The Royal Life Saving Society UK has a rich and fascinating history. Although the Society is constantly evolving and looking to the future, we still like to recognise and look back at its heritage.

This is why from now on we will be looking back and featuring various snippets from the past every Memory Monday. We hope you enjoy and feel free to share your stories and photos with us.  

Memory Monday #1 – 02/09/2013

It was lovely to see that the King was impressed by the Society’s success in 1926 when he read our annual report detailing the fact that our awards taken had risen to 37,899 that year.  It is great to know that the continued efforts of everyone involved in the Society’s activities gave a figure of 161,508 awards taken for 2012!

Annual Report 1926

Extract from the Royal Life Saving Society Annual Report 1926

Memory Monday #2 – 09/09/2013

Just before 5am on August 20^th 1966 Jack Milne Easton of Scotland would have had no idea that all his life saving skills and knowledge would suddenly, and very dramatically, be called upon. None of us know if our skills in life saving will ever be needed, but it is good to know that should we find ourselves in difficulty we can not only save our own life but that of others too. Without the Royal Life Saving Society’s qualifications, Jack’s story could have been very different.

Quarterly Journal of the Royal Life Saving Society UK – Issue No.3 Vol No.2

Photo from Quarterly Journal of the Royal Life Saving Society UK – Issue No.3 Vol No.2

Extract from Quarterly Journal of the Royal Life Saving Society UK – Issue No.3 Vol No.2

Memory Monday #3 – 16/09/2013

Sometimes it’s not about being thanked for saving someone’s life but knowing you are equipped and able to help a person in trouble, a bit like the unknown rescuer in the clip from our 1968 Quarterly Journal.

Quarterly Journal of the Royal Life Saving Society UK – Issue No.1 Vol No.3

Extract from the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Life Saving Society UK – Issue No.1 Vol No.3

Memory Monday #4 – 30/09/2103

There is a wonderfully quaint piece in the ‘Ladies’ Section’ of the Swimming Magazine from June 1914  referring to the chosen attire of a Miss Doreen Lyttle The South African Ladies Amateur champion.  The article was written by a ‘Lady Dorothy’ Her full name was not included, but the top of the article informs us that she was an expert swimmer who thoroughly understood her subject!  There seems, at the time to be great interest in Miss Doreen Lyttles new fashionable bathing garment, but it did come with advice and modifications to protect ones modesty.

Miss Doreen Lyttle