THE LIFE-BOAT The Journal of the Royal National Life-boat Institution VOL. XXXIV DECEMBER, 1956 No. 378 THE LIFE-BOAT FLEET 155 Motor Life-boats 1 Harbour Pulling Life-boat LIVES RESCUED from the foundation of the Life-boat Service in 1824 to 30th September, 1956 80,491 Notes of the Quarter THE summer months of 1956 were increase in work has come at a time exceptionally arduous ones for the when a helicopter service is already crews of life-boat stations all round well established around our coasts. the coasts of Britain and Ireland. It The figures for 1956 offer the most was the busiest July in the whole conclusive answer to those who believe history of the service, with 129 that helicopters are beginning sub- launches compared with the previous stantially to reduce the work of life- record for July of 78 in 1952. August boats. was busier still, with 144 launches compared with the previous record of SERVICES TO YACHTSMEN 113 in August 1940. In July no fewer Of the 107 lives rescued during the than 153 lives were rescued, more than twenty-four hours from the 28th to 100 of them in one period of twenty- the 29th of July no fewer than 88 four hours between the 28th and the were from yachts, a number of those 29th of July. A full account of the rescued being children. A multiplicity activities of this memorable day of services to yachts has been a regular appears on page 322. feature of the work of the life-boats By the end of August more lives had during the summer months for a been rescued by life-boats in 1956 number of years, and it is gratifying than in the whole of 1955, and by the to record that increasing appreciation end of September life-boats had been of the services rendered by life-boats launched on service more often than is now being shown by yachtsmen. in the whole of the previous year. For example, the flag officers and Already during 1956 life-boats have committee of the Royal Ocean Racing been launched on service more often Club expressed to the Institution their than in any other year in time of peace. appreciation of the help given by life- Hitherto the busiest year apart from boats to the yachtsmen who took part 1940 was 1954, with 668 launches on in the Channel race on the 27th of service. This figure was passed when July. The Secretary of the Royal the Flamborough life-boat put out on Ocean Racing Club, in conveying the the 14th of November to escort the committee's decision, stated that the local fishing fleet to harbour. It is club had had many messages of perhaps significant that this huge appreciation. The Council of the 322 THE LIFE-BOAT [DECEMBER, 1956 Royal Yachting Association, in making tickets may be sold by or to anyone a donation, also expressed its appre- under sixteen years of age; and that ciation of "the splendid services the amount allowable for expenses is rendered by life-boat crews to yachts- either the actual amount incurred or men in the past summer." ten per cent of the proceeds, which- ever is the less. District Organising NEW AWARDS FOR HONORARY Secretaries have registered with the WORKERS local authorities concerned for their The Committee of Management has respective areas. The Act provides decided to institute a silver badge as that the total value of all tickets sold an award for honorary workers who or on sale in all lotteries in a registered have given exceptionally long and area shall at no time exceed £750. The valuable service to the Institution. Small Lotteries arid Gaining Act, 1956, The silver badge will normally be does not apply to the type of lottery awarded in cases where hitherto the which was legal before the act came award has taken the form of a record into force. of thanks or a statuette. A bar to the gold badge is also to be introduced. NEW PUBLICATION This distinction will rank next in A new booklet entitled The Heroic order to that of appointment as an Story of the Life-boat Service has just honorary life governor, which is the been published by Pitkin Pictorials highest award the Institution can con- Limited. The booklet briefly recounts fer on an honorary worker. the history of the service from the establishment of the first life-boat SMALL LOTTERIES station at Bamburgh in Northumber- The Small Lotteries and Gaming land in the late eighteenth century Act, 1956, which is now in force, will down to the present time. It is pro- enable branches to stage certain lot- fusely illustrated with more than teries on behalf of the Institution eighty photographs showing outstand- which but for the passing of the Act ing services, the progress of design and would have been illegal. A number construction of life-boats and some of of clauses in the Act, however, operate the outstanding coxswains in the to restrict the scope and extent of service's history. Copies (2.9. 6d. each) these lotteries. These clauses provide can be obtained from Life-boat House that no prize shall exceed £100 in or from branches. On every copy amount or value; that the maximum sold through the Institution lOd. goes charge allowable for a ticket is one to the Institution's funds. The book- shilling and that the same charge must let will also be on sale at life-boat be made for every ticket; that no houses in the summer months. Busiest Day in the History of the Life-boat Service BETWEEN the late evening of Saturday, swept the coasts, and the Meteoro- the 28th of July, and Sunday, the logical Office had records of gusts of 29th of July, the Life-boat Service ex- 88 miles per hour. perienced the busiest day in its entire At any time of the year gales of history. this kind would have caused arduous During most of the month of July work for the life-boats, but coming the weather had been bad and the unexpectedly at the height of summer, life-boats had been busy. Then from when many yachts and other pleasure the 25th of July a fairly shallow craft were at sea, they gave rise to no depression began to move eastwards fewer than 52 launches on service across the Atlantic. Late on the within twenty-four hours. At 38 life- 29th it started to deepen quickly and boat stations urgent calls for help next day moved north-eastwards from were received, and the response every- the Scilly Isles. Widespread gales where was magnificent. DECEMBER, 1956] THE LIFE-BOAT 323 107 People Rescued violent. There was so much spray in Life-boats rescued 107 lives on that the air that there was barely any day; 12 other people were landed; visibility. 14 vessels were saved; and 7 vessels Coxswain Douglas Grant brought were helped in other wavs. The most the life-boat up on the port side of the exacting demands were made on life- yacht and put her starboard bow boat stations in the south of England. alongside just forward of the leeboard, The Bembridge, Isle of Wight, life-boat which formed the major obstacle. was called out four separate times in The Maaslust took a big sheer as a sea the twenty-four hours. The Dover, hit her, and the two vessels were Dungeness and Southend-on-Sea life- swept widely apart. boats were each called out three times. Services for which medals for gallantry Sails Blown Away were awarded were carried out by the At this moment another yacht was Selsey, Dover and Dungeness life- sighted to windward. She seemed to boats and by a Whitstable fishing be in even greater difficulties than the boat. Maafihifit. and Coxswain Grant decided At 11.56 on the morning of Sunday, to take off her crew first. This yacht the 29th of July, the Selsey coast- was the Bloodhound. She was lying guard informed the honorary secretary to an anchor, with all her sails blown of the Selsey life-boat station, Mr. ,T. A. away and with a tangle of rigging over Tupper, that a small yacht heading her side. She was washing down towards West Wittering was flying heavily, and all her crew of nine were distress signals. There was a strong on deck. south-westerly gale. Wind speeds of The Bloodhound was lying nearly 45 to 55 knots were recorded at head to wind with the sea on her port Tangmere Meteorological Station, and side. She was just to windward of the owner of a yacht, who was later some rocks. The life-boat's engines rescued by the Selsey life-boat, said were still restricted to 800 revolutions, that his anemometer registered more but Coxswain Grant brought her up than 90 knots at one time. on the Bloodhound's starboard side and held her nearly bow on with the Difficult to Reach Boathouse engines. Both the life-boat and the yacht were taking heavy water over The Selsey life-boat crew had some all. Some of the life-boat's crew difficulty in reaching the boathouse were stationed on the foredeck, and because of the force of the wind. The with their help the seven men and sea was very rough, there were heavy two women on board the Bloodhound rain squalls, and it was two hours were quickly taken off. Coxswain before low water. Grant then took the life-boat astern The Selsey life-boat Canadian Pacific and some of the lines fouling the pro- was launched at 12.10.