ANNUAL AWARDS 1979 The Maud Smith Award for the most outstanding act of lifesaving by a lifeboatman during 1979 has been made to Superintendent Coxswain Brian Bevan for the rescue of the crew of four of the Panamanian cargo vessel Revi in a violent north-easterly storm, very heavy seas and snow storms on February 14. Coxswain Bevan took Humber's 54ft Arun lifeboat alongside the cargo vessel 35 times and took off her crew in extremely hazardous conditions with the ever-present threat of the casualty rolling on top of the lifeboat; the last man, the captain, was rescued minutes before the freighter sank. For this service Coxswain Bevan was awarded the RNLI's gold medal.

The Ralph Glister Award for the most meritorious service carried out by the crew of an Atlantic 21, 18ft 6in McLachlan or D class inflatable lifeboat in 1979 has been awarded to Helmsman John Hodder and Crew Members Colin Jones, Paul Wason and Graham Turner of Lyme Regis for the service on August 13 to the yacht White Kitten. For the rescue by Lyme Regis Atlantic 21 of White Kitten and her crew of five in a south-westerly storm and very rough seas, Helmsman John Hodder was awarded a bar to his bronze medal and Crew Member Colin Jones the bronze medal; service certificates were presented to Crew Members Paul Wason and Graham Turner.

The James Michael Bower Fund monetary awards for 1979 have been made to Superintendent Coxswain Brian Bevan of Humber, who received the gold medal; to Coxswain Trevor England of Padstow, who received a bar to his silver medal; and to Coxswain Michael Grant of Selsey and Coxswain David Cox of Wells who each received the silver medal..