THE LIFE-BOAT. The Journal of the Royal National Life-boat Institution. VOL. XXIX. FEBRUARY, 1935. No. 321. THE LIFE-BO AT FLEET Motor Life-boats, 124 :: Pulling & Sailing Life-boats, 48 LIVES RESCUED from the foundation of the Institution in 1824 to February 14th, 1935 - 63,938 The King and the Life-boat Service. By Lieut.-Col. C. R. Satterthwaite, O.B.E., Secretary of the Institution. WHEN the Empire celebrates this been President for fifteen years, was summer the Silver Jubilee of His merged in the Institution, he sent a Majesty the King, the life-boat service message expressing " his deep appre- will celebrate not only the fact that ciation of the generosity and public for these twenty-five years of his reign spirit with which so many men and he has been its patron, but that for women throughout the country had forty-five years he has been associated devoted themselves to a great national with its work, and that for eleven of object in their work for the Life-boat those years he was a member of the Saturday Fund." In the following committee of management of the year Queen Mary, who had been a Institution. Vice-patron since 1902, became a This long association began early in Patron, and throughout their reign 1890, when, as Lieutenant H.R.H. the their Majesties have continued, by Prince George of Wales, K.G., R.N., he their patronage, to show their con- became a Vice-patron. Four years fidence in the Institution. later, as Captain H.R.H. the Duke of That is the brief record of their Yprk,-K.G., R.N., he joined the com- official association with the service, but mittee of management. He remained they have shown their personal interest a member until, in 1901, on the accession in it in many other ways ; they have of King Edward VII to the throne, he met its life-boatmen; they have seen succeeded him as the Institution's its work on the coast. President. In 1902 when the King, as Prince In May, 1895, he gave another proof of Wales, was visiting the Earl of of his interest in the 'service by be- Londesborough in Yorkshire, Coxswain coming President of the Life-boat John Owston, of Scarborough—a silver Saturday Fund, and a year later the medallist of the Institution who, when Duchess of York became President of he retired in 1911, had been coxswain the Ladies' Auxiliary of the Fund. In for forty-one years—was in attendance, that same year, 1896, the Duke pre- and the Prince presented him with two sided at the annual meeting. pipes bearing his monogram. In 1908 He was President of the Institution the Prince received at Marlborough from 1901 until his accession to the House Coxswain John Owen, of Holy- throne in 1910, when he became Patron. head, a silver medallist, and presented Shortly afterwards, when the Life-boat to him the gold medal which the Saturday Fund, of which he had then Institution had awarded him for the 398 THE LIFE-BOAT. [FEBRUARY, 1935. rescue of the crew of the Liverpool Duchess of Argyll, president of the steamer Harold. In 1909 the King Ladies' Life-boat Guild, at a variety and Queen, as the Prince and Princess matinee at the London Hippodrome, of Wales, visited the life-boat station which raised over £1,500. This was at Newquay, Cornwall, and in 1913, the second matinee in recent years the King, during Cowes Week, went a attended by the Queen, for in 1923 trip in the motor life-boat Frederick she had been present when the film Kitchener, just completed for the of the Citroen Expedition, which Beaumaris station, in Anglesey. crossed the Sahara in tracked motor During the war the King sent two cars, was shown in Great Britain for the special messages to the service, one first time, in aid of the Institution. in 1915 and one in 1917, thanking its men for their gallantry and for carrying The King's Tribute and Appeal. on " the splendid traditions of an I do not think that I can better end Institution with which the King is this brief record of the long and proud to have been for so many years generous association of their Majesties so closely identified." with the life-boat service than by In 1924, the centenary year of the quoting the peroration of the King's Institution, the King sent a message speech when he presided at the annual to the delegates of the first Inter- meeting thirty-nine years ago : national Conference, held in London, "As a sailor, I can most un- in which he said : hesitatingly say that I have always " I rejoice that the Prince of Wales taken, and shall continue to take, the succeeded me in the position of greatest interest in this Institution. I President of a society of which I am feel sure that I may speak in the name proud to be Patron, and which has, of the Navy and the merchant service for upwards of one hundred years, and say that we all have the greatest provided, through voluntary support, admiration for the many brave men a service honoured by every maritime who risk their lives in stormy weather people and linking all nations in the to save those of others in peril afloat. chivalry of the sea. " In our sea-girt isles, which are so " May all success attend your largely dependent on our war and deliberations; and I pray that God's merchant ships, the greatest interest blessing may be vouchsafed to all should always be taken by the nation brave men who risk their lives in the in any institution which tries to lessen humane and heroic work of the life- the dangers to which our seamen and boat services of the world." fishermen are daily and hourly exposed. His Majesty also received at " When we think of the number of Buckingham Palace in 1924 seven of vessels arriving at or leaving our ports the eight living holders of the In- every day, and the number of fishing stitution's gold medal for gallantry and boats employed in their occupation off presented them with the medal of the our coasts, I think there must be a Order of the British Empire, and in large majority of us who have a relation 1931 he knighted the Institution's or dear friend afloat for one day in secretary, Mr. George F. Shee. the year at least off our shores. It is The King has been a subscriber to to these that I specially wish to appeal the Institution for many years, and in for funds in order to enable this most 1930 he was present with the Queen, noble Institution to efficiently carry out the Prince of Wales, president of the its glorious work of assisting those in Institution, and the Princess Louise, peril on the sea." Prince of Wales Day for the Life-boats. H.R.H. THE PRINCE or WALES, K.G., as "Prince of Wales Day." It will as President of the Institution, has be remembered that in 1923, the been pleased to say that, in celebration hundredth year of the Institution, the of the King's Silver Jubilee, all life- Prince also allowed the life-boat day boat days this year shall be known appeals to be made in his name. FEBRUARY, 1935.] THE LIFE-BOAT. 399 The Life-boat Service in 1934. The Largest Number of Launches for Fourteen Years. NlNETEEN-THIRTY-FOUR, like 1933, will crew of five men of the Dutch motor be remembered for its long and brilliant vessel Titia, of Dordrecht. The vessel summer. In spite of this it was a year too was saved when in danger of being of great life-boat activity. The number driven ashore. Life-boats were also of launches was 340, the largest number called out to eight other foreign vessels, for fourteen years. The number of but their help was not needed. lives rescued was smaller than in 1933; 354 as compared with 406. Of these Services to Yachts and Fishing Vessels. lives 276 were rescued by life-boats, and 78 by shoreboats and in other The year was notable for the large ways. Besides the 354 persons actually number of services to yachts. Life- saved, another 50 were landed from boats went out to the help of no fewer vessels for rocks on which they might than 54 in distress (43 sailing and 11 have been in danger. motor yachts); rescued 50 lives from In addition life-boats saved or helped them; and saved or helped to save to save from destruction 54 boats 25 of the yachts. and vessels. This is the same number Services to fishing boats, though as in 1932. To find a larger number fewer than in 1933, were again many. we have to go back to 1915. Besides Of the 340 launches, 113 were to fishing saving or helping to save these boats boats. Eighty - two fishermen were and vessels, life-boats stood by, escorted rescued, and 15 fishing boats were to safety or helped over 200. saved or helped to safety. Up to the end of 1933 the Institution had given rewards for the rescue of Five New Motor Life-boats. 63,913 lives since its foundation in 1824. Five new motor life-boats went to the coast during the year—to The Services to Foreign Vessels. Lizard and Coverack (Cornwall), Flam- Life-boats stood by, or helped in borough (Yorkshire), Cromer (Norfolk), various ways, eleven vessels belonging and Maryport (Cumberland).