LIFEBOAT SERVICE

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 127, 31 May 1934, Page 8

LIFEBOAT SERVICE

COURAGE RECOGNISED

PRINCE AND HEROES

THE MEANING OF A MEDAL

(From "The Post's", Representative.)

LONDON, April 24

The Prince of "Wales, suppoited by Ambassadois and Ministers of thirteen foreign -ountnes, ttlioso ships had. helped during the -wax, presided at the annual meeting of the Koyal National Lifeboat Institute and spoke. That was in the afternoon. In the evening ho deln ercd another speech as Mastei of the Honourable Companj of Slastci Manners, and recened a great welcome when hef remarked: "The sea al•v\ajs v.is and ahvajs will be, a man's calling "— At the earlier function the Prince said that in the three years since he last presided at their meeting the life boat-service had added over 1000 lives to the record of those it had saved. "The total is now over 63,500," the Prince continued. "We are so used to thinking in millions when it comes to money that it is not easy to realise what a very largo number 63,500 is when we are thinking of lives. This hall holds less than 3000 people. If we were able to bring'together all those whoso lives had been saved from shipwreck round; our coasts since the institution was founded, we should need twentj-tliree halls as large as this, jiid every seat would be filled. "Wo are grateful to the lifeboat service for many things, for its self-sacri-fice, for the hundreds of lues which each,jear it saves fiom death, for the examples which each jcar it gi\es of friendship between nations, by its services to foreign But there is another thing for which I tlunk that ■we ±eel e\cn more giatcful at the present time, jlt is a very cheering thing to look at,the lifeboat service, to recall the courage of its men, the risks they take, their wonderful success No one could meet them, or read of their work, without feeling'that they do not know the meaning of doubt or despair. They put courage into us all." (Cheers ) A WIDOW'S GOLD MEDAL.

Tho gold medal of the Eoyal National Lifeboat Institution—"the VC. of the service," as the Prince described it—nas presented to Mrs. Patton, of Eunswick, "Yorkshire, whose husband, Co\s\vain Patton, gave his lite in saving that of a cupple, when the salvage ship Sispe'-ser sank in a gale Coxswain Henry Blogg, who was decorated -with the silver medal, has equalled a record that has stood for eighty-fivej years, by twice winning both the gold and siver medals. His feat has been equalled only twice in. the 110 years' history of the institution. "When I pin the medale on the 'coats of t£ese lifeboatmen," said the Prince, "I know we want them and their comrades to think the ceremony is f an expression of our gratitude for their voluntary service, and admiration, for their courage and the risks they run, and the success they win in face oft the elements. I want them to know that we think of their work and Belfsaenfice for ships rin distress, as an example of all that is noblest and best in jithe 'British race. ', '/Lord Mottistone made a very suc'cessfnl .appeal for the institution on the.fTirir'e)eßß Some weeks ago, and I am told thaj; the^moat touching thing in all the thousands of replies was tho number of old age pensioners who sent gifts out of their ips a week. Gifts such as those have a value far beyond the value of tho entry in the institution's ledgers "

Sir Godfrey Barm, in. moving a vote of thanks to the Prince, humorously I suggested'that if his Royal Highness developed a .little engine trouble in a 'seaplane within a suitable distance of one of the lifeboat stations, and allowed himself to be brought ashore by a motor lifeboat, then ho (Sir Godfrey) could say -with confidence that the I .financial antieties o"f the institution, would be allayed for many jears to come.