On October nth., 1941, the total number of lives rescued by life-boats since the beginning of the war was 4131. That is the exact number which they rescued in the whole of the last war, from 4th. August 1914 to nth. November 19i8. In no weeks of this war life-boats had rescued as many lives as in the 223 weeks of the last war — two lives rescued now for every one rescued then..