100 years ago The summer 1906 issue of the Journal featured an old sea dogliterally - in a report on the Clacton lifeboat, which went to the aid of a wrecked schooner Renner. The schooner's captain had been reluctant to leave his beloved pet dog behind. He begged the Clacton Coxswain to go back to the wreck: 'Coxswain Salmon has a soft spot in his heart for animals. He answered with a tug at the tiller, and the Life-boat was once more heading towards the doomed schooner. At daybreak the Life-boat reached Clacton pier with the crew of the Renner - and the dog.' A rather unusual award for Arbroath crew is mentioned - from His Imperial Majesty the German Emperor, three engraved silver watches and the sum of £20, in recognition of the rescue of five hands of the barque Gesine, which was wrecked near Carnoustie. Such was the effect of cold and exposure, the survivors ...

"... were too feeble to help themselves and with all care they were lifted into the Life-boat, which then made for home. One very pleasing incident of this splendid service was that the members of the Life-boat crew, with noble unselfishness, divested themselves of part of their clothing in order to keep the shipwrecked men warm until Arbroath was reached.' .. 50 years ago Cramer's Henry Blogg lifeboat launched to a sinking ship in rough seas, strong winds and snow. Some of the ship's crew had managed to climb aboard another vessel but eight were missing. The body of one man was found and the lifeboat took it to Great Yarmouth, as the weather was too bad for Henry Blogg to be housed back at Cromer. She finally returned to Cramer the next morning, 12 hours after launching.

In an account of the 1956 RNLI Annual Meeting, the Journal reported that the RNLI's then President, HRH The Duchess of Kent, made awards to four coxswains for lifesaving rescues - and one to a 10-year-old boy: 'The President then presented an inscribed wristlet watch to Robert Cann, ofAppledore, for the rescue, single-handed, in an eighteen-foot rowing boat, of 2 boys who were in danger of drowning on the 16th of August, 1955.' 25 years ago The Annual Meeting of 1981 saw more RNLI Medals for Gallantry awarded, including a Bronze Medal to Lymington Helmsman Alan Coster, after he and his crew went to the aid of a fishing boat in near gale force conditions. Seas were breaking over the fishing vessel, which had lost power and was being driven ashore. Helmsman Coster could not get close enough without putting the Atlantic 21 lifeboat and his crew at risk, so he took matters into his own hands: 'He slid out of the helmsman's seat and over the side while Crew Member Harvey took the helm. Alan Coster, carried towards the shore by the wind and rough seas, swam the 20yards or so to the trawler.' As the helmsman reached the fishing boat, it sank, and the two fishermen jumped into shallow marsh. With his local knowledge of the hazardous area, Helmsman Coster led them across half a mile to a point where the lifeboat could be safely pushed ashore by the other two volunteers. The three men were helped aboard the lifeboat, which was then relaunched and returned to the safety of the lifeboat station.

The guest speaker at the Annual Meeting was Lt Cdr JT Fetherstone-Dilke, then Chief Coastguard. He praised the teamwork of the RNLI and Coastguard: '/ recall one very simple example of this teamwork when the Coastguard of Southend-on-Sea, as dusk was falling, receiveda telephone call from a distraught mother whose errant daughter had put to sea in the Thames Estuary with a young man whose intentions gave rise to serious parental concern.

'The co-operation ofSouthend RNLI was immediately forthcoming, and within minutes, the persuasive personality of the ILB helmsman was sufficient to extract the damsel from her predicament and to leave the disconsolate young man to continue a lone sail through the night.

Well, that service may not have earned an award from the Institution, but it certainly should have added to the membership of Shoreline.'.