THE LIFE-BOAT The Journal of the Royal National Life-boat Institution VOL. XXXV DECEMBER, 1960 No. 394 Notes of the Quarter THE December number of the Life-boat, shown in a film ; and an appeal will recording as it does the happenings in be made by Mr. Wynford Vaughan the months of July, August and Septem- Thomas, the well-known broadcaster. ber, invariably has a bulky section If every reader of the Life-boat were to devoted to the detailed accounts of persuade or invite a half-a-dozen friends services by the life-boats, for it is in the to see and hear this appeal, the benefit summer months that the greatest num- to the service could be substantial. ber of services takes place. Once again this year the help given by life-boats to SURVEYS OF LIFE-BOATS yachtsmen and others who have gone to Those closely associated with life- sea for their own pleasure has been boat stations know that it is the continual. During the two months of Institution's practice to take life-boats July and August, for instance, life-boats away from their stations for a thorough put out to the help of yachts and other survey every four years, in addition to pleasure craft no fewer than 76 times ; the normal annual inspection of all there were 41 effective services, and 37 life-boats lying afloat. The average lives were rescued. Yet during July annual cost to the Institution of the there was only one property salvage surveys is over £40,000. One remark- claim for the saving of a yacht, and in able fact that has emerged from an that instance the yacht had been aban- analysis of these costs is that the annual doned by her crew, who had been taken expenditure on surveys is actually less off by another boat. In August there than it was before the war, although were only three property salvage claims wage rates have approximately trebled. in all, and in September only one. The principal reason for this is that Pleasure craft have, of course, given because of the continual changes in rise to only a proportion of the services design and materials the amount of rendered by life-boats during these repair work, which surveys today show summer months. Numerous fishing to be needed, has been greatly reduced. boats were also towed in, refloated or escorted ; sick and injured men were FILMS AND PUBLICATIONS taken off lighthouses and lightvessels ; A new film on the life-boat service, a motor vessel which was drifting near which will be released for general dis- rocks was towed to safety ; a life-boat tribution, is at present in the course of stood by a tanker on fire ; and another production. The film is being made by life-boat was launched to the help of a Independent Artists with the full co- helicopter which had crashed into the operation of the Institution. It will be sea. in colour and will run for approximately half-an-hour. The present provisional TELEVISION APPEAL title is The Green Stars. Much of the The first appeal on behalf of the film is being made at Tenby in Pem- Royal National Life-boat Institution by brokeshire and other parts at Appledore television will be made early next year. and Minehead. Another film being The date is Sunday, 19th February, but shown in cinemas entitled Depth Charge the time cannot yet be stated with cer- features the St. Abbs life-boat. Neither tainty. A number of people who have of these films is at present available for been rescued by life-boats will record branch showings, but a new 12-minute their impressions ; the new life-boat colour film entitled Life-boat Call, station on the Lizard peninsula will be which depicts a service by the Southend 524 THE LIFE-BOAT [DECEMBER, 1960 life-boat and shows life-boats under VISIT TO FREN'CH LIFE-BOAT construction. is now available to STATION branches. On the 27th of August, 1960, a A revised edition of the illustrated courtesy visit to the Calais life-boat 2s. 6d. booklet published by Pitkin station was paid by the Walmer life- Pictorials Ltd. entitled The Pictorial boat, the Calais life-boat having been Story of the Life-boat Service and its present at the naming of the new Heroes has recently been put on sale. Walmer life-boat last year. The Mayor On all copies sold by branches the of Calais presented Coxswain Frederick Institution makes a profit of lOd. Upton with a plaque in recognition of Routledge & Kegan Paul will be past services to the crews of French publishing in the spring How Men Are vessels in the Channel. Two other ex- Rescued From The Sea by Patrick life-boats with their owners aboard Howarth. This work traces the history accompanied the Walmer boat. One and describes the work of all the was the former Walmer life-boat, which organisations concerned with safety and is now owned by Mr. H. Schermuly, rescue at sea including Trinity House, President of the Walmer branch ; the the Coastguard, the Air/Sea Rescue other was the former Poolbeg boat Service, the Royal Life-Saving Society now owned by the Secretary of and other bodies as well as the Royal the Institution, Lieut.-Colonel Charles National Life-boat Institution. Earle. Portrait on the Cover THE portrait on the cover is of Cox- trailing from her to leeward, Cox- swain Sidney Cann of Appledore, who swain Cann took the life-boat under was appointed bowman in 1922, became her lee and succeeded in bringing off second coxswain in 1931 and has been her whole crew. For this service he coxswain since 1933. Since he became was awarded the bronze medal for a boat's officer Appledore life-boats gallantry. Five years later, in Novem- have been launched on service 119 times ber 1949, twenty-four sailors were and have rescued 105 lives. rescued from the Spanish steamer In 1944 the Appledore life-boat Monte Gurugu in a service in which the rescued the crew of seven of a concrete [Ifracombe, Appledore and Cloveily harbour unit, one of the concrete life-boats all put out. For this service caissons used for building the break- Coxswain Cann received a second water of the invasion port on the coast service clasp to his bronze medal. of Normandy, in a south-westerly gale. The photograph is reproduced by Although the craft was rolling heavily courtesy of the Western Times Co. and two broken towina wires were Ltd. THE LIFE-BOAT FLEET 153 Life-boats LIVES RESCUED from the foundation of the Life-boat Service in 1824 to 30th September, 1960 - 82,825 DECEMBER, 1960] THE LIFE-BOAT 525 Three Stations Celebrate Centenaries THE hundredth anniversary of the of July, 1960. A similar ceremony foundation of life-boat stations at took place at Whitehills, Banffshire, in Thurso and Whitehills in Scotland, and the Boyndie parish church on the 28th at Portrush in Northern Ireland, have of August, when Lord Saltoun once recently been celebrated. again presented a certificate. At Thurso Lord Saltoun, a member The Lord Mayor of Belfast, Alder- of the Committee of Management of man R. G. C. Kinahan, presented the the Institution and Chairman of the vellum voted to the Portrush station at Scottish Life-boat Council, presented a ceremony in Portrush harbour on the the certificate inscribed on vellum, 3rd of September, 1960, after a short which the Committee of Management service of re-dedication. Commander had voted, at a church service held at A. J. O'B. Twohig represented the the Royal National Mission to Deep Committee of Management of the Sea Fishermen at Scrabster on the 31st Institution. Boy and Uncle Rescued by Boatman ON the morning of the 12th of June, on the lilo and that he had been trying 1960, an eight-year-old boy, who was on to swim out to help. an inflatable rubber lilo, was seen being Mr. Smith continued the search for carried down Wells channel on the the boy, and at 12.10 found him in Norfolk coast by wind and tide. The the water face downwards. He turned time then was 11.30, two hours after the boat head on into the wind and high water. The weather was over- current and allowed her to drift down, cast with a south-south-westerly wind towards the boy, who was then hauled of gale force and a choppy sea, and the on board. At this time the boat was ebb tide with an off shore wind was very near the bar. She was in about running fast down the narrowing ten feet of water and there was a short, channel between the exposed banks on steep, confused sea, but by his careful either side. The boy was being carried handling of the boat Mr. Smith did out towards the bar. not take any weight of water on About 11.40 Mr. E. B. Smith of board. Wells, who regularly ferries people across the channel, was landing some Learnt from Television Programme visitors to the north-west of the The evening before Mr. Smith had life-boat station. There a member of seen a television programme illustrating the St. John Ambulance Brigade told the Holger Nielsen method of artificial him that someone was in trouble in the respiration, and handing the tiller to channel. Mr. Smith asked for this the uncle with instructions to beach information to be given to the life-boat the boat, he began to try to revive the station, but decided to put out at once boy.