over the past 100 years - that was from 1866 when records were first kept - life-boats from Ilfracombe had saved over 150 lives.

Other speakers were Mr. A. S. CutlirTe, president, who took the place of Mr.

C. F. Hutchings, chairman, who was indisposed; Lieutenant P. F. Gladwin, R.N.R., Inspector of Life-boats for the South Western District, and Councillor H.C.Polkinhorne, chairman of Ilfracombe U.D.C.

The Bishop of Crediton (the Rt. Rev. W. A. E. Westall, B.A.) dedicated the life-boat, assisted by the Rev. A. Chandler, M.A., Vicar of Ilfracombe, and the Rev. L. Hayes.

After the ceremony, and in darkness, hundreds of holidaymakers returned to the harbour to see Lloyd's II, which was built at Sandbank, Argyll, recovered on her carriage from the sea and towed back through the streets to her shed.

Ilfracombe life-boat station will be the subject of the next 'Focus on . . .' feature in the March, 1967, issue of THE LIFE-BOAT..