Charting progress I recently finished reading the Spring 1994 issue of THE LIFEBOAT and am, as always, utterly amazed at the achievements of the Institution over the years.

The accounts of the lifeboat services in particular fill me with admiration for the crews, most of whom are volunteers, and their astonishing feats of seamanship and courage leave me gasping, in spite of - or perhaps because of - my own experience during 35 years in the Royal Navy, of the sometimes appalling conditions at sea.

I am also awestruck every time I think of the cost of running such an organisation, and the fact that every penny is raised by voluntary donation. It is heartening to realise that the activities of the Institution do not appear to have suffered significantly on account of the recession, and that the year by year cost increases have continued to be covered in this way. I am glad to be able to play a very small part in this venture.

I would like to offer a suggestion regarding the presentation of the accounts of lifeboat services in THE LIFEBOAT magazine. It is helpful to have the small-scale map of the British Isles, showing the location of the station involved. However, the text usually includes towns, sand bars, channels, rock formations etc. This is all essential to the narrative, but for the reader who does not know the scene it would help him to relate more closely to the actual event if, in addition to the small-scale map mentioned above, a portion of the chart of the relevant local area could also be included. I seem to recall that this has been done on occasions in some past issues of the magazine, and I am sure that it would make the accounts even more readable and interesting if you could see your way to including this detail when reporting most, if not all, lifeboat services.

I hasten to add that this suggestion is intended to be helpful, and not in any way a criticism of the magazine, which I always find most interesting.

Keep up the good work! Lt Cdr I. Sandeman RN (Rtd)Unfortunately Admiralty charts are often too detailed to reproduce successfully, particularly when reduced to the size needed for the journal, and specially-drawn ones are too expensive and time consuming. However the FtNLI's Rescue Records department has recently up-dated its Gorleston remembered I was most interested to read in the Spring Issue of THE LIFEBOAT, a letter from Mr George Bracey of Bournemouth about the Gorleston lifeboat in the 1930s.

My father used to take my brothers and myself on holiday to Gorleston between 1930 and 1938, staying at either the Pier Hotel or the St Edmunds.

I remember having trips on the Gorleston lifeboat, we liked the rough sea, and would call at the St Nicholas lightship in Yarmouth Roads, thence to Seroly Sands.

My father collected a year's issue of two magazines which he would give to the crew of the Lightship and in return, we as boys would have a marionette given by them, which they made themselves.

Perhaps Mr Bracey was on board at the same time as we had our wonderful trips.

Peter Seed, Bridport, Dorset.

computer software and we hope to be able to obtain small chartlets from this source. Some development work is still needed, but watch this space! - Editor Information Wanted Does anyone have any photos or information about the following Titanic survivors: Ruth Becker Blanchard, Ethel Garside, Kate Buss Willis, Edwina Troutt Mackenzize, Bertha Watt Marshall, Louise Kink Pope, Agnes Sandstrom, Beatrice Sandstrom, Lillian Asplund, Eleanor Johnson and Vera Quick? Also the following Lusitania survivors: Alice Lines Drury, Edith Williams, Elsie Hook Hadland, Frank Hook, George Hook, Audrey Pearl and Chrissey Barnett.

If anyone does could they please write to me at the address below.

James Woods, 1 Onslow Road, Southsea, Portsmouth, Hants PO5 2NH.

Telephone (0705) 752895.Wartime lifeboat memories Greetings from Adelaide, Australia, where I live with my wife and two children.

For sometime now I have been writing a book; my research for this work has been extensive, and much has yet to be done prior to completion. I have approached many newspapers, publications and organisations - worldwide - inviting people to contribute to this project.

The book predominantly, will be a composite of letters, written by servicemen - their family's, and war-ravaged civilians. I am asking these war affected people to reflect on their lives and reveal how war, and its inherent after affects, changed or influenced their lives.

Most of my childhood was spent in the small Sussex town of Littlehampton, we lived not more than 200 yards from the sea - which I could observe from my bedroom window.

Thus it was (in those carefree days of the 50s), that my deep respect for the sea and the British Lifeboat Institution evolved. Consequently, I am very eager to include in my book a chapter relating to the valiant men who faced so many formidable perils manning the lifeboats, and saving lives, during WWII.

My very best wishes to friends and members of the RNLI.

Rodney Parr, 29 Angas Crescent, Marino 5049, South Australia.

Lifeboats at Dunkirk On 30 May 1940 the Poole lifeboat Thomas Kirk Wright was requested to go to Dover and then on to Dunkirk to evacuate troops from the beaches of Dunkirk. She was, in fact, the first lifeboat to be sent, another eighteen followed her.

Can any reader help by giving any information about this lifeboat in her time away from the Poole station? I do believe she rescued a troop of free French troops, but unfortunately this cannot be confirmed.

Any information at all will help.

Andrew Hawkes, 99 High Street, Poole BH15 1APAbove the call of duty...

I am writing this letter after being rescued by the Poole lifeboat on the night of Saturday 16 April 1994, Cox'n Steve Vince and Crew.

My brother, 10 year-old-son and I had been on passage from Weymouth to Chichester Yacht Basin, via Poole or Swanage, on our maiden voyage after an extensive refit over three years on my yacht Hurlwind a fin keel Hurley 22.

I thought I had taken all the necessary precautions, with radio, lifejackets, harnesses, flares, the normal safety items, navigational instruments and so on. I served in submarines for 10 years and sailed with the Royal Navy in various yachts, completing RYA Dinghy Sailing, Competent Crew and Day Skipper Courses and felt competent for our planned passage. Over the past two years we had gone over all the details in order to avoid accidents.

Unfortunately, as you know, not everything can be covered.

We predicted, and had, a very hard sail with N-NE winds increasing in strength throughout Saturday. Darkness fell and with ever increasing wind, seas and current we decided to make for Swanage as soon as possible. Unfortunately, as we were to find out later, the tiller fitting to the top of the rudder had fractured and subsequently broke leaving us in quite considerable danger with no steerage at all. I put out a Pan-Pan, with, I must admit very rusty radio procedure, but acknowledged immediately by Portland Coastguard - who informed us that the Poole lifeboat was being launched to our aid. What a relief! Contact was made with the lifeboat via VHP. When they reached us, Cox'n Steve Vince manoeuvred the lifeboat very close with extreme precision and a skill that must come from years of experience. It was absolutely incredible to witness first hand in such difficult conditions.

One of the crew members was transferred to us and later a paramedic to check us, in particular my son, who had badly bruised his leg.

The whole operation was so professional. My yacht thoroughly checked out in case of damage and the tow and drogue put into operation. The crew member and paramedic were very cheerful and friendly and made all the difference to our morale which was very low at that point. They did a superb job and we would like to extend our thanks to them.

We were towed for two hours until alongside at Poole Quayside, totally shattered by the whole experience. The lifeboat crew then made our yacht secure alongside while we were invited inside the station. We were offered tea and coffee and introduced to the Cox'n and the crew who also invited us to sleep in the station for the night. One member of the crew even drove us about the town trying to find somewhere for food - our thanks to him. The friendliness, helpfulness and hospitality extended to us, I am sure, was above and beyond their call of duty, and I have never met such a group of professionals in my life.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Steve Vince and his crew and the lifeboat service and indeed everyone involved in our rescue, for all they did for us.

For each of us, especially my son Karl, the experience will be with us forever. He has now joined Storm Force and I shall become a member also.

A special thanks from my wife Sue and daughter Emma, who were very worried about us.

Also, I should like to thank Steve for all the arrangements he made and trouble he went to in order for a temporary berth to be arranged. Many thanks.

Paul Custance, Addlestone, Surrey.

Lifelong interest I read with interest the letter from C.

Williams giving the reason for his or her interest in the RNLI.

I cannot say I have any memory of the start of my interest as I was quite literally a babe in arms - or should I say pram! I had a collecting box on my pram later on, when sitting up, this was transferred to my lap - way back in 1923! As a child I looked forward to the arrival of the Journal, which was in those days, if memory serves me correctly, a small edition with a cream coloured cover with a sepia picture of a lifeboat man in full rescue outfit.

Henry Blogg was my childhood hero.

I have followed my mother's example of a lifetime's interest in and work for the RNLI and although I am not now as active as I would wish I am still very proud and happy to belong to the lifeboat 'family' as a Life Governor.

I am, as always, filled with admiration for the very brave men and women who crew the boats.

Long may they continue to give such an excellent example of service to others in a world which seems, increasingly, to be so self seeking.

Joan Batty, Chipping Sodbury And more thanks...

On 3 April this year while returning from Bangor, Northern Ireland, to Largs we were overtaken by some extremely heavy weather while crossing the North Channel. We left Bangor at 0430 in our 25ft Motor Sailer Lady-O with a fair wind and tide, however, by 0800 the wind was up to Force 9 with large breaking seas of 20- 25ft.

At 0955 we suffered a complete knockdown five miles south of Ailsa Craig which left me with a broken arm. As there were only the two of us on board and Linda had not had much experience in such huge following seas (come to think of it neither had I) I put out a Pan Pan call.

In response to the call Girvan lifeboat was launched along with a helicopter from HMS Gannet at Prestwich. The helicopter was with us within 25 minutes but due to the wind and sea state they could do nothing but stand by while we continued to make our own way north to the lee at the north end of Ailsa Craig.

The helicopter then was called away to another emergency and once again it was just us and the sea.

However Girvan lifeboat soon contacted us via VHP and reassured us that they would be there soon (I was almost passing out with the pain from my arm by this time).

Eventually we rendezvoused with the lifeboat and a transfer was made with two lifeboatmen boarding Lady-O and we were taken on board the lifeboat. We were met at the harbour by an ambulance and conveyed to hospital where it was established that my arm was broken. On returning to Girvan harbour later we found that not only had the lifeboatmen berthed Lady-O, they had also removed valuables fron the boat to the lifeboat station for safekeeping.

I often read about rescues which have been carried out and, of course, like most people I assume that it will always happen to someone else.

Wrong - that day it happened to us and I feel that if it had not been for the reassurance over the VHP from the lifeboat we may not have made it. We owe our lives to the crew of the Girvan lifeboat and for that we will be forever grateful.

T P Haggart, L Beattie, Glasgow THE LIFEBOAT welcomes readers' letters on all aspects of lifeboats and related subjects.

Write to the Editor, RNLI, West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset BH15 1HZ.