THE LIFE-BOAT The Journal of the Royal National Life-boat Institution VOL. XXXIII DECEMBER, 1953 No. 366 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 October 31st, 1953 78,410 Notes of the Quarter First Shore-boat Award of the Year probably by no means all of the Insti- Two Scarborough fishermen, Mr. tution's supporters, are aware. Al- William Pashby and his eighteen-year- though the building, manning and old son of the same name, are the first administration of the fleet of 155 two men who are not members of life- motor life-boats form the Institution's boat crews to win awards made by the main tasks, the recognition and re- Institution this year. The elder Mr. warding of acts of life-saving at sea by Pashby is the skipper of the fishing other boats stationed around the boat Courage, On the 8th of July, shores of the British Isles is another 1953, the crew of the Courage, when of the duties which it has always they were off Hayburn Wyke, saw a undertaken. In 1952, 103 lives were man on a rock waving for help. The saved by what are known in the Courage could not get nearer than 100 Institution as shore-boat rescues. One yards to him, and the younger Mr. of these rescues led to the award of the Pashby swam towards him with a raft. bronze medal of the Institution to a The man had been injured and lost fifteen-year-old boy, Mr. Tony consciousness, and the elder Mr. Metcalfe. Pashby then swam out to give help too. They hauled the injured man on The Search for Aircraft to the raft and paddled it towards a After the busiest peace-time winter speed boat which had by then been in the whole history of the Institution, sent to help. Both Mr. Pashby and life-boats were again in constant de- his son were awarded the thanks of mand during the summer of 1953. In the Institution inscribed on vellum. the six summer months from the 1st Monetary awards were paid to the of April to the 30th of September life- whole crew of the Courage, to the crew boats were launched on service 332 of another fishing boat Rachel, which times. They rescued 178 people. also put out to help, and to the crew Once again a high proportion of of the speed boat. these launches were made either to This act of gallantry calls attention help yachts or to search for possible to one aspect of the Institution's work, survivors from aircraft. Life-boats of which few of the general public, and went out to the help of yachts 86 times 590 THE LIFE-BOAT [DECEMBER, 1953 and to search for survivors from air- activity was organised. On one day craft 40 times. The percentage of there was a horse gymkhana and an launches caused by crashes or reported open air dance; on the flag day and the crashes of aircraft has thus been about day of the house-to-house collection 12 per cent of the total number of there was a treasure hunt and a showing launches. Considered in terms of of films. There were also brass and rewards paid to crews, however, the pipe band performances, a highland percentage is as high as 18, for dancing display, a whist drive, a searches for survivors from aircraft barn dance and a garden fete. A life- usually mean that life-boats must be boat rescue display, followed by trips at sea for many hours. Unfor- in fishing boats, was also organised. tunately, although the demands made One of the successes of the week on the life-boats by reports that air- was the production of a cookery book craft have crashed into the sea are with recipes provided by a variety of considerable, the results in terms of experts, including a kitchen-maid in lives rescued are inevitably unimpres- the service of Queen Elizabeth, the sive. Whereas 86 launches to the Queen Mother, and the housekeeper help of yachts resulted in the rescue at the Queen Mother's Castle of Mey. of 87 lives, not a single life was saved The whole edition of a thousand was by life-boats searching for aircraft. sold within five days for 2s. 6d. a copy. The life-boats have worked in close Although the Ladies' Life-boat co-operation with the Royal Air Force, Guild provided the main impetus, the and their work in this respect has been work done by the coxswain and crew highly praised. In a letter to the of the life-boat in helping to raise Chief Inspector of H. M. Coastguard money was also remarkable. The in September of this year it was stated crew gave up time every day to help that "the Headquarters Rescue Co- at the various functions, and a number ordination Centre take the oppor- of them who are fishermen lost a week's tunity of placing on record their high fishing in order to do this. esteem for the efficiency and co- The Chairman of the Committee of operation afforded by the life-boat Management, Sir Godfrey Baring, crews." The lack of positive results sent a letter of congratulations to the in picking up survivors can only be Thurso branch stating: "The Institu- deplored as a tragic inevitability. tion has every reason to feel proud of the support it receives from Thurso." Thurso's Distinction With over one thousand financial John Terry's Death branches working constantly to raise The sudden death on the 21st of money for the service, it is seldom that August, 1953, of John Terry at the age the Institution has occasion to single of fifty was a tragedy deeply felt by out a particular branch for the work his many friends and by countless it has done. But the achievements people associated with the Life-boat this year of Thurso in Caithness-shire Service. Since 1935 when he joined are certainly exceptional. The popu- the Institution John Terry worked un- lation of the burgh of Thurso was sparingly, and the wonderful support shown in the 1951 census as 3,203, given to the Life-boat Service through- and that of the civil parish, which in- out the London area is a tribute to the cludes the burgh as 4,210. Yet in the work he did. But he was much more life-boat week held from the 2nd of than merely an able and energetic August to the 8th of August the sum worker for the cause which he sup- of £1,100 was raised. This figure is ported so keenly. He was a man of particularly stiking, because in the great charm and of great kindness. whole of 1952 Thurso raised only £65 A memorial service was held in for the service. Thursley parish church on the 24th of There is no doubt that the recon- August. Among those who attended stitution of the Ladies' Life-boat were three members of the Committee Guild in February, 1953, has had of Management, Captain Guy D. Fan- much to do with this success. Every shawe, Mr. T. O. Gray and Colonel the day during life-boat week some special Hon. Harold Robson, the Secretary DECEMBER, 1953] THE LIFE-BOAT 591 and past and present members of the "not a pecuniary one," but that his staff, and honorary workers who had object was "only the saving of life." come in many cases considerable dis- He pointed out that "life preservers," tances to be present. Those who were which he described in detail, were there will remember and may have carried in the steam boats on the Mis- echoed the words of the vicar, the Rev. sissippi River in accordance with a law H. G. French, when he said: "The of the Congress of the United States Life-boat Service and the Church were requiring all steam vessels carrying the two great and abiding interests in passengers to be supplied with one for John Terry's life." each passenger carried. He suggested Following so soon on the retirement that a law should be introduced in of Mr. Charles Vince and Mr. R. C. Britain compelling all vessels to carry Baverstock, John Terry's death has such life preservers. The correspon- meant that the three chief officials sup- dence on life preservers was continued porting the Secretary on the adminis- by others. trative side have been lost to the It was in the same year that the Institution within two months. As a President of the Board of Trade, servant of the Life-boat Institution he Thomas Cardwell, introduced the bill will be greatly missed; as a friend and which became the Merchant Shipping as a delightful companion he will be Act of 1854. This was a comprehen- remembered kindly by thousands. sive act consolidating earlier legislation and making provision for the protec- Letters from Our Readers tion of passengers as well as the A feature which it is hoped to protection and welfare of seamen. In introduce—or rather revive—in The particular it specified the number and Lifeboat is the publication of letters nature of ships' life-boats and life- from readers. Such letters were a buoys to be carried. regular feature of earlier Journals. Letters from readers should be The first letter to be published in the addressed to the editor of the Life-boat Journal appeared in 1854 and came Journal and not, as in normal corres- from New Orleans.