Peter MacDonald Fulton Peter Fulton passed away after a long illness on 6 March 2003, aged 76. Peter, a trainer for ICI and the RNR, created structured training for lifeboat crew vital at a time when recruits increasingly came from non-seafaring backgrounds.

His first training package for the lifeboat service was a communications instruction and procedures handbook. In order to appreciate the lifeboatman's working conditions, he went out in Watson and D class lifeboats. Once was enough and this gave him a lifelong respect for lifeboatmen.

Having proved his radio course, it was decided to introduce a mobile training unit (MTU) to deliver the training to stations. Peter persuaded the works engineer at ICI to allow the senior apprentices to fit a caravan out as a voice trainer. Not long after the MTU was completed, Peter was given a sabbatical by ICI and spent 6 months on the road instructing and getting to know the volunteer crews.

Peter then moved on to produce a radar observers course and wrote handbooks for each class of lifeboat. This brought him into contact with many technical staff who, like all lifeboatmen that met him, had great respect for Peter's ability to collect huge amounts of information, sift it and sort it and produce very readable handbooks.

Peter was proud to be a lifeboat volunteer, but insisted that he was not as important as the crew. However, his dedication and patience, and the sheer volume of work that he produced, has influenced virtually every lifeboat crew member. He has been a hugely important factor in the lives of thousands of volunteers. He was also the President of the Blackwood fundraising branch from its inception.

The lifeboat service has a number of awards to thank volunteers.

The highest of these is Honorary Life Governor, which was conferred on Peter in 1995. In 1998, the RNLI's first dedicated training lifeboat was named Peter and Marion Fulton.

The RNLI would be the poorer but for the work and friendship of Peter over the last 30 years, a truly remarkable man who never allowed success to make him forget his roots. He could not have done what he did without huge support and encouragement from Marion his wife, Bert his sister, and sons Michael, Anthony and all their families. Peter's name will live on in the work he has left behind..