Services by the Life-boats of the Institution

and by Shore-boats during 1939

During the year life-boats were launched 685 times. Of theselaunches 200 were to vessels and aeroplanes in distress through

attack by the enemy or from other causes due to the war. Warwas declared at eleven in the morning of the 3rd of September.

The Record Month by Month

1939

January .

February .

March . .

April . .

May . .

June . .

July . .

August . .

September* .

October .

N o v e m b e r .

D e c e m b e r .

Totals . . 685 1198

Numbero f

Life-boatLaunches

LivesRescued

byLife-boats

Vesselswhich

Life-boatsSaved orHelpedto Save

50 35 7

18 8 1

37 12 3

27 5 2

18 30 2

29 54 8

47 31 3

37 13 5

52 115 4

107 107 7

120 460 19

143 328 13

I74 209

* War was declared at 11 a.m. on the 3rd of September.1

LivesRescued

byShore-boats

4

3

3

5

20

23

11

26

27

87

Fifty Medals for GallantryST. IVES, CORNWALL

On the 23rd January, 1939, seven members of the crew of eight of the St. Iveslife-boat were lost when the boat capsized while on service to an unknown vessel.

COXSWAIN THOMAS COCKING was posthumously awarded the bronzemedal.

BOWMAN MATTHEW S. BARBER, acting as second coxswain, was post-humously awarded a clasp to his bronze medal.

LIFE-BOATMAN WILLIAM B. BARBER, acting as bowman, was post-humously awarded a clasp to his bronze medal.

MOTOR MECHANIC RICHARD Q. STEVENS was posthumously awardedthe bronze medal.

ASSISTANT MOTOR MECHANIC JOHN B. COCKING was posthumouslyawarded a clasp to his bronze medal.

SIGNALMAN JOHN THOMAS was posthumously awarded a clasp to hisbronze medal.

LIFE-BOATMAN EDGAR BASSETT was posthumously awarded the bronzemedal.

LIFE-BOATMAN WILLLAM FREEMAN was awarded the bronze medal.

CLOUGHEY, CO. DOWN

On the 17th-18th June, 1939, the Cloughey life-boat rescued a salvage party ofeleven men from the S.S. Arantzazu-Mendi, of Bilbao.

COXSWAIN ROBERT YOUNG was awarded the silver medal.MOTOR MECHANIC GEORGE YOUNG was awarded the bronze medal.

CROMER, NORFOLK

On the 9th October, 1939, the Cromer life-boat rescued the crew of twenty- nine of the S.S. Mount Ida, of Piraeus.

COXSWAIN HENRY G. BLOGG was awarded a second clasp to his silvermedal.

SECOND COXSWAIN JOHN J. DAVIES was awarded a second clasp to hisbronze medal.

MOTOR MECHANIC HENRY W. DAVIES was awarded a clasp to hisbronze medal.

ASSISTANT MOTOR MECHANIC JAMES W. DAVIES was awarded aclasp to his bronze medal.

THE HUMBER, YORKSHIRE

On the 10th October, 1939, the Humber life-boat rescued the crew of nine of thesteam trawler Saltaire, of Grimsby. Later the men returned to their ship, with theowner’s agent, and seven were rescued a second time by the life-boat, the otherthree being rescued from the shore.

COXSWAIN ROBERT CROSS was awarded a second clasp to his silvermedal.

MOTOR MECHANIC JOHN S. MAJOR was awarded the bronze medal.2

SERVICES 1939 3

WALTON AND FRINTON, ESSEX

On the 14th October, 1939, the Walton and Frinton life-boat rescued the crewof three of the barge Estrel, of London.

COXSWAIN THOMAS H. BLOOM was awarded the silver medal.SECOND COXSWAIN WALTER J. OXLEY was awarded the bronze medal.ASSISTANT MOTOR MECHANIC FRASER T. BACON, acting as motor

mechanic, was awarded the bronze medal.SIGNALMAN FREDERICK J. WILLIAMS was awarded the bronze medal.

WHITBY, YORKSHIRE

On the 12th November, 1939, the Whitby life-boat rescued the crew of eighteenof H.M. Minesweeper Cape Comorin.

COXSWAIN JAMES MURFIELD was awarded the silver medal.LIFE-BOATMAN JOHN R. DRYDEN, acting as second coxswain, was

awarded the bronze medal.MOTOR MECHANIC JAMES PHILPOT was awarded the bronze medal.

YARMOUTH, ISLE OF WIGHT

On the 14th November, 1939, the Yarmouth life-boat rescued the crew of twelveof one of H.M. Trawlers.

CLACTON-ON-SEA, ESSEX

On the 19th November, 1939, the Clacton-on-Sea life-boat rescued the crew oftwo of the smack Charlotte Ellen of Tollesbury, and the crew of two of the bargeLorna, of London.

COXSWAIN CHARLES R. ELLIS was awarded the silver medal.

BLACKPOOL, LANCASHIRE

On the 26th November, 1939, the Blackpool life-boat rescued the six survivorsof the crew of the Mersey pilot boat Charles Livingstone.

COXSWAIN WILLIAM R. PARR was awarded the silver medal.MOTOR MECHANIC THOMAS E. RIMMER was awarded the bronze

medal.

LYTHAM-ST. ANNES, LANCASHIRE

On the 26th November, 1939, the Lytham-St. Annes life-boat got alongside theMersey pilot boat Charles Livingstone, but the men on board, who were rescuedlater by the Blackpool life-boat, refused to leave her.

COXSWAIN JOHN J. PARKINSON was awarded the silver medal.MOTOR MECHANIC GEORGE HARRISON was awarded the bronze

medal

4 SERVICES 1939

DOVER, KENT

On the 26th November, 1939, the Dover life-boat rescued the crew of sixteen ofH.M. Trawler Blackburn Rovers.

COXSWAIN COLIN H. BRYANT was awarded the silver medal.

LIEUTENANT RICHARD WALKER, R.N.R., Assistant King’s HarbourMaster, was awarded the bronze medal.

SECOND COXSWAIN SIDNEY T. HILLS was awarded the bronze medal.

MOTOR MECHANIC WILFRED L. COOK was awarded the bronze medal.

MOTOR MECHANIC CHRISTIAN R. T. STOCK was awarded the bronzemedal.

GREAT YARMOUTH AND GORLESTON, NORFOLK

On the 2nd December, 1939, the Great Yarmouth and Gorleston life-boatrescued the crew of ten of the steam trawler Resolvo, of Grimsby, on AdmiraltyService.

COXSWAIN CHARLES A. JOHNSON was awarded a second clasp to hisbronze medal.

BROUGHTY FERRY, ANGUS

On the 5th December, 1939, the Broughty Ferry life-boat rescued the crew ofnine of the steam trawler Quixotic, of Aberdeen.

COXSWAIN JAMES COULL was awarded the silver medal.

SECOND COXSWAIN GEORGE B. SMITH was awarded the bronze medal.

MOTOR MECHANIC JOHN GRIEVE was awarded the bronze medal.

SALCOMBE, DEVON

On the 7th-8th December, 1939, the Salcombe life-boat rescued the sixty-twosurvivors of the S.S. Tajandoen, of Amsterdam, from the S.S. Louis Shied, ofAntwerp, which had gone ashore after picking up survivors of the Tajandoen,sunk by enemy action.

COXSWAIN EDWIN W. DISTIN was awarded the silver medal.

SECOND COXSWAIN EDWIN CHANT was awarded the bronze medal.

BOWMAN GERALD SHEPHERD was awarded the bronze medal.

MOTOR MECHANIC JOHN ALLEN was awarded the bronze medal.

ASSISTANT MOTOR MECHANIC PHILIP E. CHANT was awarded thebronze medal.

SIGNALMAN GEORGE J. LAKE was awarded the bronze medal.

LIFE-BOATMAN JOHN FIELD was awarded the bronze medal.

LIFE-BOATMAN THOMAS CHEESEMAN was awarded the bronze medal.

SERVICES 1939 5

TORBAY, DEVON

On the 16th December, 1939, the Torbay life-boat rescued the crew of seven ofthe motor schooner Henrietta, of Truro.

COXSWAIN WILLIAM H. H. MOGRIDGE was awarded a clasp to hissilver medal.

SECOND COXSWAIN WILLIAM PILLAR was awarded the bronze medal.BOWMAN FREDERICK C. SANDERS was awarded the bronze medal.MOTOR MECHANIC RICHARD T. HARRIS was awarded the bronze

medal.

SERVICES 1939 11

Time of1939

Nov. 12.Launching7.10 p.m.

,, 12. 9.30 p.m.

,, 13. 7.25 a.m.

,, 13. 11.30 a.m.

,, 13. 7.10 p.m.,, 13. 11.20 p.m.,, 14. 8.0 p.m.,, 14. 9.15 p.m.,, 15. 4.40 a.m.,, 15. 11.50 a.m.,, 16. 5.30 a.m.,, 16. 1.10 p.m.

,, 17. 12 noon.

,, 19. 4.0 a.m.

,, 19. 5.17 a.m.

,, 19. 8.56 a.m.,, 19. 10.58 a.m.

,, 20. 10.45 a.m.,, 21. 1.17 p.m.

,, 22. 9.20 a.m.,, 22. 11.45 p.m.,, 23. 8.25 a.m.,, 23. 10.5 a.m.,, 23. 12.50 a.m.,, 24. 9.12 a.m.,, 24. 12.10 a.m.

,, 24. 10.25 p.m.,, 25. 11.30 p.m.,, 25. 4.30 p.m.

Personsrescued from

shipwreckS.S. Fireglow, of London, and S.S. Deerpool, of West Hartle-

pool. Humber life-boat saved S.S. Fireglow, and rescued 34from S.S. Deerpool, including 4 from a tug’s crew- - - - 34

S.S. Appledore. Lowestoft life-boat took out letter from navalauthorities.

Fishing boat Sea Queen, of Hastings. Hastings life-boat savedboat and rescued - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2

Fishing coble Royal Empire, of Whitby. Whitby No. 2pulling life-boat escorted coble.

S.S. Matra, of Liverpool. Margate life-boat - - - - - 52S.S. Matra, of Liverpool. Margate life-boat - - - - - 1S.S. Georgios, of Piraeus. Humber life-boat - - - - - - 22H.M. Trawler. Yarmouth (Isle of Wight) life-boat - - - 12S.S. Alaska, of Havre. Selsey life-boat saved ship’s boat.S.S. Woodstown. Margate life-boat landed 4.S.S. Veloce, of Napoli. Dungeness life-boat stood by vessel.Motor fishing boat Margaret, of Minehead. Minehead life-boat

saved boat and rescued - - - - - - - - - - - 3Fishing boat Pride and two cobles, of Scarborough. Whitby

No. 1 life-boat escorted boats.Auxiliary smack Charlotte Ellen, of Tollesbury. Clacton-on-

Sea life-boat - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 3Barge Cetus, of London. Aldeburgh No. 1 life-boat saved

barge and rescued - - - - - - - - - - - - 2Sprit barge Lorna, of London. Clacton-on-Sea life-boat - - 2S.S. Roxby, of West Hartlepool. Walmer life-boat landed an

injured man.H.M. Minesweeper Mastiff. Margate life-boat landed 4.S.S. Terukuni Maru, of Tokio. Walton and Frinton life-boat

saved ship’s boat.S.S. Fianona, of Genoa.S.S. Elena R., of Syra.

Walmer life-boat stood by vessel.Weymouth life-boat landed 24.

French naval trawler. St. Peter Port life-boat gave help.Margate life-boat warned shipping of dangerous area.Trawler Sulby, of Fleetwood. Tobermory life-boat landed 5.S.S. Mangalore, of Liverpool. Humber life-boat - - - - 58S.S. Lightfoot. of Newcastle. Clacton-on-Sea life-boat stood

by vessel. S.S. Pegu, of Glasgow. New Brighton No. 1 life-boat - - - 103H.M. Trawler Gaul. Lytham St. Annes life-boat - - - - 15Auxiliary barge Lady Dorothy, of Ipswich. Clacton-on-Sea

life-boat stood by boat.,, 26. 7.15 a.m. H.M. Trawler Gaul.

9:259.15 a.m.)

Lytham St. Annes life-boat gave help.

,, 26. a.m.,, 26. 10.0 a.m.

Folkestone light-vessel. Walmer life-boat escorted vessel.H.M. Trawler Blackburn Rovers. Dover life-boat boarding

boat- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 16Pilot boat Charles Livingstone, of Liverpool. Blackpool life-

b o a t - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 6Barge Five Sisters. Southend-on-Sea life-boat stood by vessel.The Coningbeg light-ship. Kilmore life-boat landed a sick

man.

,, 26. 11.5 a.m.

,, 26. 11.55 a.m.,, 26. 4.0 p.m.

,, 27. 9.40 a.m.

,, 28. 11.15 a.m.,, 28. 4.30 p.m.,, 29. 8.10 p.m.

,, 30. 10.10 a.m.,, 30. 11.35 a.m.,, 30. 6.15 p.m.

Dec. 1. 10.0 a.m.,, 1. 11.5 a.m.,, 1. 11.35 a.m.

,, 1. 3.0 p.m.

,, 1. 7.15 p.m.

I 2. 12.35 a.m.

S.S. Spaarndam, of Rotterdam. Southend-on-Sea life-boatsaved a ship’s boat.

S.S. Gustaf E. Rueter of Gothenburg. Lerwick life-boat - - 14S.S. Rubis Law, of Aberdeen. Margate life-boat landed 4.Fishing boat St. Clare, of Arklow. Arklow life-boat saved

boat and rescued - - - - - - - - - - - - - 4S.S. Sheafcrest, of Newcastle., Margate life-boat landed 15.Admiralty S.S. Brichol. Barra Island life-boat gave help.S.S. Ben Glas, of North Shields. Great Yarmouth and

Gorleston life-boat saved vessel and rescued - - - - - 10Trawler Pass-o-Leny. Lytham St. Annes life-boat gave help.S.S. Dalryan, of Newcastle. Margate life-boatFishing boat May, of Sunderland.

- 39Sunderland life-boat saved

boat and rescued - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2S.S. Perth, of Dundee.

vessel.Clacton-on-Sea life-boat stood by

S.S. Realf, of Moss, Norway. Cromer No. 1 life-boat landedcrew of 32 and a prize crew of 10 naval ratings.

Steam trawler Resolvo, of Grimsby. Great Yarmouth andGorleston life-boat - - - - - - - - - - - - 10

Summary of the Year’s Work

Launches of Life-boats.

(Including those in which no service was rendered.

Launches before the outbreak of war on 3rd September - - - Launches after the outbreak of war

266 - - - - - - - - - 419

Total of launches of life-boats - - - - - - 685

Of the 419 launches after the outbreak of war 200 were to vessels and aeroplanes in distress through attack by the enemy, or on account of the war, and 219 were to vessels in distress from other causes.

Lives Rescued.

Lives rescued by life-boats before the outbreak of war - - - Lives rescued by life-boats after the outbreak of war -

197 - - - 1,001

Total of lives rescued by life-boats - - - - - - 1,198

Lives rescued by shore-boats, and in other ways, for whose rescue the Institution gave rewards - - - - - - - - 209

Total of lives rescued - - - - - - - - - - 1,407

Of the 1,001 lives rescued after the outbreak of war 596 were from vessels and aeroplanes in distress through attack by the enemy, or on account of the war, and 405 were from vessels in distress from other causes.

Persons landed.

Persons landed who had been, or might have been, in danger or distress - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 667

Vessels and boats helped.

Vessels and boats which life-boats saved or helped to save from destruction - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 74

Vessels or boats which life-boats stood by, escorted to safety, or helped - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 250

Accounts of Services by Life-boatsJANUARY.

Launches 50. Lives Rescued 35.JAN. 2ND. - WHITBY, YORKSHIRE.

Early in the morning a number of fishingboats went to sea. At about 8.30 A.M. aN.E. gale sprang up and the sea becamerough, broken and dangerous between thepier ends and the Rock Buoy. At 9.30 A.M.the No. 1 motor life-boat Mary Ann Hep-worth was launched, manncd by a scratchcrew, with the second coxswain of the No. 2pulling lifc-boat in charge. The regularmembers of the crew werc at sea in thefishing boats. Some of the boats had a badtime, but by 2 P.M. all the boats, fourteen innumber, had reached safety escorted by thelife-boat.- Rewards, £7 6s. 6d.

JAN. 2ND. - REDCAR, A N D T E E S -MOUTH, YORKSHIRE. At about 9.45 A.M.the coastguard at Marske telephoned that amotor fishing vessel was in distress four milesnorth-east of Huntcliffe. She was the Suc-cess, of Whitby, with a crew of four. Herengine had broken down.breeze was blowing,

A strong N.E.with a rough sea and

squalls of hail. The Redcar motor life-boatLouisa Polden was launched at 10.23 A.M.,and the Teesmouth motor life-boat J. W.Archer at 10.30 A.M. The Louisa Poldenarrived first and found the Success riding toa single anchor. Her main cable had partedand she was dragging. Her crew did not wishto abandon her, and the Redcar life-boat stoodby until the bigger Teesmouth life-boatarrived. Teesmouth then took the Successin tow. The Redcar life-boat returned toher station at 12.35 P.M., and the Teesmouthlife-boat, after towing the Success to Hartle-pool, returned to her station at 3.15 P.M.-Rewards : Redcar, £9 17s. ; Teesmouth,Property salvage case.

JAN.SHIRE.

2ND. - FLAMBOROUGII, YORK-During the morning it was reported

that one of the local motor fishing cobleswas at sea. A N.E. gale was blowing, with avery rough sea and squalls of sleet. Themotor life-boat Elizabeth and Albina Whitleywas launched at 10.50 A.M., and found thecoble, the Pioneer, with a crew of three, aboutone and a half miles north of North Landing.She had just cut away from her gear. Thelife-boat went alongside and life-belts werethrown to the fishermen. She then escortedher in. The life-boat returned to her stationat noon.-Rewards, £15 13s.

JAN. 2ND. - SCARBOROUGII, YORK-SHIRE. Some of the local motor fishingboats were caught at sea by bad weather. AN.E. breeze was blowing, with a rough sea.The Eagle came in and reported that the boatsstill at sea were in danger of being swamped.The motor life-boat Herbert Joy II was

launched at 11.45 A.M. and made three tripsto the N.E. to escort in the Hilda, Relianceand Courage in turn. She returned to herstation at 2.20 P.M.-Rewards, £19 14s. 6d.

JAN. 2ND. - BALLYCOTTON, CO. CORK.At 8 P.M. the life-boat coxswain saw a flareabout three miles south of Ballycotton Light.A moderate W.N.W. breeze was blowing witha heavy swell. The S.S. Innisfallen was insight and as several boats were fishing it wasit first thought that the flare was to indicatethat drift nets were being used. As the flarescontinued the motor life-boat Mary Stanfordwas launched at 8.45 P.M. and found the motordrifter Pre-eminent, of Ballycotton, with acrew of four, towing the motor drifter YankeeGirl, of Ballycotton. The Yankee Girl hadstruck a large shoal of herrings, and while thecrew were hauling their nets aboard thewater had rushed through the exhaust anddisabled the motor. She was still taking inwater through her exhaust and was almostlevel with the water. With the life-boatescorting them, the boats got safely in at10.20 P.M.-Rewards : life-boat, £13 11s. 6d. ;Pre-eminent, £2 10s., with £3 for loss of fishing,and 2s. 6d. for fuel used, together with a letterof thanks to her owner.

JAN. 3RD. - LOWESTOFT, SUFFOLK.During the morning the sailing boat Roust-about, of Lowestoft, left harbour with a crewof four. At 11.30 A.M. the life-boat coxswain,who had gone to the coastguard lookout, sawthe boat drifting towards the Inner Shoal ofthe Newcome Sands, with the crew signallingfor help. A strong N.N.W. wind was blow-ing, with a rough sea. The motor life-boatAgnes Cross was launched at 11.35 A.M., andwent alongside the sailing boat. The crewjumped into her. Their sailing boat wentadrift but, the life-boat picked her up andbrought her in. The rescued, who had had anarrow escape from being drowned, expressedtheir thanks. The life-boat was remooredat 12.35 P.M.-Rewards, £20 18s. 6d.

JAN. 3RD. - THE HUMBER, YORK-SHIRE. At 6 A.M. the watchman at thelife-boat station reported a steam trawleraground on the Trinity Sands.breeze was blowing, with a slight sea.

A N.W.Watch

was kept on the trawler, which was theSpaniard, of Hull, bound for the White Seafishing grounds with a crew of sixteen. Shewas in no immediate danger, but the owners,who had been informed of the position, askedthat the life-boat should go out and stand by.At 11.45 A.M. the motor life-boat City ofBradford II was launched, went to thetrawler, and put on board the owner’s repre-sentative. Shortly afterwards the trawlerwas refloated, with the help of a tug, and thelife-boat returned to her station at 12.50 P.M.-Property salvage case.- -

15

16 SERVICES 1939

JAN. 7TH - CLACTON-ON-SEA. ANDW A L T O N A N D F R I N T O N E S S E X . A tabou t 4 .38 P . M . the Clac ton coas tguardtelephoned that a barge off Holland Sluiceappeared to be in difficulties. Soon after-wards they reported that she was burningflares for help, and the Clacton motor life-boat Edward Z. Dresden was launched at5 P .M. A moderate south breeze was blow-ing, with a moderate sea, and the weatherwas overcast, with fog and rain. The life-boat reached the barge abreast of Frinton.She was the Louise, of Rochester, with twomen on board, bound from London to Ipswichwith a cargo of cotton seed. She had lostboth anchors, her steering-gear had brokend o w n , a n d s h e w a s u n m a n a g e a b l e . T h eClacton life-boat was unable to get her to asafe anchorage without help so signalled forthe Walton motor life-boat E.M.E.D., whichput out at 6.50 P.M. Between them the life-boats towed the L o u i s e to Harwich . TheWalton life-boat returned to her station at11.49 P .M., and the Clacton boat to hers at1 A.M. - Property salvage cases.

JAN. 9TH. - DONAGHADEE, CO. DOWN.Early in the afternoon a man reported thathis son and two other men who had gone outin the motor fishing boat Laura to shoot codl i n e s h a d n o t r e t u r n e d w h e n e x p e c t e d .Strong squalls were blowing from the west,and the sea was choppy. The motor life-boat Civil Service No. 5 put out at 1 P .MShe found the Laura about three miles to thesouth , and escor ted her back to harbourThe motor fishing boat Prospector, of Bally-walter, was then seen. She seemed to be indifficulties and she, too, was escorted in. Thelife-boat returned to her station at 2.15 P.M.-Rewards, £6 17s.

J A N . 9TH. - THURSO, CAITHNESS-S H I R E . F o u r s e i n e n e t f i s h i n g b o a t s -Streamlet, Lea Rig, Fisherboy, and Crest-were overtaken by a sudden N.N.W. gale,with a heavy sea, when fishing about eighteenmiles west of Thurso. The motor life-boatH.C.J. was launched at 3.25 P .M., with thesecond coxswain in charge, and met the boatscoming home. Against the heavy sea andstrong ebb tide the fishing boats made butslow progress. The life-boat escorted themunt i l they reached Scrabs te r Harbour a t6.30 P.M.-Rewards, £l1 3s.

JAN. 11TH. - SUNDERLAND, CO. DUR.HAM. At about 5.30 P .M. a message wasreceived from the South Docks that a vesselclose to the shore was burning red flares. AN.N.E. gale was blowing, with a heavy seaand snow showers . The motor l i fe -boatEdward and Isabella Irwin was launched at6 P.M. and about three miles east of Ryhopecame up with the 2,700-ton Greek steamerGeorge J. Goulandris, of Andros. She hadthen got out of immediate danger, and wanteda pilot to take her into the Wear. The life-boat guided her to the harbour entrance wherea p i lo t was wai t ing , and re tu rned to herstation at 8.30 P.M. Owing to the state of thesea she could not be rehoused until next day,-Rewards, £l7 9s. 6d.

JAN. 16TH. - TORBAY, DEVON. At 6.55P . M . it was reported that the open motor

fishing boat Prince, of Torquay, with threemen on board, was overdue on a trip from Torquay to Brixham, and that owing to thepoor condition of her engine anxiety was feltfor her safety. A moderate south-west galewas blowing, with a rough sea. The motorl i fe -boat G e o r g e S h e e was launched a t7.10 P.M., and helped by the searchlight of asheltering steamer very quickly found thePrince in the middle of Tor Bay. Her crewwere morsing a distress signal. The life-boattowed her to the inner harbour at Brixham,and returned to her station at 7.40 P .M. Aletter of thanks was received from the skipper.-Rewards, £l6 7s.

J A N . 17TH. - ANGLE, PEMBROKE-SHIRE. At 3.50 P .M. the St. Ann’s Headcoastguard reported that a French schoonerwas in distress two miles south of the Head.She was the Eglantine, of Treguier, boundladen f rom Cardi f f for France . A s t rongsouth wind was blowing, with a rough sea,and the weather was thick. The motor life-boat Elizabeth Elson put out at 4 P .M. andcame up with the Eglantine off Thorn Buoy.Her, cargo had shifted and her mainsail hadbeen blown away. The life-boat escorted herto a safe anchorage off Milford, and returnedto her station at 7 P.M.-Rewards, £11 14s. 3d.

J A N . 1 8 T H . - W A L M E R , K E N T . A t5.18 A.M. a message was received from theDeal coastguard that flares had been seenabout six miles south-east from Ramsgate.A strong S.W. breeze was blowing, with aheavy sea and squalls of rain. The motorlife-boat Charles Dibdin (Civil Service No. 2)was launched at 5.50 A.M. and found the ketchyacht Leigh Hall, of London, aground on theGoodwin Sands near South West Buoy, andbumping badly. She was bound from Calaisfor London with a crew of eight. Her enginehad broken down, her sails had been blownaway, and she was on fire, having been setalight by her distress flares. The Deal motorfishing boat Rose Marie came on the scene,and at the coxswain’s request she helped.Three of her crew boarded the burning vessel,put out the fire and helped to bale her. Thelife-boat then got the Leigh Hall clear of thesands and took her in tow for Ramsgate, aidedby the Rose Marie. Ramsgate was reachedat 10 A.M., and the life-boat got back to herstation at 2.30 P.M.

This was a good service carried out indifficult circumstances without damage tothe life-boat. The Committee sent a letterto the branch, commending the coxswain andcrew, and an increase in the usual moneyaward on the standard scale was granted toeach member of the crew. Rewards were alsom a d e t o t h e c r e w o f t h e m o t o r b o a t . -S tandard rewards to the l i fe -boa t c rew,£l2 16s. 6d. ;£5 ;

additional rewards to crew,total rewards to crew and launchers,

£27 13s. 9d. ;£3 10s. ;

to the crew of the Rose Marie,12s. for fuel used, and 12s. for

damage to tow-rope.

J A N . 1 9 T H . - WHITBY, YORKSHIRE.During the morning the fishing fleet put tosea, and by 2 P .M . all but four boats hadreturned. At this time a fresh S.E. breeze

SERVICES 1939 17

was blowing, with a strong sea and a densefog. These conditions made it dangerous forthe boats to enter the harbour, and the No. 1motor life-boat Mary Ann Hepworth waslaunched at 2.45 P.M. to help them in. Shemade three trips in different directions beforeshe had found and escorted them all intoharbour . She re tu rned to her s t a t ion a t5.45 P.M.-Rewards, £11 19s. 9d.

JAN. 19TH -. GOURDON, KINCARDINE-SHIRE. At about 3.30 P .M. a report wasreceived from Johnshaven that the localfishing boats Isa Simpson and Sunbeam wereat sea, and that owing to the bad weatherthey were making for Gourdon instead of theirown harbour . A s t rong S .E . breeze wasblowing, with a heavy surf, and the weatherwas very thick. The motor life-boat Mar-garet Dawson was launched at 4 P.M., and metthe fishing boats off Gourdon. Their skippersdecided, after all, to run for Johnshaven, andthe life-boat escorted them there and sawthem safely into harbour. She returned toher station at 6 P.M.-Rewards, £24 14s. 9d.

J A N . 2 0 T H . - THE HUMBER, YORK-SHIRE. At about 11.30 P.M. the life-boatwatchman reported a vessel ashore on theMiddle Binks. She was the motor vesselPeterborough Trader, of Wisbech, bound forthe Humber. A light, variable breeze wasblowing, with a nasty ground sea, and theweather was misty. The motor life-boat Cityof Bradford II was launched at 11.50 P.M.,and found the Peterborough Trader bumpinghard on the bottom. She stood by her untilshe refloated on the rising tide and went onher way. The life-boat then made for herstation, arriving at 3.15 A.M.-Permanentpaid crew : Rewards, 18s.

JAN. 2lST.. - PENLEE, CORNWALL.Early in the morning the Belgian trawlerPaul Therese, of Ostend, broke from hermoorings in Newlyn Harbour and drifted outto sea. Her crew of six were asleep and un-conscious of their danger. A south-westerlygale was blowing, with a rough sea, and theweather was thick. The news was receivedfrom the coastguard, and the motor life-boatW and S was launched at 4.35 A.M . Shefound the trawler near the rocks betweenPenzance and St. Michael’s Mount and oneof the l i fe -boat . c rew boarded her . Heroused her crew and the life-boat towed herout of danger. Her crew then got the enginegoing and she followed the life-boat clear. Shereturned to Newlyn Harbour, and the life-boat arrived back at her station at 7.15 A.M.-Property salvage case.

J A N . 2 2 N D . - POOLE AND BOURNE-MOUTH, DORSET. At abou t noon in -

formation was received through the coast-guard that the motor launch Snapper, whichwas bound from Hamworthy to Southampton,was in difficulties off Boscombe Pier. A S.W.breeze was blowing with a rough sea. Thenew motor life-boat Thomas Kirk Wright putout on her first service at 12.20 P .M. Shefound that two of the crew of three had leftin the dinghy and reached Boscombe Pier. Alife-boatman was put aboard the Snapper

and she was then towed to Poole by thelife-boat which arrived back at her station at4.15 P.M.-Rewards, £7 15s. 6d.

J A N . 2 3 R D . - WHITBY, YORKSHIRE.During the afternoon a gale was blowingf rom the N.N.W. wi th a heavy sea . Themotor fishing boat Pilot Me was at sea andas she did not return the No. 1 motor life-boatMary Ann Hepworth was launched at 3.20 P.M.She found her about a mile and a half to thenorth and escorted her through the brokenwater to the harbour. The life-boat took onetremendous sea, which buried her from stemto stern.-Rewards, £8 5s. 6d.

JAN. 23RD. - TORBAY, DEVON. Duringthe morning the auxiliary ketch St. Helens,of London, broke f rom her moor ings inBrixham Outer Harbour in a severe N.W.gale, and drove ashore on the beach near thelife-boat station. A motor trawler got heroff the beach, but both vessels went agroundon the breakwater. During the evening the1ife-boat coxswain, who was on the break-water, was hailed by the eight men on boardthe St. Helens. Two were her own crew andthe other six were from the trawler, and wereattempting to salve the St. Helens. They hadno boat in which to land, and no rockets onboard with which to attract attention, andthe i r pos i t ion was dangerous . The motorlife-boat George Shee was launched at 8.49P.M., towed the St. Helens into harbour, andr e t u r n e d t o h e r s t a t i o n a t 9 . 1 0 P . M . -Property salvage case.

J A N . 2 5 T H . - SHOREHAM HARBOUR,SUSSEX. At 11.16 P.M. on the 24th Januarythe coas tguard repor ted a vesse l makingsignals on her siren. The night was mistywi th a l igh t S .S .E . wind and a modera teswell. Later the coastguard reported that avessel was off Lancing with all lights ex-tinguished, and at 12.40 A.M. on the 25th themotor life-boat Rosa Woodd and Phyllis Lunnwas launched to investigate. She found themotor vessel Gerco, of Delfzijl, laden withbricks for Denmark. The captain had losthis bearings and wanted a pilot. The life-boa t escor ted the vesse l to the harbour ,where she took a p i lo t aboard . -Rewards ,£l5 7s. 6d.

J A N . 2 5 T H - ILFRACOMBE, DEVON.During the afternoon anxiety was felt for thesafety of the motor fishing boat Rowena,which had been at sea since 6 A.M. and hadnot re turned wi th the o ther boa ts whichhad put out with her. A N.N.E. gale wasblowing, with a rough and worsening sea.The motor life-boat Rosabella was launchedat 4.5 P.M., and found the Rowena about fourmiles off Combe Martin. She escorted herback to harbour, and returned to her stationat 5.15 P.M.-Rewards, £38 2s. 9d.

JAN. 25TH. - WICK, CAITHNESS-SHIRE.During the afternoon two local fishing boatswere caught a t sea by a s t rong eas te r lybreeze, with a rough sea. They were seenmaking for harbour and the motor life-boatCity of Edinburgh was launched at 3.30 P.M.,and escorted them safely in. She returnedto her station at 4.45 P.M.-Rewards, £5 14s.

SERVICES 1939

J A N . 3 0 T H . - TORBAY, DEVON. TheBerry

JAN . 17TH . - LOWESTOFT, SUFFOLK.

had beeHead coastguard reported that rockets

ward.n seen about eight miles to the east-

A motor trawler had grounded on the New-

A moderate easterly gale was blowing,combe Sands, but she refloated unaided.-Rewards, £27 11s. 6d.

with a heavy swell. At 8.55 P.M. the motorlife-boat George Shee was launched, and foundthe S.S. Brilliant, of Glasgow, with a crew often on board, bound laden from London toDublin. Her rudder had been carried away andshe needed a tug. The life-boat went to fetchone and met one coming out to the steamer.The life-boat stood by and after two hawsershad parted she was asked to help to get theBrilliant in tow. This she did. A third timethe hawser parted, when the Brill iant wasonly about 300 yards from the shore, buteventually the tug got her safely into Brix-ham harbour. The life-boat returned to herstation at 2.10 A.M.-Property Salvage Case.

The following life-boats were launched, butno services were rendered for the reasonsgiven :

J A N . 1 9 T H . - WEYMOUTH, DORSET.Prolonged blowing of a siren had been heardin the direction of the Shambles Light-vessel,b u t n o v e s s e l i n d i s t r e s s w a s f o u n d . -Rewards, £l3 2s. 6d.

J A N . 1 9 T H . -BLYTH, NORTHUMBER-LAND. A local motor fishing boat was over-due, but she got in unaided, after having beendelayed by a fouled propel le r . -Rewards ,£14 9s. 6d.

J A N . 1 9 T H . - BUCKIE, BANFFSHIRE.A motor boat had gone ashore at Lossie-mouth, but her crew were able to scrambleover t h e rocks£10 6s. 3d.

t o s a f e t y . - R e w a r d s ,

JAN. 2ND. - CLACTON-ON-SEA, ESSEX. JAN. 21ST. - WALMER, K E N T . A

A flying-boat had been reported down and in steamer had been heading for the Goodwin

distress. but later it was learned that she was Sands, but changed her course in answer towarning guns from the East Goodwin Light-vessel.-Rewards, £29 0S. 6dsafely at anchor, and the life-boat was recalled

by wireless.-Rewards, £16 5s. 6d.

J A N . 2 2 N D . - T O R B A Y , D E V O N . Amotor fishing boat had gone ashore, but herc r e w r e a c h e d s a f e t y u n a i d e d . - R e w a r d s ,£14 18s. 6d. Six days before she had beenrescued by the Torbay life-boat.

JAN. 7TH. - LYTHAM - ST.ANNE’S, LAN-CASHIRE. A smal l boa t was swamped.One of her crew of two got ashore unaided.The o ther could not be found. -Rewards ,£11 14s.

JAN . 8TH . - CROMER, NORFOLK. Thesteam trawler Imbrin, of La Rochelle, hadstranded on the Haisborough Sands, but gotoff without help.-Rewards, £29 6s. 6d.

J A N . 9 T H . - S E N N E N C O V E , C O R N -W A L L . T h e S e v e n S t o n e s L i g h t - v e s s e lfired rockets, but it was found that she wass igna l l ing for the Tr in i ty House tender . -Rewards, £21 10s.

J A N . 1 0 T H . - YOUGHAL, CO. CORK.Distress flares had been reported, but a longsearch revealed no vessel in need of help.-Rewards, £16 5s. 6d.

J A N . 1 3 T H . - BOULMER, NORTHUM-BERLAND. The Dutch motor vessel Drit-tura had burned a red flare, but it was foundtha t she had done th is by mis take whensignalling for a pilot.-Rewards, £18 15s. 6d.

JAN. 14TH. - DUNBAR, EAST LOTHIAN.A small sailing boat bound from Leith toDunbar was overdue. She took shelter atCockenzie and the life-boat was recalled bywireless.-Rewards, £14 11s. 6d.

J A N . 16TH. - PETERHEAD, ABER-DEENSHIRE. A trawler had run ashore onthe Scaurs of Cruden, but she was refloated andtaken in tow for Aberdeen by another trawler.Unfortunately she had been damaged andon her way to Aberdeen she foundered witht h e l o s s o f h e r w h o l e c r e w . - R e w a r d s ,£13 11s. 6d.

J A N . 2 2 N D . - KIRKCUDBRIGHT. Asteamer had been reported blowing her hornapparently for help, but no trace of any vesseli n d i s t r e s s£23 11s. 6d.

c o u l d b e f o u n d . - R e w a r d s ,

JAN . 22ND . - ABERDEEN. A small boathad been reported capsized at the mouth ofthe River Don, but nothing could be found.-Rewards, £6 17s. 6d.

SEVEN LIFE-BOATMEN LOSTAT ST. IVES

JAN. 23RD. - ST. IVES, CORN-WALL. Three minutes before two inthe morning, the honorary secretarywas rung up by the district officer ofcoastguard, who told him that a vesselwas in a dangerous position two milesnorth-north-east of Cape Cornwall.Cape Cornwall is eleven miles alongthe coast from St. Ives in the directionof Land’s End. A west-north-west galeof exceptional violence was blowing,with a very heavy sea. The life-boatwould have to travel the eleven milesagainst the gale.

Five minutes later the district officer

CES 1939 19

At 4.20 the coastguard at ClodgyPoint saw red flares a mile out at sea.They meant, “ More help needed.”The coastguard life-saving apparatusat St. Ives was ordered out and sentright round St. Ives Bay to GodrevyPoint, on the leeward side of the bay.The Portreath apparatus, from theother side of Godrevy Head, was alsosummoned. At the same time a mes-sage was sent to the Penlee life-boatstation, on the south coast of Cornwall,nearly thirty miles away, calling outthe motor life-boat W and S. Shewas launched at five o’clock.

The people of St. Ives waited for nearlythree hours more, and then, just afterseven o’clock in the morning, came themessage that the life-boat had beenwrecked on the rocks near Godrevylighthouse and that, of her crew of eightmen, only one was alive.

What had happened during thosefour hours since the life-boat had putout we know from the survivor,William Freeman.

THE FIRST CAPSIZE

As she left the shelter of St. IvesHead she met a very heavy sea. Shekept well clear of the headland to avoidthe heavier seas and strong flood tidecloser in, and turned westward. Shewas then running almost in the teethof the gale. When about one and ahalf miles north-north-east of Clodgy

Point, the boat sheered as she camedown a sea. The next struck her onher starboard bow, and she capsized.She was a self-righting boat, and sherighted herself in a few seconds. Whenshe righted herself, four of the eightmen on board were missing, CoxswainThomas Cocking, the acting bowman,William Barber, the signalman, JohnThomas, and one of the crew, EdgarBassett. William Freeman, who wasforward, was in the water before heknew what had happened, but he kepthold of the gunwale and two of theother men dragged him on boardagain.

PROPELLER FOULED

The engine had shut off when thelife-boat capsized, as it was designed todo. Before the motor mechanic re-started it and any attempt could bemade to pick up the missing men, someof the boat’s gear, which had beenwashed partly out of her, was cut awayfor fear that it would foul the propeller.The mechan ic then res ta r t ed theengine without difficulty, but when heput in the gear, the engine stalled.He restarted it again. Again it stalled.The engine was working, but the pro-peller must have been fouled. Theastern gear was then put in ; attemptswere made to clear the propeller ; andthe ahead gear was once more put in.Again the engine stalled.

The four men dropped the anchorand veered out all the cable. Theythen attempted to step the mizzenmast and, with the help of the mizzensail, to keep the life-boat head to windand sea, but with half the crew goneit was beyond their power.

While they were at anchor theyburned the red flares, “ More helpneeded,” which were seen by the coast-guard. They also switched on thesearchlight, and burned a white flare.They saw the coastguard’s answeringrocket.

Meanwhile, the life-boat was sheer-ing about. A great strain was put onthe cable. It was a new one ; it had notpreviously been used ; but the strainwas so great that it parted, and thelife-boat drifted to leeward across themouth of the bay.

20 SERVICES 1939

THE SECOND CAPSIZE

As she drifted, the mechanic againstarted the engine. It stalled again.Again he started it, but again it stalled.The boat continued to drift. Whenshe was two-thirds of the way acrossthe bay, a great sea struck her as shewas beam on to it, and capsized her asecond time. When she righted her-self , the motor-mechanic, RichardStevens, who was forward, was missing.

William Freeman, who was underthe canopy above the engine controls,had jammed one hand in the railingbelow the canopy. With the other hehad g rasped the s t a r t ing hand le .When the boat capsized, the pressureof the air trapped under the canopywas sufficient to keep the water out.Even when he was upside down, withthe keel of the boat above him, his facewas not under water.

THE THIRD CAPSIZE

There were now only three menaboard, and the life-boat continued todr i f t towards Godrevy . The menwere all aft. As she came close to therocks, Matthew Barber, the bowman,who was acting as second coxswain,shouted, “ Look out, a big seacoming.” For the third time she wascapsized. When she righted herselfonly William Freeman was on board.Matthew Barber and the assistantmechanic, John Cocking, had gone.He felt them go past him, but he neversaw them again.

Three minutes later the life-boatstruck the rocks near Godrevy. Shewas thrown on a fairly level ledge, herstern towards the shore. As the seareceded, William Freeman crawled outand made his way on all fours alongthe rocks. A sea overtook him, but itdid not knock him over. He scram-bled up a gap in the cliff, took off hiswater-logged boots, and made his wayto Godrevy Farm. There he wastaken in by Mr. and Mrs. Delbridgeand put to bed. He was cut and muchbruised. Mr. Delbridge then cycled toHayle. From there he telephoned toCamborne for a doctor, and then tele-phoned the news of the disaster to thecoastguard at St. Ives. It was from

the coas tguard tha t the l i f e -boa tstation learned, at five minutes pastseven, four and a quarter hours afterthe boat had put out, that she wassmashed on the Godrevy rocks withonly one of her crew alive.

As soon as the coastguard receivedthe news they started to search thecoast for the bodies of the seven othermen. The Penlee life-boat was offLand’s End, twelve miles from herstation at 7.20. There she was sig-nalled by the coastguard to return asher services were no longer needed.

AT THE SCENE OF THE DISASTER

Immediately the news of the disasterreached the headquarters of the Insti-tution, Captain R. L. Hamer, R.N.,the deputy chief inspector of life-boats,w e n t d o w n t o S t . I v e s w i t h t h einspector of machinery and the chiefdraftsman (hull), and there met thesouthern district inspector, Lieut.-Commander H. L. Wheeler, R.N.Lieu t . -Col . C . R . Sa t te r thwai te ,O.B.E., secretary of the Institution,went down the same day, providedwith funds to relieve any immediatenecessities among the families of themen who had lost their lives.

PENSIONS

The seven men were all married, andbesides the seven widows there wereeight children, and one of the widowswas expecting a child. On the day ofthe disaster it was announced that, asfrom that day, the Institution wouldgive pensions, and allowances for thechildren, on the same scale as if themen had been sailors, soldiers or air-men killed in action. It also gavepensions and allowances to otherdependent relatives who would not,under the pension scheme for thearmed forces of the Crown, be entitledto receive them.

The pensions amounted to over£600 a year.

BRONZE MEDALS

The Institution also awarded itsbronze medal for gallantry to WilliamFreeman, and bronze medals post-

SERVICES 1939 21

h u m o u s l y t o t h e s e v e n o t h e r m e n .Freeman’s medal was accompanied bya copy of the vote inscribed on vellum,a n d s p e c i a l c e r t i f i c a t e s w e r e a w a r d e dt o t h e w i d o w s , r e c o r d i n g t h a t t h e i rh u s b a n d s h a d d i e d o n s e r v i c e . T h evel lum and cer t i f ica tes were s igned byH . R . H . t h e D u k e o f K e n t , K . G . ,Pres ident of the Ins t i tu t ion .

Special letters of thanks were sent toM r . E . L e i g h G u p p y , t h e h o n o r a r ysecrec tary of the s ta t ion , to the coas t -guard, t h e p o l i c e , t h e S t . J o h nAmbulance Assoc ia t ion , Mr . and Mrs .Delbr idge , who took in Wi l l iam Free-man, and o thers who he lped .

T h e I n s t i t u t i o n p a i d a l l f u n e r a le x p e n s e s , a n d g a v e t h e w i d o w s t h emoney awards for the launch . T h e s ea m o u n t e d t o £ 4 1 4 s . a m a n . I naddi t ion to th i s reward on the s tandards c a l e , t h e I n s t i t u t i o n g a v e a s p e c i a lr e w a r d o f £ 1 0 t o W i l l i a m F r e e m a n .The to ta l rewards to the S t . Ives c rewand l aunchers amounted to £88 2s .

The rewards to the Penlee c rew andlaunchers were £21 15s.

T H E M Y S T E R Y O F T H E S H I P I N

D I S T R E S S

What sh ip i t was tha t was in d i s t resso f f C a p e C o r n w a l l w i l l n e v e r b e c e r -ta in ly known. I t i s p o s s i b l e t h a t s h egot out of danger and went on her way.O r s h e m a y h a v e b e e n t h e 3 , 0 0 0 - t o nGlasgow s teamer Wils ton , with a c rewof over 30 men. T h e W i l s t o n h a d l e f tNewpor t , M o n m o u t h s h i r e , o n t h eevening of the 21s t o f January , boundfor the Medi te r ranean . Two days a f te rt h e w r e c k o f t h e l i f e - b o a t , w r e c k a g ebegan to come ashore a t Wicca Cove ,s o m e s i x m i l e s t o t h e e a s t o f C a p eCornwall, a life-buoy with the Wilston’sn a m e o n i t , a n d b o d i e s o f m e n w h owere identified as members of her crew.

T h e w r e c k e d l i f e - b o a t w a s a t o n c eplaced under guard and was examinedthe next day . S he w a s o n o n e o f t h ereefs of rock immedia te ly to the southo f G o d r e v y I s l a n d . S h e h a d b e e nd r i v e n t h r o u g h a n a r r o w g u l l e y a n dl e f t w e l l a b o v e h i g h - w a t e r m a r k .F r o m t h e m a r k s o n t h e r o c k s a n d t h edamage to the boa t i t was ev ident tha tshe had , a t one t ime, been kee l up onthe rocks. F r o m t h e p l a c e w h e r e s h e

lay i t was imposs ib le to remove her byl a n d o r b y s e a , a n d s h e h a d b e e n s os e v e r e l y d a m a g e d t h a t s h e w a s b e y o n de c o n o m i c a l r e p a i r .

T h e e n g i n e w a s n o t d a m a g e d . I tw a s s t a r t e d w i t h o u t d i f f i c u l t y . T h ep r o p e l l e r w a s d e n t e d , b u t n o t h i n g w a sf o u l o f i t . T h e e n g i n e w a s r e m o v e d ,a n d l a t e r t h e r e m a i n s o f t h e h u l l w e r eb u r n e d .

T H E I N Q U E S T

F o u r o f t h e b o d i e s c a m e a s h o r e ,a l m o s t a t o n c e : C o x s w a i n T h o m a sC o c k i n g ; h i s s o n , J o h n B a s s e t t C o c k -i n g ; M a t t h e w B a r b e r ; a n d W i l l i a mB a r b e r . T h e i n q u e s t o n t h e m w a she ld on 25 th January and was a t t endedb y t h e s e c r e t a r y , t h e d e p u t y c h i e fi n s p e c t o r o f l i f e - b o a t s a n d t h e d i s t r i c ti n s p e c t o r o f l i f e - b o a t s . T h e v e r d i c tw a s “ D e a t h b y m i s a d v e n t u r e . ” T h efunera ls were he ld next day , the secre-ta ry , the deputy chief inspector of l i fe -boats and the d is t r ic t inspec tor of l i fe -b o a t s , r e p r e s e n t i n g t h e I n s t i t u t i o n .N e a r l y a l l t h e m e n o f S t . I v e s w e r ep r e s e n t , a n d l i f e - b o a t m e n a n d f i s h e r -m e n f r o m a l l r o u n d t h e C o r n i s h c o a s t .

In the end a l l the bodies were g ivenup by the sea , the las t of the seven ont h e 1 0 t h o f F e b r u a r y .

T h e s e v e n m e n w h o l o s t t h e i r l i v e swere :

T H O M A S C O C K I N G , a g e d 6 5 , t h ec o x s w a i n .

M A T T H E W S T E V E N S B A R B E R , a g e d3 2 , b o w m a n a n d a c t i n g s e c o n d c o x -s w a i n .

WI L L I A M B R Y A N T B A R B E R , aged 37 ,a c t i n g b o w m a n , t h e b r o t h e r o fM a t t h e w .

R I C H A R D Q U I C K S T E V E N S , a g e d 3 6 ,t h e m o t o r - m e c h a n i c .

J O H N B A S S E T T C O C K I N G , a g e d 3 8 ,a s s i s t a n t m o t o r - m e c h a n i c , s o n o f t h ec o x s w a i n .

J O H N T H O M A S , a g e d 4 2 , s i g n a l m a n .E D G A R B ASSETT , aged 29 .

JAN . 23RD . - PADSTOW, CORNWALL.On the same day on which the St. Ives motorlife-boat was wrecked, the motor life-boatPrincess Mary, at Padstow, Cornwall, wasdamaged on service. She is the heaviest life-boat in the Institution’s fleet.

22 SERVICES 1939

At five minutes past two in the morning,just eight minutes after the honorary secre-tary at St. Ives had been rung up by thecoastguard, the Padstow station was alsorung up. The message from the coastguardwas that distress flares could be seen about amile north of Trevose Head. The life-boatput out in a W.N.W. gale, with exceptionallyheavy seas and ground swel l , and heavysqualls of rain. She found the ex-mine-layerM e d e a j u s t o u t s i d e t h e h a r b o u r . T h eM e d e a had par ted f rom her tug and wasdrifting towards Doom Bar.

As she tried to get alongside, the life-boatwas buried by a very heavy sea. It washedoverboard a ven t i l a to r ,several fenders,

a l i fe -buoy andand damaged the e lec t r ic

lighting system, putting it out of action.The position of the Medea was now such thatit was not practicable for the life-boat toreach her, so the coxswain signalled with hishand-f lash ing lamp to the coas tguard ofStepper Point asking him to call out therocket life-saving appliances. He had lasheda small torch to his compass and put out tosea, to wait for the tide to rise. The mine-layer drifted over the bar, and three of thefour men on board her were rescued bythe rocket appliances from the shore. Thefourth man was drowned.

Meanwhile the life-boat remained at seauntil high-water. As she was coming in shewas swept by three successive heavy seaswhich f i l led the canopy, washed a sparedrogue and another life-buoy overboard, andknocked both the coxswain and the secondcoxswain from the wheel. The life-boat wasout for five hours.

Rewards : A letter of appreciation to thecoxswain and crew and an increase in theusual money award on the standard scale.

Head. The Penlee motor life-boat W and S,which was in Newlyn Harbour at the time,set out at once, but off Land’s End she wasrecalled by the coastguard. She returned toNewlyn again at 8.45 A.M . An increase inthe usua l money awards on the s tandardscale was granted to each member of thecrew.-Standard rewards to crew, £11 8s. ;additional rewards to crew, £9 ; total rewards,£21 15s.

JAN. 23RD. - BEAUMARIS, ANGLESEY.A small boat had been reported in distress,

b u t a l o n g s e a r c h w a s w i t h o u t r e s u l t . -Rewards, £8 1s.

JAN. 24TH. - SELSEY, SUSSEX. An air-craft had been reported down in the sea, butnothing could be found.-Rewards, £8 18s.

JAN . 26TH. - TORBAY, D E V O N . Amotor barge had signalled for help, but hera n c h o r s h e l d a n d s h e d i d n o t n e e d i t . -Rewards, £14 0S. 6d.

FEBRUARY.Launches 18. Lives Rescued 7.

FEB. 11TH. - ROSSLARE HARBOUR, CO.WEXFORD. At 9.55 P.M. a telephone mes-sage was received that the Coningbeg Light-vessel had signalled a passing steamer thatshe wanted the life-boat to take ashore a manwho was dangerously ill. A S.W. wind wasblowing, with a rough sea. At 10.20 P .M .the motor life-boat K.E.C.F. put out. Shereached the light-vessel at 2.45 A.M. In therough sea it was impossible for the life-boatto go alongside, so the sick man, with one ofthe light-vessel’s crew, was lowered in one ofthe light-vessel’s boats, and the two men werethen taken aboard the life-boat. She landedthem at Rosslare Harbour at 7.40 A.M., andthe sick man was taken to Wexford by car.-E x p e n s e s d e f r a y e d b y t h e I r i s h L i g h t sCommissioners.

FEB. 12TH . - WEYMOUTH, DORSET.At 3.20 P .M. information was received thattwo boys in a disabled small rowing boat werebeing carried out to sea, having broken a row-lock. The motor life-boat William and ClaraRyland was launched at 3.55 P.M., and foundthe small rowing boat drifting rapidly on to arocky lee shore. The two boys were takenon board the life-boat, which returned to herstation at 4.40 P.M., with the small boat intow.-Rewards, £6 13s.

FEB. 1 4 T H . - THE HUMBER, YORK-SHIRE. At 5.30 A.M. the life-boat watch-man reported that a vessel had run ashore ont h e e n d o f S p u r n P o i n t . T h e c o x s w a i nimmediately went to the beach, where he sawthe steam trawler HAUSA, of Hull, stranded ona steep part of the Point. Although only alight westerly wind was blowing and the seawas smooth, the trawler would be likely toroll on her beam ends as the tide ebbed. Themotor l i fe -boat C i t y o f B r a d f o r d I I waslaunched at 6.5 A.M., and stood by the trawleruntil the tide had ebbed and she was safe.The life-boat then returned to her station.Meanwhile, a tug had arrived and managedto get a wire aboard the trawler. When thetide flowed there was a possibility of the seagoing over the Hausa's bulwarks, so the life-boat put out again and stood by the trawleruntil she had been refloated. The life-boatreturned to her station at 12.45 P . M .-Per-manent paid crew ; Rewards, 13s. 6d.

FE B . 17TH. - FLEETWOOD, LANCA-SHIRE. At 11 A.M . the motor boat SisterPat, belonging to Fleetwood, with two menon board , was seen by the second cox-

SERVICES 1939 23

swain of the life-boat to be making distresssignals. She was being driven by the windand tide across the Pilling Sands oppositethe life-boathouse. A f resh S .W. breezewas blowing, with a choppy sea and rain.The motor life-boat Frederick H. Pilley waslaunched at 11.15 A.M. She found the SisterPat with her engines stopped through lack offuel, dragging her anchor, and drifting into adangerous position. The lifeboat towed herinto harbour, arriving at 11.55 A.M. Therescued men expressed their thanks, and theangling club of which they were membersm a d e a d o n a t i o n t o t h e I n s t i t u t i o n . -Rewards, £8 13s.

FEB. 18TH . - WHITBY, YORKSHIRE.During the morning a fresh N.W. wind wasblowing , wi th a very rough sea . I t wasbreaking heavily from the Pier Ends to theRock Buoy, and anxiety was felt for the safetyof nine of the local motor fishing vessels whichwere just returning. The motor life-boatMary Ann Hepworth was launched at10.15 A.M. She went out to the Rock Buoyand escorted each of the vessels in turn intothe harbour. On five occasions it was neces-sary for the life-boat to use her drogue fromt h e R o c k B u o y t o t h e h a r b o u r . A f t e rescorting the Endeavour, Progress, EasterMorn, Prosperity, Venus, Gallilee, Provider,Success and Pilot Me to safety, the life-boatreturned to her station at 2 P.M.-Rewards,£8 5s. 6d.

FEB . 18TH . - FILEY, YORKSHIRE. Atabout 10.25 A.M. two local fishing cobles werebehind Filey Brig, where heavy seas wererunning. A W.N.W. fresh wind was blowing,with a moderate to rough sea. At 10.45 A.M.the pulling and sailing life-boat ThomasMasterman Hardy was launched. She foundthe fishing coble Isabella and escorted her tosafety. T h e o t h e r c o b l e r e a c h e d s a f e t yunaided, and the life-boat returned to herstation at 12.15 P.M.-Rewards, £16 2s.

FEB . 22ND . - LERWICK, SHETLAND.At 10.45 A.M. a message was received from atrawler agent and the coastguard that thetrawler Jean Edmonds, of Aberdeen, hadbroken down with boiler trouble, and hadasked for the life-boat. The trawler wasreported, but incorrectly, to be thirty-fivemi les E .S .E . o f Bard Head , Bressay . Awhole S.S.E. gale was blowing, with a heavysea, when, at 11.5 A.M., the motor life-boatLady .Jane and Martha Ryland was launched.She found the Jean Edmonds in tow of anothertrawler, between Mousa Island and Helliness,and close to a lee shore. Had the tow-ropeparted the Jean Edmonds would have been ina very dangerous position. The life-boatescorted the two vessels into Lerwick Har-b o u r a n d r e t u r n e d t o h e r m o o r i n g s a t5.40 P.M.-Rewards, £l0 6s. 6d.

FEB. 26TH. - NEWHAVEN, SUSSEX. At12.30 P .M. the coastguard reported that asmall boat was in distress about half a milesouth-east of Newhaven. A light W.S.W.wind was blowing and the sea was choppy.The motor lift-boat Cecil and Lilian Philpottwas launched at 12.40 P .M. and found the

motor boat Pam, of Newhaven, with a partyof four anglers on board. Her engine hadbroken down. The life-boat took her in towand brought her into harbour at 1.15 P.M.-Rewards, £6 5s.

FEB . 27TH. - THURSO, CAITHNESS-SHIRE. During the afternoon the life-boatcoxswain, returning from fishing, picked upthe motor fishing boat Janet, of Thurso, withher engine broken down, about nine milesnorth-west of the Ruff of Brims. A strongW.S.W. breeze was blowing, with a heavy seaand snow showers. The coxswain took theJanet in tow, but after about an hour the tow-rope parted. As no more ropes were avail-able the coxswain went to Scrabster and calledout the l i fe -boa t c rew. At 4 .10 P . M . themotor life-boat H.C.J. was launched, pickedup the Janet three miles north of HolbornHead, and towed her into Scrabster Harbour,which was reached at 5.45 P . M .-Rewards,£11 3s.

The following life-boats were launched, butno services were rendered for the reasonsgiven :

FEB . 6TH . - SHOREHAM HARBOUR,SUSSEX. An aeroplane had been reporteddown in the sea in flames, but nothing couldbe found.-Rewards, £7 15s. 6d.

FEB . 8 T H . . - THE HUMBER, YORK-SHIRE. The Greek s teamer Kat ina Bu l -garis, o f A n d r o s , h a d c o l l i d e d w i t h t h eAmerican steamer Meanticut and sank, butthe Meanticut rescued her crew. - Permanentpaid crew : Rewards, £1 0S. 3d.

FEB . 9 T H - T H E H U M B E R , Y O R K -SHIRE. The German steamer Gluckauf , ofRostock, had struck the submerged wreck ofthe Katina Bulgaris, which had sunk the daybefore , but her c rew were saved by theNorwegian steamer Nayland. - Permanentpaid crew : Rewards, 18s.

FEB . 16TH . - DOVER, KENT. An aero-plane had been reported to have dived intothe sea, but it had come down to within a fewfeet of the sea and had then flown away.-Par t ly permanent pa id c rew : Rewards ,£1 18s.

FEB. 16TH . - LONGHOPE, ORKNEY. Asteam trawler was in distress, but was takenin tow by another trawler.-Rewards, £9 1s.

FE B . 1 8 T H . - STORNOWAY, ISLE OFLEWIS. A rocket had been reported off theIsle of Skye, but later it was thought to havebeen a meteor, as no vessel in need of helpcould be found.-Rewards, £8 17s. 9d.

FE B . 26TH. - SOUTHEND - ON - SEA,ESSEX. An aeroplane had come down inthe sea, but the pilot was saved by a motorboat.-Rewards, £10 1s. 6d.

FEB. 26TH. - GREAT YARMOUTH ANDGORLESTON, NORFOLK. A steamer wasreported to be aground, but she was found to

24 SERVICES 1939

be at anchor close to the Scroby Sands. MC H . 8 T H . - NEW BRIGHTON, CHE:Rewards, £21 6s. SHIRE. At 11.38 A.M . the Mersey Docks

and Harbour Board reported that the Crosby

FEB . 28TH . - HOLYHEAD, ANGLESEY. Lightship was adrift. A heavy W.N.W. gale

A flare had been reported, but nothing could was blowing, with a very rough sea and rain

be found.-Rewards, £11 5s. squalls. The No. 1 motor life-boat Williama n d K a t e J o h n s t o n l e f t her moor ings a t1 1 . 5 5 A . M . and reached the l igh tsh ip a t1 .10 P . M . By that time she had anchored

MARCH.near the Formby shore. The crew of fives igna l led for he lp , bu t i t was on ly a f te r

Launches 37. Lives Rescued 12.several attempts that the life-boat got along

MCH. 3RD. - ROSSLARE HARBOUR,side and rescued the men. In doing so shewas damaged. After reporting the rescue to

AND KILMORE, CO. WEXFORD. A the Docks Board vesse l Vig i lan t , she landedmessage was received at Rosslare at 4.55 P.M.that an Irish Air Force seaplane had come

the rescued men at New Brighton at 3 P .M.The life-boat had then to be taken off service

d o w n i n t h e s e a o f f C a r n s o r e P o i n t . A f o r r e p a i r s .S.S.E. wind was blowing, with a moderately

I t was an a rduous se rv ice ,

rough sea. At 5.15 P .M . the Rosslare Har-carried out in very rough weather, and the

bour motor life-boat K.E.C.F. was launched.Institution granted an increase of £1 in the

She found the seaplane ashore at Ballytrentusual money award on the standard scaleo f 1 9 s . t o e a c h m e m b e r o f t h e c r e w . -

Strand, and signalled the officers on boardwho repl ied tha t they were no longer in

Standard rewards to crew, £5 14s. ; additional

d a n g e r . T h e l i f e - b o a t r e t u r n e d t o h e rr e w a r d s t o c r e w , £ 8 . T o t a l r e w a r d s ,£15 14s. 4d.

station at 6.48 P.M. Meanwhile the informa-tion had also reached Kilmore, and at 6 P.M.the motor life-boat Ann Isabella Pyemont put

MCH. 11TH. - DOUGLAS, ISLE OF MAN.

out. She damaged her rudder in launchingDuring the afternoon a strong N.W. gale

and after calling at the Barrells Light-vesselsprang up, with a heavy sea. Anxiety was

and Tuskar without getting information, putfelt for the local fishing smacks Useful and

in to Ross la re . Here she learned tha t herMannin, which were at sea, and the motor

services were not needed, but as her rudderlife-boat Manchester and Salford was launched at 4 P.M.

was damaged she waited for the tide, andShe found the Useful at 4.30 P.M.

returned to her station again at 7.30 A.M. onmaking for harbour under her own power.

the following morning.From her the coxswain got the position of the

On the 5th March information was receivedMannin, went in search, found her at 5 P.M.,

at Rosslare Harbour from the Coast Life-and towed her in to Douglas , a r r iv ing a t

saving Service that the Ministry of Defence6 P.M.-Rewards, £11 13s. 3d.

wished the life-boat to be launched to standby while attempts were made to refloat the

MCH . 11TH . - PWLLHELI, CAERNAR-

seaplane. The motor life-boat K.E.C.F. wasVONSHIRE. The life-boat motor mechanic

launched at 5.15 P.M., but it was found thatthe surf on the beach was too heavy for any-thing to be done at that time. The life-boatreturned to her station at 7 P.M. During thenight a request was received from an officerof the I r i sh Air Force tha t the l i fe -boatshould again be launched in the morningwhen another attempt to refloat the machineat high water would be made. The life-boatpu t ou t aga in a t 7 .20 A . M . She s tood bywhile the stranded seaplane was refloated atBallytrent and then escorted her to WexfordHarbour, returning to her station at 1.30 P.M.- R e w a r d s : Rosslare Harbour, Permanentpaid crew, 1st launch, £2 6s. 6d ; 2nd launch,£2 6s. 6d.; 3rd launch, £l 3s. 6d. ; Kilmore,

saw a sailing yacht which appeared to be indifficulties about three miles S.E. of the life-boathouse. A moderate N.N.W. gale wasblowing, with a moderate sea and rain squalls.The motor life-boat William Macpherson waslaunched at 4.45 P.M. She found the sailingyacht Minn ie I I , of Pwl lhe l i , wi th threeR.A.F. officers on board. The yacht’s headsails had been carried away in a squall andshe was unmanageable. The life-boat took.,her in tow and brought her sa fe ly in toPwllheli Harbour at 5.25 P .M . A letter ofthanks and a donation were received fromone of the rescued.-Rewards, £11 14s. 9d.

£33 3s. 9d.

MCH. 8TH. - GIRVAN, AYRSHIRE. Dur-ing the morning a strong W.N.W. wind wasblowing, with a rough sea, and the fresh waterfrom the flooded river Girvan was making theharbour bar extremely dangerous. Five fish-ing boats from Girvan and two from Aroch,Moray Firth, were fishing on the BallantraeBanks, and about ten in the morning theharbour-mas te r repor ted tha t they wereexpected to return to Girvan. The life-boatLily Glen-Glasgow, was launched at 10.20 A.M.and went outside the harbour. As each boatapproached she escorted her in. She returnedto her station at 11.55 A.M.-Rewards, £6 13s.

MC H . 1 5 T H . - RAMSGATE, KENT. At6.12 A.M. a message was received from thecoastguard that two barges were in need ofhelp to the east of the coastguard station. Amoderate N.E. gale was blowing, with a roughsea . The motor l i fe -boa t Pruden t ia l waslaunched at 6.26 A.M., and found the bargeCabby, of Rochester, laden with portlandstone and carrying a crew of two. She hadlos t her anchor . The l i fe -boa t towed herinto harbour. The other barge, the Colluna,of London, was towed in by the motor boatSalvor II . The life-boat returned at 7.55A.M.-Rewards, 11s. 9d. ; Property SalvageCase.

MCH. 15TH. - AMBLE, NORTHUMBER-LAND. The motor life-boat Frederick and

SERVICES 1939 25

Emma, which was placed at Amble when thatlife-boat station was reopened at the begin-ning of 1939, received her first service call at8 .30 A.M . She put out to the help of thefishing cobles Providence and Children’sFriend, of Amble, which had been seen to bein difficulties. A moderate northerly windwas blowing, with a heavy swell. The life-boat went first to the Providence and escortedher into harbour. She then put out again tothe Children’s Friend, but found that theboat had been beached at Alnmouth. Thelife-boat returned to her station at 10.45 A.M.-Rewards, £3.

MCH. 15TH. - EYEMOUTH, BERWICK-SHIRE. During the morning several fishingvessels were returning to harbour. A heavysea was running in the bay, and the motorl i fe -boat Frank and Wi l l i am Oa te s waslaunched at 9.45 A.M. in readiness to help ifneeded. She stood by at the pier until thevessels had discharged their catches and leftagain, and returned ashore at 12.30 P .M.-Rewards, £l0 16s.

MCH. 15T H . - WHITBY, YORKSHIRE.During the morning five Whitby fishingvessels put to sea at 5 A.M. A strong N.N.E.wind was blowing, with a heavy broken sea.The sea increased and at 10 A.M. the No. 1motor life-boat Mary Ann Hepworth waslaunched. She found the Venus outside theRock Buoy and escorted her back into harbour.Putting off again she escorted the Gallilee,Success, Pilot Me and Provider separately intoharbour . The l i fe -boa t re tu rned to herstation at 2.15 P.M.-Rewards, £8 5s. 6d.

MCH. 17TH. - SCARBOROUGH, YORK-SHIRE. At 7.50 A.M. the life-boat coxswainnoticed that the local motor fishing boatHyperion, which was making for harbour, didnot dare attempt to get in. A strong N.E.gale was blowing, with a very rough sea.The motor life-boat Herbert Joy II waslaunched at 8 A.M., reached the Hyperionabout one and a ha l f mi les to the N.E.and escorted her into harbour.-Rewards,£l9 5s. 6d.

MCH. 2OTH. - NORTH SUNDERLAND,NORTHUMBERLAND. During the morn-ing a message was received from the Sea-houses coastguard that seven fishing boatsof Beadnell were outside the harbour, butunable to enter owing to the very heavy swell.A westerly wind was blowing. At 10 A.M.the motor life-boat W.R.A. was launched.She stood by at the harbour entrance untilfive of the boats had entered and then wentout and escorted in the other two boats, eachin turn. The life-boat returned to her stationat 12.15 P.M.-Rewards, £13.

MCH. 2OTH. - WICK, CAITHNESS-SHIRE. Shor t ly before midday the l i fe -boat coxswain reported that several smallfishing boats beating in towards the bay werein danger. The weather was squally, withhail showers, and a very strong N.W. windwas blowing, with a rough sea. The motorlife-boat City of Edinburgh was launched atnoon, escorted to safety two small fishing

boats of Wick, and returned to her station at2 P.M.-Rewards, £6 13s.

MCH . 20T H . - CROMER, NORFOLK. Awireless message sent out by the motor vesselFosna, of Bergen, that she wished to land asick man at Cromer at 3 P .M . , was passedto the l i fe -boa t s ta t ion , th rough Mable-thorpe and the coastguards, at 1.55 P .M .The motor l i fe -boa t H a r r i o t D i x o n waslaunched at 2.55 P.M. in a smooth sea with amoderate W.N.W. wind. Commander J. M.Upton , the d is t r ic t inspec tor , Mr . E . P .Hanse l l , the honorary secre ta ry , Dr . D.Vaughan, and an ambulance man went out.The life-boat reached the Fosna at about3.15 P .M., and found that the man was ableto ge t aboard her wi thout he lp . He waslanded at 3.40 P.M., and taken to the hospital.T h e o w n e r s g a v e a d o n a t i o n o f £ 1 4 . -Rewards, £l3 17s.

MCH. 20TH. - DOUGLAS, ISLE OF MAN.During the afternoon a whole gale sprang upfrom the N.W., bringing with it a heavy sea.A watch was kept for the local fishing smackMannin, which was at sea. As nothing hadbeen seen of her by 3 P.M., the motor life-boatManches te r and Sa l ford was launched a t3.30 P .M . She found the Mannin six milesS.E. by S. from Douglas. As the seas werev e r y h e a v y , t h e l i f e - b o a t t o w e d h e r t oDoug las , a r r iv ing a t 6 .30 P . M . -Rewards ,£11 13s. 3d.

MCH. 20TH. - SOUTHEND - ON - SEA,ESSEX. At 8.34 P.M. the R.N. Shore SignalStation reported that rockets had been seenat Warden Point, coming from the Nore andMouse Light-vessels. The sea was rough,with a strong squally W.N.W. breeze. Themotor life-boat Greater London (Civil ServiceNo. 3) was launched at 8.55 P.M., and foundthe barge British Oak, of Rochester, with acrew of two and laden with sand, about amile N.E. of the Mouse Light-vessel. She wasin a dangerous position with her mast brokenand all gear overboard. With great difficultythe life-boat towed the barge into the fair-way, and helped to get her gear aboard. Shethen put back to her station to report andre fue l a t abou t 5 A . M . ; r e tu rned to theBritish Oak, and towed her to a safe anchor-age at Sheerness. As she set out for Southendagain, she saw signals from Sheerness Pierand found the yacht Don Pat, of Sheerness,with two people on board, in danger of beingbroken up against the pier. She towed theDon Pat to safety and returned to her stationa t 1 2 . 1 0 P . M . on the 21s t March . -BargeBritish Oak : Property salvage case. YachtDon Pat : Rewards, £9 17s.

MCH. 22ND. - HOLY ISLAND, NORTH-UMBERLAND. At 1.10 P.M. a steamer wasreported ashore on the Plough Reef, one mileeast of Holy Island. The weather was finebut cold, with a W.N.W. breeze and a choppys e a . T h e m o t o r l i f e - b o a t M i l b u r n w a slaunched at 1.20 P .M . , and found the S .S .S p h e n e , of Glasgow. She had a c rew ofe leven men on board and was bound forDublin with a cargo of coal from Blyth. Thesteamer was leaking badly and the captain

26 SERVICES 1939

asked the coxswain to stand by. This thelife-boat did until the vessel refloated at2.50 P.M., and the steamer managed to reachHoly Island Harbour under her own powerwith the life-boat escorting her. The life-b o a t r e t u r n e d a t 3 . 5 0 P M - R e w a r d s ,£8 14s. 6d.

M C H . 2 4 T H . - P E T E R H E A D , A B E R -D E E N S H I R E . D u r i n g t h e m o r n i n g aheavy sea was r i s ing , wi th a s t rong andincreasing south-easterly wind. Two smallfishing boats were out and shortly before noonit was reported that one of them was showinga distress signal. The motor life-boat Dukeof Connaught was launched at 12.5 P.M., andescorted both boats to harbour, returning toher station at 1.15 P.M.. - Rewards, £6 17s. 6d.

MCH. 25TH. - FILEY, YORKSHIRE. At7.30 A.M. the life-boat coxswain reportedthat three fishing cobles were out north of theBr ig . The wea ther was bad , wi th heavysnow and showers, and it was decided to keepa look-out. Later the weather became worseand at 8.50 A.M. the pulling and sailing life-boat Thomas Masterman Hardy was launched.A rough sea was then running, with a strongN.E. wind. The life-boat escorted the boatsto sa fe ty and re turned to her s ta t ion a t12.15 P.M. - Rewards, £16 2s.

MC H . 28TH. - ANSTRUTHER, F IFE-S H I R E . A t 6 . 1 5 A . M . a m e s s a g e w a sreceived from the Anstruther coastguard thatthere was a heavy swel l a t the harbourentrance and that the fishing fleet was return-ing. A moderate E.S.E. gale was blowing.The motor life-boat Nellie and Charlie waslaunched at 6.40 A.M. She stood by at theharbour mouth while two steam drifters andlive motor boats entered. The life-boat thenwent to another boat, about a mile off shore,and escorted her in, returning to her stationat 8.15 A.M. - Rewards, £12 13s. 3d.

The following life-boats were launched, butno services were rendered for the reasonsgiven :

M C H . 2 N D . - A N S T R U T H E R , F I F E -SHIRE. A fishing boat had caught fire, buther crew were taken aboard another fishingboat. - Rewards, £11 7s. 6d.

MCH. 6TH. - WALTON AND FRINTON,ESSEX. The crew of the fishing boat MarieSuzanne, of Ostend, had abandoned theirsinking vessel in a small boat, but they werepicked up by the Dutch motor vessel Jutlandand landed at Dover. - Rewards, £35 6s. 6d.

MCH . 6TH. - LERWICK, SHETLANDS.A trawler was in distress and her crew hadlanded on the uninhabited island of Hascosay,but they were taken off by another trawler.-Rewards, £13 6s. 6d.

MCH. 8TH. - BALTIMORE, CO. CORK.A trawler’s engine had broken down, but shehad put it right and went on her way with-out help. - Rewards, £21 1s.

MCH. 10TH. - CLACTON - ON - SEA,ESSEX. A barge had sunk , bu t her c rewhad already been saved when the life-boatarrived. - Rewards, £6 19s.

MCH. 10TH . - ANSTRUTHER, F I F E -SHIRE. A f i sh ing boa t had gone ashore ,but she refloated unaided. - Rewards, £17 10s.

MCH. 11TH. - RAMSEY, ISLE OF MAN.A smal l rowing boat had been repor teddrifting out to sea, but she succeeded inreaching land wi thout he lp . - Rewards .£30 16s. 9d.

MCH. 16TH. - WHITBY, YORKSHIRE. Acoble had made a signal for help, but she wastaken in tow by another coble. - Rewards,£3 6s.

MCH. 18TH. - COURTMACSHERRY HAR-BOUR, CO. CORK. A motor boat had beenrepor ted in d is t ress of f the Old Head ofKinsale, but she made safety while the life-b o a t w a s s e a r c h i n g f o r h e r . - R e w a r d s ,£13 11s. 6d.

MCH. 20TH. - AMBLE, NORTHUMBER-LAND. S igna ls had been repor ted to theS.E. of Coquet Island, but nothing could befound. - Rewards, £15.

MC H . 2 0 T H . - WHITEHILLS, BANFF-S H I R E , A N D F R A S E R B U R G H , A B E R -DEENSIIIRE. A motor salmon-coble wasreported overdue, but she was picked up andtowed to safety by a motor boat. - Rewards :Whitehills, £9 7s. 9d. ; Fraserburgh, £7 6s. 6d.

MCH . 22ND . - EXMOUTH, DEVON. Anaeroplane had come down in the sea, but hercrew were saved by a small boat from theshore.-Rewards, £26 15s. (See “ Services byShore-boats,” Sidmouth, page 93.)

MC H . 2 2 N D . - THE HUMBER, YORK-S H I R E . A s t e a m e r h a d c o l l i d e d w i t h at r a w l e r s e v e n t e e n m i l e s N . N . E . o f t h eHumber. She was badly damaged and beganto sink, but her crew were rescued by thetrawler. - Permanent paid crew : Rewards,18s.

MC H . 2 6 T H . - THE HUMBER, YORK-SHIRE. Rockets had been reported sevenmiles N.E. of Mablethorpe on the Lincoln-shire coast, but nothing could be found. -Permanent paid crew : Rewards; 9s.

APRIL.

Launches 27. Lives Rescued 5.APRIL 9TH. - HOLYHEAD, ANGLESEY.

A t 1 . 2 2 i n t h e m o r n i n g t h e c o a s t g u a r dreported that the 7,000-ton S.S. Hilary, ofLiverpool, was ashore at Carmel Head. Shewas homeward bound from Brazil to Liver-pool with general cargo and over 300 peopleon board . A s l ight south-wester ly breezewas blowing and the sea was smooth, butthere was a dense fog. The motor life-boatA.E.D. was launched at 1.45 A.M., and began

SERVICES 1939

her search, but the fog was so thick that thecoxswain could not see a boat’s length. H edecided to anchor. When daylight came thelife-boat continued slowly along the land andat 4.50 A.M. found the steamer on Coal Rocks.She took off eighty-four passengers and landedthem at Holyhead at 6.45 A.M. At 7.15 A.M.she returned and brought ashore six otherpassengers and a quantity of luggage, reachingHolyhead again at 10.55 A.M. The life-boatwas placed at moorings at 12.40 P .M. TheHilary refloated at the next high tide andmade port. One of the passengers made ad o n a t i o n a n d s e n t a l e t t e r o f t h a n k s . -Rewards, £11 5s.

APRIL 12TH. - GREAT YARMOUTH ANDGORLESTON, NORFOLK. At 9.35 A.M.the coastguard reported that the St. NicholasLight-vessel was firing guns and flying signalsindicating that a vessel was in distress to theE.N.E. A light S.S.W. breeze was blowingwith a swell on the sands, and the weather wasfoggy. The motor life-boat John and MaryMeiklam of Gladswood was launched at9.50 A.M . , and found the s.s. Zeester, ofKamlen, Holland, on the east side of ScrobySands. She had been aground but had justrefloated with the rising tide. As the Zeesterwas in a dangerous position the life-boatescorted her clear of the sands and as far asthe Cockle Light-vessel. She then returnedto her station at 12.10 P.M.-Rewards, £7 3s.

APRIL 18TH. - PEEL, ISLE OF MAN. At8.55 P .M. a message was received from thec o a s t g u a r d t h a t f l a r e s h a d b e e n s e e nfour mi les of f Orr i sda le Head . A l igh tsoutherly breeze was blowing with a calm sea.The motor l i fe -boa t H e l e n S u t t o n waslaunched at 9.25 P .M. and found the motorfishing boat Cicely of Castletown, with a crewof four. Her engine had broken down. Thelife-boat towed her into harbour and returnedto her station at 1.15 A.M. the following morn-ing.-Rewards, £l5 3s. 6d.

APRIL 22ND. - HOYLAKE, CHESHIRE.At 5.30 A.M. the coastguard reported that theS.S. Mayflower, of Liverpool, loaded withstone, on passage from Penmaenmawr, NorthWales, to Liverpool, had gone aground onEast Hoyle Bank at 2 A.M., but that she wasin no immediate danger. A moderate N.W.gale was blowing, with a very rough sea.After further investigation it was decided tolaunch the motor life-boat Oldham, and at11.30 A.M. she went to the Mayflower andstood by. An attempt was made by the crewto refloat their vessel, but it was unsuccessful.The l i fe -boa t re tu rned to her s ta t ion a t3.30 P.M. when the tide was ebbing, as at lowtide the steamer would be high and dry.-Rewards, £8 12s.

APRIL 22ND . - BEMBRIDGE, ISLE OFWIGHT. Early in the afternoon a sailingyacht was seen making towards WhitecliffeBay with her sails damaged. She was keptunder observation by the coastguard and life-boatmen. A strong N.W. gale was blowing,with a rough sea. At 4.48 P .M. the coast-guard reported the yacht to be in distresseight miles south-west from Foreland Look-

ou t . The motor life-boat Longhorn was sentto her help, leaving at 5 P.M. She found theyacht Marigold, with a party of three onboard, off Dunnose Point, and took her to as a f e a n c h o r a g e i n S t . H e l e n s B a y . T h elife-boat returned to her station at 8 P .M .The owner sent a letter of thanks and madea gift to the life-boat crew.-Rewards, £8.

APRIL 22N D . - CLACTON - ON - SEA,ESSEX. The coastguard kept a yacht underobservation for some hours. The sea wasvery heavy, a N.W. gale was blowing, and itwas decided to send out help. At 2.25 P.M.the motor life-boat Edward Z. Dresden putout and found the yacht to be the Sprite, ofLeigh-on-Sea, with a crew of two on board.She was near the Swin Bell Buoy and in needof help. The coxswain decided to take her toHarwich. While the skipper of the Spri tewas making the tow-rope fast he was washedoverboard by a heavy sea, but managed tocatch hold of a rope and was hauled aboardagain. Harwich was reached at 6.15 P . M .and the life-boat left for home two hourslater. On her way home, at a signal from thecoas tguard , she spoke a smal l yacht o f fWalton but no help was needed, and the life-boat got back to Clacton at 10.15 P.M. Theskipper of the Sprite sent a letter of thanksand a donation to the Institution.-Rewards,£l5 13s. 6d.

APRIL 22ND. - FLAMBOROUGH, YORK-S H I R E . D u r i n g t h e m o r n i n g a h e a v yN.N.W. gale sprang up while the fishing fleetw a s a t s e a . S e v e r a l b o a t s l a n d e d w i t hdifficulty and it was decided to send out themotor life-boat Elizabeth and Albina Whitley.She put off in a very rough sea at 9.55 A.M.with the second coxswain in charge. Thecoble Britannia was found about two milesto the northward and escorted back to safety.The l i fe -boa t then went to F lamboroughHead to search for the remaining cobles.They were not to be seen, so she ran roundthe head and found that they had arrivedsafely at the south landing. The life-boatreturned to her station at midday.-Rewards,£8 13s.

APRIL 22ND . - WHITBY, YORKSHIRE.At 7.30 A.M. anxiety was being felt for thesafety of some of the fishing cobles, as a verystrong N.N.W. wind was blowing, with arough sea. As both life-boat coxswains, anda number of the life-boat crews, were at seafishing, an ex-coxswain volunteered to takeout the life-boat manned by some of the elderfishermen. The motor life-boat Mary AnnHepworth was launched at 8 A.M. and escortedinto the harbour in turn the cobles, Ramlah,Royal Empire, Sarah, Guide Me and Margaret.She re tu rned to her s t a t ion a t 10 A . M . -Rewards, £4 16s. 6d.

AP R I L 2 2 N D . - SHERINGHAM, NOR-FOLK. During the morning eight of thelocal fishing boats were at sea. A strongN.W. gale was blowing, with a rough sea.The boats were running for the shore, when at10 A.M. the motor life-boat Foresters Cen-tenary was launched to stand by. All theboats got in unaided except the Reliance II.

28 SERVICES 1939

She was about a mile and a half to the north.The l i fe -boat escor ted her to safe ty andr e t u r n e d t o h e r s t a t i o n a t 1 0 . 3 0 A . M . -Rewards, £17 11s.

AP R I L 2 5 T H . - PORT ERIN, ISLE OFMAN. During the afternoon a strong N.E.wind was blowing, with a rough sea. Threefishing boats were out and at 5 P.M. the motorlife-boat Ethel Day Cardwell was launched tothe i r he lp . Two of the boa ts managed toreach safety unaided. The third was a con-siderable distance out in Port Erin Bay. Thel i fe -boa t escor ted her in to harbour , andre turned to moor ings a t 6 P . M . -Rewards ,£5 6s.

APRIL 27TH. - SHERINGHAM, NOR-FOLK. At 8 A.M. a telephone message wasreceived from the Fishery Bailiff asking forhelp for a fishing boat which was at sea offWeybourne three mi les away. A s t rong ,increasing N.E. wind was blowing, with arough sea. The motor life-boat ForestersCentenary was launched at 8.17 A.M., foundthe fishing boat Olive, of Sheringham, andescorted her safely through the surf. Shereturned to her station at 9 A.M .-Rewards,£l6 6s.

The following life-boats were launched, butno services were rendered for the reasonsgiven :

AP R I L 1 S T . - FERRYSIDE, CARMAR-T H E N S H I R E . A s c h o o n e r h a d b e e n r e -

Pembery Sands, but no trace of any vesselported in a dangerous position near the

in need of help could be found.-Rewards,£l2 10s. 6d.

APRIL 22N D . - SELSEY, SUSSEX. Dur-i n g t h e e v e n i n g t h e y a c h t B r i o n i e r a naground two miles W.S.W. of Selsey Bill,while on passage from Lymington to New-haven with a crew of three. A N.W. breezewas blowing, with a moderately rough sea.The yacht’s distress was reported by thecoastguard and the Selsey motor life-boatCanadian Pacific was launched at 7.50 P.M.Seeing that she would have to make a longdetour owing to the state of the tide, fourmen who had answered the maroon but werenot needed in the life-boat’s crew, put offin a dinghy with an outboard motor. Theymade for the B r i o n i e and when about aquarter of a mile from the wreck they pickedup a dinghy with the yacht’s crew on board.They towed the d inghy to the l i fe -boatstation. The l i fe -boa t reached the yachtbut found no one on board and re turnedashore at 10.20 P.M. - Rewards, Life-boat,£11 5s., Shoreboat £2 10s. and 3s. for fuelused.

APRIL 2ND . - SHOREHAM, SUSSEX. Aboat burning flares had been reported offBr ighton , bu t no th ing could be found. -Rewards, £7 15s. 6d.

APRIL 22ND . -SOUTHEND - ON - SEA,ESSEX. A caps ized yacht was found of fShoeburyness , bu t there was no one onboard.-Rewards, £6 10s.

AP R I L 5 T H . - SALCOMBE, DEVON. Asmall sailing boat was out in rough weather,but did not need help.-Rewards, £4 10s. 6d.

APRIL 6T H . - ST. HELIER, JERSEY. AFrench military seaplane had been forceddown in the sea, but she was helped by aFrench fishing boat. Letters of thanks wererece ived f rom the French Navy and theFrench Consul-General.-Rewards, £9 14s.

AP R I L 2 5 T H . - ST . P E T E R P O R T ,GUERNSEY. An aeroplane had been re -p o r t e d m i s s i n g , b u t s h e h a d l a n d e d a tAlderney.-Rewards, £4 13s. 6d.

AP R I L 2 6 T H . - WALMER, KENT. Redflares had been reported, but a search re-vealed nothing.-Rewards, £19 7s.

A P R I L 9 T H . - R A M S G A T E , K E N T . ADutch motor vessel had been reported nearthe Goodwins, but she could not be. found.-Rewards, £5 8s.

AP R I L 3 0 T H . - BEAUMARIS, ANGLE-SEY. A trawler’s engine had broken down,b u t a n o t h e r t r a w l e r t o o k h e r i n t o w . -Rewards, £5 6s.

A P R I L 1 2 T H . - D O N A G H A D E E , C O .DOWN. A raft had got adrift with a boyaboard, but before help came he was drowned.-Rewards, £8 18s. 6d.

AP R I L 3 0 T H . - PORTPATRICK, WIG-TOWNSHIRE. A ch i ld had d r i f t ed awayfrom Girvan on a ra f t , bu t was drownedb e f o r e h e l p c o u l d a r r i v e . - R e w a r d s ,£4 10s. 6d.

APRIL 16TH. - AMBLE, NORTHUMBER-LAND. A sailing yacht had been reportedin distress, but she went on her way withoutwaiting for help.-Rewards, £5.

MAY.

Launches 18. Lives rescued 30.MA Y 3 R D . - CROMARTY. At 3 P . M . a

message was rece ived f rom the Seafor thSHIRE. A f i sh ing boa t had no t re turned , Highlanders Depot at Fort George that the

APRIL 17TH . - THURSO, CAITHNESS-

but was found making her way home withoutneeding help.-Rewards, £5 3s. 6d.

APRIL 20TH . - THE HUMBER, YORK-SHIRE. An aeroplane was thought to havecrashed into the sea, but it was found thatshe came down on land . -Permanent pa idcrew : Rewards, 6s.

APRIL 22ND . - TYNEMOUTH, NORTH-UMBERLAND. The Cullercoats motor life-boat had capsized on exercise, but the Tyne-mouth life-boat was unable to find any of hercrew, s ix of whom were los t . -Rewards ,£9 3s. (A full account of this disaster waspublished in The Life-boat for June, 1939,page 75.)

SERVICES 1939

ferry boat Tim, running from Fort George toChanory, with the depot band of twelve menon board, had broken down when half-wayacross and was drifting towards the RiffSands. A S.S.W. wind was blowing, with amoderate sea. The motor life-boat JamesMacfee was launched at 3.10 P.M., and foundthe Tim three miles off her course. She wasriding at anchor, but the anchor would nothave held had the wind increased. The ferry-man having gone ashore with one of thebandsmen in a dinghy for help, the life-boatlanded the eleven remaining men at ChanoryPoint. She then put out again and towed theboat to anchorage, arriving back at hermoorings at 6.35 P.M.-Rewards, £4 7s. 6d.

MA Y 1 1 T H . - YARMOUTH, ISLE OFW I G H T . A t 6 . 1 6 P . M . a m e s s a g e w a sreceived from the coastguard at Cliff Endthat a motor launch off Barton-on-Sea hadbroken down, and that its occupants werewaving clothing to attract attention. As thesea was smooth, the weather fine, and thelaunch near to the shore it was decided towait and see whether she could get in herselfor whether some other boat would go to herhelp. At 7.3 P .M . a further message wasr e c e i v e d t h a t t h e l a u n c h w a s s t i l l i ndifficulties, and the motor life-boat S.G.E.was launched at 7.12 P .M . She found thelaunch, with two men on board, off BectonCliffs, towed her in, and returned to herstation at 9.10 P.M.-Rewards, £7 16s.

MAY 16T H . - WHITBY, YORKSHIRE.During the morning a strong N.E. wind wasblowing wi th a very rough sea . About10.15 it was learnt that two small fishingboats were returning. Then just as the motorlife-boat Mary Ann Hepworth was about topu t ou t , a t 10 .40 came a message f romStaithes that the fishing vessel Gallilee hadbroken down of f Skinningrove and tha tanother fishing vessel was attempting to towher. The life-boat first escorted in the fishingcobles Royal Empire and Silver Line. Shethen went in search of the Gallilee and foundh e r f o u r m i l e s n o r t h o f W h i t b y . T h eattempt of the other vessel to tow her hadfa i led as a l l he r ropes had par ted . TheGallilee had then managed to get her enginestarted again, but the fly-wheel was loose.The life-boat escorted her into Whitby andreturned to her station at 12 noon.-Rewards,£5 9s.

MAY 23RD. - HYTHE, KENT. At about8.15 P.M. the motor life-boat ViscountessWakefield was off Beachy Head on passagefrom Cowes to her station after overhaul.There she saw the motor cruiser Mary, ofChichester, with her engine broken down.There were two men on board. The sea wassmooth and the weather fine. The Mary wasbound for the East Coast and the life-boattowed her to Folkestone, arriving at 3.20 A.M.,on the 24th May. She reached her station at4 . 3 0 A . M . - N O r e w a r d s . C r e w p a i d f o rbringing boat from Cowes.

M A Y 2 6 T H . - W A L M E R , K E N T . A t12.10 A.M. a message was received from theSouth Goodwin Light-vessel through the

Deal coastguard that a vessel was ashore onthe sands to the N.E. by E. A N.N.E. breezewas b lowing , wi th a modera te sea . Themotor life-boat Charles Dibdin (Civil ServiceN o . 3 ) was l aunched a t 12 .44 A . M . Shefound the trawler Louci Gougy, of Dieppe,aground and stood by until 2.10 A.M., whenthe trawler refloated with the rising tide.After escorting her clear of the sands the life-b o a t r e t u r n e d t o h e r s t a t i o n a t 3 A . M . -Rewards, £19 7s.

MAY 28TH. - WALTON AND FRINTON,E S S E X . A t 5 . 1 5 A . M . a m e s s a g e w a sreceived from Gunfleet Lighthouse throught h e c o a s t g u a r d t h a t a v e s s e l h a d g o n eaground on the Gunfleet Sands. A moderateN.N.W. breeze was blowing, with a slightsea. The vessel was kept under observationand at 6.25 A.M. red flares were seen. Thereserve motor l i fe -boat M a r y a n d J o h nMeiklam of Gladswood, on temporary dutyat the station, was launched at 6.55 A.M .She found the yacht Our Laddie, of London,with thirteen people on board, four of themwomen. The yacht was on a pleasure cruisefrom Southend-on-Sea. The life-boat tookall the passengers on board, except two menwho stayed with the crew. Two life-boat-men boarded the yacht and the l i fe -boattowed her clear of the sands and anchoredabreast of Walton Pier. There she landednine of the passengers, who were exhausted.She then towed the yacht into Harwich Har-bour and returned to Walton at 2.20 P.M.-Rewards, £7 11s. 6d.

MAY 29TH . - LOWESTOFT, SUFFOLK.The life-boat coxswain was told by the coast-guard at about 8 P.M. that a motor vessel wasin difficulties about a mile to the S.S.E.The weather was fine, but the sea was ratherrough with a fresh N.E. wind. The motorlife-boat Agnes Cross put out at 8.10 P.M. andfound the motor vessel Joy, of Lowestoft,out on a pleasure cruise, with a crew of threeand fourteen passengers. Her engines hadbecome overheated and failed, and there wasa danger of fire. She was drifting across theNewcombe Sands where the seas were rough.The life-boat took her in tow and brought hersafely into harbour at about 9 P.M.-Rewards,£25 2s. 6d.

The following life-boats were launched, butno services were rendered for the reasonsgiven :

MAY 9TH . - CLOUGHEY, CO. DOWN.The Arantzazu-Mendi, a steamer of Bilbao,h a d s t r a n d e d , b u t w a s i n n o i m m e d i a t edanger.-Rewards, £l0 11s. 6d. (For anotherservice to this steamer, see page 31.)

M A Y 9 T H . . - T H E H U M B E R , Y O R K -SHIRE. An aeroplane had crashed into thesea of f the Lincolnshi re coas t , bu t onlywreckage was found. Two shoreboats alsotook part in the search. (See “ Services byShoreboats,” Mablethorpe, page 93.)-Per-manent paid crew : Rewards, 6s.

MAY 13TH. - WICKLOW. A yacht hadrun on the rocks, but all attempts to refloather failed.-Rewards, £5 5s. 6d.

30 SERVICES 1939

MA Y 2 1 S T . - SHOREHAM HARBOUR,SUSSEX. A rocket and l igh ts had beenr e p o r t e d , b u t n o t h i n g c o u l d b e f o u n d . -Rewards, £10 5s.

MAY 23RD. - DOVER, KENT. A vesselhad been reported on fire, but it was foundtha t i t was only her funnels sending outdense smoke.-Partly permanent paid crew :Rewards, £2 17s.

MA Y 2 7 T H . - HOYLAKE, CHESHIRE.Distress signals at sea had been reported butw e r e f o u n d t o b e f i r e w o r k s o n l a n d . -Rewards, £20 11s. 6d.

MAY 29TH . - ALDEBURGH, SUFFOLK.A yacht had gone ashore in a dangerousposition but she was refloated without thelife-boat’s help.-Rewards, £29 15s. 6d.

MAY 29TH . - PEEL, ISLE OF MAN. Ac o m p e t i t o r i n t h e M a n x A i r R a c e s h a dcrashed into the sea, but he was picked up bya fishing boat.-Rewards, £7 13s.

MAY 30TH. - WALTON AND FRINTON,ESSEX. A yacht had gone ashore on theBuxey Sands, but she got off without help.-Rewards, £14 5s.

MAY 30T H . - SHOREHAM HARBOUR,AND WORTHING, SUSSEX. Dur ing theafternoon a sailing boat, with a crew of two,father and son, capsized about two miles offGoring. A moderate N.E. breeze was blow-ing, with a moderate sea.

At the reques t of the Wor th ing BeachInspec tor a motor f i sh ing boa t pu t ou t ,rescued the two men and landed them. TheShoreham motor life-boat Rosa Woodd andPhyllis Lunn, had also been summoned andput out at 3.5 P . M . A speed-boat put outfrom Shoreham to tell her that the men hadbeen rescued.

Another motor boa t , f rom Fer r ing , hadalso put out with two men on board. Shepicked up the derelict boat and took her intow, receiving help from the life-boat whichreturned to her station at 6.5 P.M.-Rewards,Life-boat, £5 2s. 6d. ; Shoreboats, a Letterof Thanks and £1 5s., together with 5s. forfuel.

M A Y 3 1 S T . - T H E H U M B E R , Y O R K -SHIRE. A motor fishing boat of Bridling-ton had broken down, but was towed intoB r i d l i n g t o n b y a W h i t b y f i s h i n g b o a t . -Permanent paid crew : Rewards, 6s.

JUNE.

Launches 29. Lives rescued 54.

JUNE 1ST. - LLANDUDNO, CAERNAR-VONSHIRE. H.M. Submarine Thetis dived,w h i l e o n t r i a l s i n L i v e r p o o l B a y a b o u tfifteen miles from Llandudno, and did notcome to the surface. On the following morn-ing four survivors escaped by means of theDavis apparatus and a request was receivedfrom the Hoylake coastguard for a doctor.The weather was fine, with a northerly wind

and a moderate sea. At 1 P.M. the motorlife-boat Thomas and Annie Wade Richardsput out with Dr. Maddock Jones on board.She took him to the destroyer Somali andremained alongside for some hours, returningto her station at 10.30 P.M.

Ninety-n ine l ives were los t in th is thebigges t submar ine d isas te r of a l l t ime. -Rewards, £24 11s. 6d.

J U N E 3 R D . - D O V E R , K E N T . D u r i n gthe morning six children belonging to theDover garrison were cut off by the tide underShakespeare Cliff. A moderate N.E. galewas blowing, with a rough sea. The motorboarding boat William Myatt, attached to theDover life-boat, put out about midday witha crew of six and a dinghy in tow. Mean-while a police sergeant had been lowereddown the cliffs to the children. The dinghywas sent in but the first attempt failed asthere was great danger of the dinghy beingsmashed. The dinghy went in again, withan anchor and cables from the motor boat,and this time she was able to get near enoughfor the police sergeant to pass the children toher and then to board her himself. Sergeantand children were got safely from the dinghyto the boarding boat and she brought themashore.-Partly permanent crew : Rewards,£2 2s. 6d.

J U N E 1 0 T H . - M A R G A T E , K E N T . A tabout noon a yacht was seen by a life-boat-man ashore on the Margate Sands. A lightS.E. breeze was blowing, the sea was smooth.The motor life-boat Lord Southborough (CivilService No. 1) was launched at 12.20 P.M. withthe honorary secretary, Mr. P. E. W. Gellatly,on board . She found the aux i l i a ry yach tMorn, of the Royal Air Force Yacht Club,near the North Spit Buoy, with three peopleon board. The life-boat towed her clear ofthe sands into deep water, and returned toher station at 2 P.M.-Property salvage case.

J U N E 1 1 T H . - F L E E T W O O D : L A N -CASHIRE. At 1 .30 P . M . the l igh thouse-keeper repor ted tha t a smal l motor boa twas aground on the east side of the WyreChannel. A strong N.W. breeze was blowingwith a rough sea. Two other motor boatscould be seen attempting to reach her, butwere unable to do so. The motor life-boatAnn Letitia Russell was launched at 2.15 P.M.She found the motor boat Roma, of Fleet-wood, a converted ship’s life-boat, with threepeople in her, wet and exhausted. She tookthem on board, put a life-boatman in theRoma and towed her to harbour. The life-boat returned to her station at 3.15 P.M. Aletter and a donation were received in grati-tude for this service.-Rewards, £5 5s. 6d.

J U N E 1 1 T H . - N E W B R I G H T O N ,CHESHIRE. At 9.10 P . M . a message wasreceived from the police that a motor boatwas in d i f f icu l t ies of f Seacombe Stageand needed immedia te he lp . A modera tenortherly breeze was blowing with a choppysea. The No. 2 motor life-boat Edmund andMary Robinson was launched at 9.26 P .M.and found the motor boat Sally, of Birken-head, out fishing, with three men on board.

SERVICES 1939

Her rudder and stern post had been broken ;she was leaking badly ; her crew were unableto cope with the flow of water. The life-boattook the men on board and towed the Sallyto New Brighton, returning to her station at10.30 P.M.-Rewards, £10 5s.

JUNE 14TH. - WALTON AND FRINTON,E S S E X . A t 1 0 . 2 5 P . M . a m e s s a g e w a sreceived from the Felixstowe coastguard,through the Walton-on-Naze coastguard,that a vessel was in distress one mile east ofthe Cork Light-vessel. A S.W. gale wasblowing , wi th a rough sea . The motorl i f e - b o a t J o h n a n d M a r y M e i k l a m o fGladswood, on temporary duty at the station,was launched at 10.50 P.M. She found themotor vessel Kentish Hoy, of Chatham, witha crew of three, laden with 150 tons of sugar,on passage from Great Yarmouth to Chatham.Her engine had broken down. She was beingswept by heavy seas. The life-boat waitedfor the seas to ease. She then towed theKentish Hoy into Harwich Harbour arrivingat 6.30 A.M. the next morning. The life-boatr e t u r n e d t o h e r s t a t i o n a t 9 . 3 0 A . M . -Property salvage case.

JUNE 15TH . - CLACTON - ON - SEA,ESSEX. At 9.39 P . M . on the 14th June amessage was received from the coastguardthat the motor yacht Mayflower of GreatYarmouth, was ashore at Jaywick. As theyacht was not then in a dangerous positionthe life-boat was not launched. The followingmorning, at 9.36 A.M., a message was receivedthat the Mayflower was flying a distresssignal. A moderate S.W. breeze was blow-ing, with a rough sea. The motor life-boatEdward Z. Dresden was launched at 9.50 A.M.and found the Mayflower with a crew of twoaboard. The life-boat towed the yacht toBrightlingsea, returning to her station at3.30 P.M.-Property salvage case.

SILVER MEDAL SERVICE’AT CLOUGHEY

JUNE 17TH. - CLOUGHEY, CO.DOWN. The S.S. Arantzazu-Mendi,of Bilbao, had gone aground on ButterPladdy shoals, outside Kearney Point,Co. Down. Efforts were made to salveher, and there was a salvage partyon board on 17th June. A strongsouth-south-west wind was blowingthat day, with a very heavy sea onthe shoals, and at 9.30 in the eveningthe salvage party sent up distresssignals. They were seen by the coast-guard, and at ten o’clock the Clougheymotor life-boat, William Maynard, waslaunched. She reached the wreck anhour later, having had to drive into ahead sea all the way.

Seas fifteen feet high were breakingover the steamer from abreast of the

bridge and were sweeping clean overher after part, from which everythingmovable had already been washedaway. The eleven men were on thefore-deck, knee-deep in water.

As the steamer was taking the seashead on there was no lee for the life-boat to get under, so the coxswainanchored 150 yards ahead of her andveered down on his cable stern first.As he did so a heavy sea broke right ontop of the l ife-boat. All her crewwere knocked down ; the anchor beganto drag ; and if the coxswain had notat once gone full speed ahead on hisengines, the life-boat herself mighthave been wrecked. The anchor heldafter it had dragged about 40 yards ;the life-boat veered down again ; al ine was th rown to her f rom thesteamer. But a wave flung the life-boat away and the line snapped. Asecond line was thrown, and snapped.A third line was thrown. This held,and the life-boat was pulled alongsidethe steamer. Then a fourth line wasthrown, and down this line the salvagemen dropped, one or two at a time,into the life-boat.

It took three-quarters of an hour forthe eleven men to get aboard her.Each wave flung the life-boat ten ortwelve yards away from the steamer,and the coxswain had to go full speedahead to prevent her being caughtbroadside on by the waves. Then hehad to work her back close enough tothe wreck for the men to slide downthe rope into her. Again and againthis manoeuvre was repeated. All thetime waves were breaking in the life-boat, and the mechanic, kneeling underthe canopy at his controls, was up tohis chest in water.

About 11.45 that night the last of themen had been rescued, and half an hourlater the life-boat landed them.

The coxswain handled the life-boatwith unerring skill. Any mistake onhis part might well have meant disas-ter. All his crew ably supported himin a fine piece of seamanship, and themotor-mechanic in particular managedhis engines very smartly in very tryingconditions.

The Institution made the followingawards :

To Coxswain ROBERT YOUNG, the

silver medal for gallantry, accompan- h a r b o u r a n d r e t u r n e d t o h e r s t a t i o n a t

ied by a copy of the vote inscribed on 11 A.M.-Rewards, £4 16s. 6d.

vellum ; J U N E 2 2 N D . - REDCAR, YORKSHIRE.To GE O R G E YOUNG , the motor- At 10.55 P.M. a message was received from the

mechanic, the bronze medal for gallan- Staithes coastguard that a three-masted vessel

try, and a copy of the vote inscribedhad fired distress rockets three and a half milesto the N.N.W. A strong N.N.E. breeze was

on vellum ; blowing, with a heavy sea. The motor life-To the coxswain and each of the boat Louisa Polden was launched at 11.30 P.M.

six members of the crew a reward of She found the vessel to be the S.S. Ernrix, ofHull, loaded with wheat, on passage from Hullto Thornaby-on-Tees . She had sprung aleak, and was sinking when the life-boatarrived and rescued her crew of ten. Thelife-boat returned to her station at 3 A.M .Later the tug King’s Cross attempted to towt h e E r n r i x i n , b u t s h e s a n k . - R e w a r d s ,

32 SERVICES 1939

£2 in addition to the ordinary scalereward of £l 5s. Standard rewardsto crew and launchers, £13 17s. 6d. ;additional rewards to crew, £14; ad-ditional rewards to launchers, £3 4s. ;total rewards, £31 1s. 6d. £12 19s.

J U N E 1 8 T H . - NEWHAVEN, SUSSEX.During the morning four men were cut offby the tide under the Seven Sisters Cliffs, nearSeaford. One of them swam to Cuckmere.There the pol ice informed the Newhavencoastguard who passed the news to the life-b o a t s t a t i o n . A f r e s h S . W . b r e e z e w a sblowing, with a moderate sea. The motorl i fe -boat Cec i l and L i l i an Ph i lpo t t waslaunched at 12.13 P.M. and with a small boatin tow she went to Cuckmere Haven. Themen were got into the small boat and thentaken on board the life-boat, which landedthem safe ly a t Newhaven. The l i fe -boa tr e t u r n e d t o h e r s t a t i o n a t 2 . 1 5 P . M . -Rewards, £6 8s.

JUNE 18TH. - CROMER, NORFOLK. Dur-ing the morning a small boat with five boyson board was seen two miles N.N.E. from thelife-boat station. A moderate S.S.W. breezewas blowing, with a choppy sea. The boatwas kept under observation and at 1.25 P.M.t h e c o a s t g u a r d r e p o r t e d t h a t t h e b o y sappeared to be exhausted. The No. 1 motorl i f e - b o a t H . F . B a i l e y w a s l a u n c h e d a t1.30 P .M. She took the five boys on boardand with the boat in tow arrived back at herstation at 2.15 P.M.-Rewards, £8 14s.

JUNE 21ST. - SOUTHEND - ON - SEA,E S S E X . A t a b o u t 2 . 3 5 P . M . a m e s s a g ewas received from the Shoeburyness Garrisont h a t a s m a l l y a c h t a p p e a r e d t o b e i ndi f f icu l t ies of f Shoebury . Then a secondmessage came that the yacht had capsized.A strong N.E. wind was blowing, with a roughs e a . T h e r e s e r v e m o t o r l i f e - b o a t T h eBrothers, on temporary duty at the station,was launched at 2.55 P . M . She found theyacht to be the Redshank, of Shoeburyness.There was no sign of her crew. The life-boatr igh ted the yacht and towed her ashore ,returning to her station at 4.45 P.M. It waslearnt later that the Redshank’s crew of twohad been picked up by a boat from Shoebury.-Rewards, £6 10s.

JUNE 22N D . - MONTROSE, ANGUS. At9.40 AM. a strong N.E. wind was blowing, thesea was rough and the tide ebbing. It wasevident that two motor fishing boats, Rosaand Widgeon, which were out would havegreat difficulty in crossing the bar and theNo. 1 motor life-boat, John Russell, put outat 9.50 A.M. She escorted the two boats into

JUNE 25TH. - HARTLEPOOL, CO. DUR-HAM. At 2.30 P .M. a message was receivedfrom the coastguard that the motor cobleBen My Chree, with two men on board, wasthen two and a half miles N.E. of Heugh.With a northerly breeze blowing and a veryheavy sea, anxiety was felt for her safety. Apilot cutter had gone to her help, and at3.46 P.M. the two boats were seen to be return-ing. As a very heavy sea was breaking at thebreakwater and bar the motor l i fe -boa tElizabeth Newton was launched at 3.50 P.M.and escorted the Ben My Chree to safety.She returned to her station at 4.30 P . M .-Rewards, £4 16s. 6d.

JUNE 28TH. - NEW QUAY, CARDIGAN-SHIRE. At 4 P .M. the crew and helpers hadassembled for an exercise launch when thesmall sailing boat Idle Hour, of New Quay,with a crew of two, was seen drifting to theeast of the harbour. A strong S.W. breezewas, blowing, w i t h a c h o p p y s e a . T h epulling and sailing life-boat William CantrelAshley was launched at 4.15 P.M. She tookthe two men on board and tried to tow theIdle Hour, but the boat was soon swamped,so she was lifted into the life-boat. The life-boat returned to her station at 5.40 P .M .-Rewards, £11 9s. 6d.

J U N E 2 8 T H . - CLACTON - ON - SEA,ESSEX. At 7 P .M. a message was receivedfrom the coastguard that a motor yacht twomiles to the S.W. was drifting, and was flyingdistress signals. A fresh S.W. breeze wasblowing, with a rough sea. The motor life-boat Edward Z. Dresden was launched at7.10 P.M. and found the yacht to be the Alan-fred, of Benfleet, with four on board. She hadrun out of fuel and was leaking badly. Thelife-boat took off the four people, towed theyacht to Brightlingsea, and arrived back ather station at midnight. Gifts were sent tothe Institution and to the crew in gratitudefor this service.-Rewards, £11 6s.

The following life-boats were launched, butno services were rendered for the reasonsgiven :

J U N E 1 S T . - SHOREHAM HARBOUR,SUSSEX. A sailing boat had capsized offWorthing, but the man on board was rescuedby another boat.-Rewards, £5 2s. 6d.

SERVICES 1939 33

J U N E 1 S T . - T E N B Y , P E M B R O K E -SHIRE. Two girls had been cut off by thetide at Llanelly, but they reached safetywithout the life-boat’s help.-Rewards, £2 5s.

J U N E 2 N D . - S E L S E Y , S U S S E X . A naeroplane had come down in the sea, butanother boat reached her first and picked uptwo of the crew.-Rewards, £15 13s. 6d.

JUNE 4TH . - SOUTHEND - ON - SEA,ESSEX. A yacht was in distress off FoulnessIsland, but she was taken in tow by anothervessel-Rewards, £13 6s.

JUNE 4TH. - DONAGHADEE, CO. DOWN.An aeroplane had been reported to havefa l len in to the sea , bu t l a te r news wasr e c e i v e d t h a t s h e w a s s a f e . - R e w a r d s ,£4 10s.

J U N E 6 T H . - SHOREHAM HARBOUR,SUSSEX. Smoke which appeared to comefrom a burning boat had been reported, butnoth ing could be found . The honorarysecretary, Captain C. T. Keigwin, R.N.R.,also put out in a speed-boat and took partin the search.-Rewards, £5 2s. 6d.

JUNE 12TH. - TORBAY, DEVON. Asmall boat had capsized, but a motor boatrescued the crew. A donation and a letterof thanks were received in gratitude for thelaunching of the life-boat.-Rewards, £2 16s.

J U N E 1 4 T H . - YARMOUTH, ISLE OFWIGHT. An aeroplane had been reporteddown in the sea of f Bar ton-on-Sea , butnothing was found, nor was any aeroplanereported missing.-Rewards, £3 18s.

JUNE 17TH. - MARGATE, KENT. A row-ing boat was overdue and believed to be indifficulties, but later a report was receivedthat the boat had been found and was safe.Mr. P. E. W. Gellatly, the honorary secretary,went out in the life-boat.-Rewards, £9 8s.

J U N E 1 8 T H . - YARMOUTH, ISLE OFWIGHT. A motor boat had been reported,showing distress signals, but nothing wasfound.-Rewards, £7 16s.

JUNE 21ST. - WALTON AND FRINTON,ESSEX. The Kentish Knock Light-vesselhad reported that a yacht had carried awayher mast, but the yacht cleared herself andwent on her way.-Rewards, £4 15s. 6d.

JUNE 27TH . - SHOREHAM HARBOUR,SUSSEX. An aeroplane had crashed intothe sea, but a fishing boat rescued the pilot.The l i fe -boa t towed in the aeroplane . -Rewards, £5 2s. 6d. (For a full account, see“ Serv ices by Shore-boats ,” Shoreham,page 95.)

JULY.Launches 47. Lives rescued 31.

J U L Y 5 T H . - Y A R M O U T H , I S L E O FW I G H T . A t 7 . 2 0 P . M . t h e c o a s t g u a r dreported two men were in danger on a-pile-d r i v e r a t M i l f o r d - o n - S e a . A m o d e r a t e

squa l ly S .S .W. ga le was b lowing , wi th arough break ing sea . The motor l i fe -boa tS.G.E. was launched at 7.32 A.M. and wentt o t h e p i l e - d r i v e r , w h i c h w a s t h e n t w ohundred yards f rom the shore . The l i fe -boat anchored to windward , veered downand with some difficulty rescued the two men.They were g iven s t imulan ts and taken toYarmouth.-Rewards, £7 16s.

JULY 6TH - .WALMER, KENT. At 12.50P .M. a message was received from the Dealcoas tguard tha t a sa i l ing boa t wi th f ivepeople on board was flying an oilskin in herr igg ing near Dea l Bank Buoy . A s t rongS.W. wind was blowing, with a rough sea.The motor life-boat Charles Dibdin (CivilService No. 2) was launched at 1.5 P.M. Shefound the sailing boat shipping heavy water,and escorted her to Ramsgate. She returnedt o h e r s t a t i o n a t 3 . 4 0 P . M . - R e w a r d s ,£9 13s. 6d.

JULY 10TH . - CAISTER, NORFOLK. At7 P.M. a yacht was seen to strike the CaisterShoal, near the south end of Caister Beach,k n o c k o f f , a n d d r i f t a s h o r e . A s l i g h tnortherly breeze was blowing, with a heavyground swell. The pulling and sailing life-boat Charles Burton was launched at 7.25 P.M.She found the yacht Sarah Ann, of Maldon,shipping water, with nobody on board. H e rcrew of two had swum ashore. The life-boatran out the Sarah Ann’s anchor and left herin charge of the Great Yarmouth coastguard,returning to her station at 9 P.M.-Rewards,£29 5s.

J U L Y 1 3 T H . - P E T E R H E A D , A B E R -DEENSHIRE. At 2.25 P .M . a message wasreceived from the Rattray Head coastguard,through the Peterhead coastguard, statingthat a steam drifter was ashore at RattrayHead. A light E.N.E. breeze was blowing,with a slight sea, and the visibility was verypoor. The new motor life-boat Julia ParkBarry of Glasgow was launched at 2.30 P.M.She found the steam drifter Ocean Harvest, ofGreat Yarmouth, with a crew of ten and 100crans of herrings on board. She was rolling,and striking very heavily on her port side.The life-boat stood by the drifter until about5 P . M . when it was evident that she wouldnot refloat with the flood tide. The life-boatthen took aboard her crew, with their personalbelongings, and returned to her station at6.30 P.M.-Rewards, £4 11s.

JULY 13TH . - LYNMOUTH, DEVON. Atabout 7.30 P.M. a motor yacht was seen flyinga distress signal. A squally southerly windw a s b l o w i n g , w i t h a c h o p p y s e a . T h epulling and sailing life-boat Prichard FrederickGainer was launched at 7.50 P.M. She foundthe motor yacht Doric, of Upton-on-Severn,a quarter of a mile off Lynmouth beach, witha crew of three on board. One of her engineshad broken down and the dinghy that shew a s t o w i n g h a d b e e n s w a m p e d . A l i f e -boatman was put on board her and her enginewas started. The life-boat then escorted herinto Lynmouth and returned to her stationat 8 .45 P . M . The owner of the Doric, whowas on board her, has made a donation to theInstitution’s funds.-Rewards, £30 14s.

34 SERVICES 1939

J ULY 1 5 T H . - CLACTON - ON - SEA,E S S E X . D u r i n g t h e e v e n i n g a m e s s a g ewas received from the coastguard, that ayacht was ashore on the Buxey Sands, butwas not showing any d is t ress s ignals . Agentle S.E. breeze was blowing, with a slightsea. The motor life-boat Edward Z. Dresdenwas launched at 6.45 P.M. with the honorarysecretary, Mr. J. S. Potter, on board. Shefound the auxiliary yacht Marosa, of WestMersea, with a crew of two, on passage toSudbury, Suffolk. The life-boat spoke toher and was informed tha t he lp was notneeded . The l i fe -boat s tood by unt i l theMarosa refloated, and returned to her stationat 9.50 P.M.-Rewards, £10 14s.

J U L Y 1 6 T H . - P E T E R H E A D , A B E R -DEENSHIRE. At 4.15 A.M . a message wasreceived from the coastguard that a vesselhad gone ashore a t Nor th Head . A l igh tN.E. breeze was blowing, with a slight sea,and there was a thick fog. The motor life-boa t Ju l i a Park Bar ry o f G lasgow waslaunched at 4.25 A.M . She found the S.S.St. Ninian, of Aberdeen, on passage fromWick to Lei th , wi th passengers and crewnumbering thirty-four and a general cargo.As she was lying in a dangerous position andthe t ide was ebbing the l i fe -boat , a t hercapta in’s reques t , took of f e ighteen pas-sengers and three of the crew. She landedthem a t Pe te rhead a t 5 .10 A . M . and thenreturned and stood by until the St. Ninianrefloated. The life-boat escorted her untilit was known what water she was making.When her captain was satisfied that she couldgo on her way in safety, the life-boat returnedto her station, arriving at 11.45 A.M . Theowners of the steamer, the North of Scotlandand Orkney and Shetland Steam NavigationCo., Ltd., sent a donation of £20 in gratitudefor this service.-Rewards, £6 14s. 6d.

JULY 16TH . - STROMNESS, ORKNEY.At about 6.10 P .M. a message was receivedfrom the Broughness coastguard that distresssignals had been heard in the Pentland Firth.This was confirmed by a wireless messagefrom a trawler saying that she was ashore inthe firth. A light N.E. breeze was blowing,with a moderate sea. There was a dense fog.The motor life-boat J.J.K.S.W. was launchedat 6.30 P.M. Owing to the fog she was guidedby wireless. She found the steam trawlerLynx, of Grimsby, anchored near Swona.She had refloated after going ashore and hadlost her propeller blades. The steam trawlerB e a u m a r i s C a s t l e was s tanding by her .The life-boat stood by until midnight, whenthe Beaumaris Castle took the Lynx in tow,The life-boat escorted the two trawlers tosafety and returned to her station at 3 A.M.-Rewards, £11 17s.

JULY 17TH . - LOWESTOFT, SUFFOLK.At 8.21 P.M. a message was received from thecoastguard that a canoe, with a boy on board,had capsized oil Ness Point. A gentle S.W.breeze was blowing, but the sea was rough.The reserve motor life-boat John and MaryMeiklam of Gladswood, on temporary dutyat the station, was launched at 8.20 P .M .Within seven minutes the life-boat reached

the canoe and found that a young woman hadswum out to the boy, who could not swim,and was holding him up. They were hangingon to the bottom of the canoe, both exhaustedand suffering from shock and cold. The life-boa t took them on board , recovered thecanoe and returned to her station at 9.10 P.M.The Roya l Humane Soc ie ty awarded theyoung woman, Miss Ethel Steward, its bronzemedal and certificate.-Rewards, £25 2s. 6d.

JULY 19TH . - HOLY ISLAND, NORTH-UMBERLAND. At 8 .15 P . M . a messagewas received from the Seahouses coastguardthat distress signals had been heard from thedirection of Longstone Lighthouse. A lighteasterly breeze was blowing, with a smoothsea and fog. The motor life-boat Milburnwas launched at 8.25 P .M . She found theS.S. Helmsdale, of Ipswich, loaded with 750tons of cement, on passage from Greenhitheto Aberdeen, aground on the Crumstone Rock.The life-boat stood by for a while to see if theHelmsdale could be refloated, but as she washalf sunk the captain decided to abandon herand the life-boat took on board her crew ofeleven. She landed them at Seahouses andreturned to her station at 7 A.M.-Rewards,£12 18s.

J ULY 2 3 R D . - THE HUMBER, YORK-SHIRE. Whi le re tu rn ing to Hul l a f t e r avisit to Spurn, the small sailing yacht Pinta,of Hull, manned by five sea scouts, wasforced to put back by a rising wind. The seawas moderate, but a fresh westerly breezewas blowing with heavy gusts. The scoutswere in difficulties with the sails so theydropped anchor, but the anchor dragged andthe yacht was in danger of going ashore. At1.45 P.M. the motor life-boat City of BradfordII was launched, and towed the yacht toGrimsby, which was reached at 3.25 P .M .After her crew had been given a meal by theRoyal National Mission for Deep Sea Fisher-m e n t h e l i f e - b o a t r e t u r n e d , a r r i v i n g a t8.30 P . M . Thanks and donations were sentto the Institution.-Permanent paid crew :Rewards, 9s.

J ULY 2 9 T H . - WALMER, KENT. At 1P .M . the coastguard informed the life-boatstation that the South Goodwin Light-vesselhad reported a small open boat with a crewof two, drifting on to the Goodwin Sands.A strong S.W. wind was blowing and the seawas rough . The motor l i fe -boa t C h a r l e sDibdin (Civil Service No. 2) was launched at1 . 1 0 P . M . and going towards the SouthGoodwin saw the boat near the “ race ” overold wrecks on the sands. Before the life-boatcould reach her she capsized, and the life-boatrescued the two men from the sea. Then shetook in tow their boat, the Lou Mani, andgot back to her station at 3.25 P .M . Thetwo men were reported to be German refugeeswho had set out to row to England fromBelgium.-Rewards, £9 13s. 6d.

J U L Y 3 0 T H . - B A L L Y C O T T O N , C O .CORK. At 1.20 P .M. a man reported to thelife-boat coxswain that the motor fishingboat Point Girl, of Ballycotton, which was outwith anglers, was flying a distress signal about

SERVICES. 1939 35

two miles S.W. of Ballycotton Light. Themotor life-boat Mary Stanford was launched

heard, but the life-boat could find nothing.-

at 1.34 P .M. She found the boat, with herPermanent paid crew : Rewards, £4 7s.

propeller fouled by a rope, drifting to seaand shipping water. She had a crew of four.

JULY 17TH . - CLACTON-ON-SEA, AND

As a strong westerly breeze was blowing, withW A L T O N A N D F R I N T O N , E S S E X . A

a rough sea, it was not considered safe tomessage had been received from the coast-

take the life-boat alongside, so a rope wasguard that an aeroplane had crashed in the

passed to the Point Girl and the life-boatsea between Walton pier and Gunfleet Light-house and that a man had come down from

towed her into harbour, arriving at 3.10 P.M.-Rewards, £5 10s.

it by parachute. Royal Air Force speedboatsand aeroplanes also took part in the search,and the pilot was picked up alive by one of

The following life-boats were launched, but the aeroplanes. A letter of thanks was re-

no services were rendered for the reasons ceived from the Royal Air Force.-Rewards:

given : C l a c t o n - o n - S e a , £ 5 1 3 s . ; W a l t o n a n d

J ULY 1 S T . - SHOREHAM HARBOUR,Frinton, £7 2s. 6d.

SUSSEX. A sailing canoe was thought to JULY 19TH. - DUNBAR. EAST LOTHIAN.have been blown out to sea, but later it waslearned that she had returned.-Rewards,£5 2s. 6d.

A steamer had stranded on the South CarrRock in a fog, but she got off at high waterand went on her. way.-Rewards, £5 10s.

JULY 1ST. - MARGATE, KENT. Rocketshad been reported between Warden Point andthe Reculvers, but nothing could be found.Mr. P. E. W. Gellatly, the honorary secretary,went out in the boat.-Rewards, £12 8s.

JULY 2ND . - SOUTHEND - ON - SEA,E S S E X . A r o w i n g b o a t h a d g o t i n t odifficulties and a motor boat which went toher aid broke down, but both boats got inunaided.-Rewards, £10 10s. 6d.

J ULY 2 N D . - PWLLHELI , CAERNAR-VONSHIRE. The Danish schooner Sif , ofMarstal, appeared to be in difficulties, butshe was only waiting for a pilot.-Rewards,£5 15s. 6d.

JULY 3RD. - TORBAY, DEVON. A smallmotor yacht had caught fire, but anotheryacht rescued the only person on board. Adonation was received in gratitude for thelaunching of the life-boat.-Rewards, £2 16s.

J ULY 6 T H . - HASTINGS, SUSSEX. Aboat had been reported off Bexhill, partlysubmerged, but she could not be found.-Rewards, £31 16s. 6d.

J U L Y 6 T H . - P E N L E E , C O R N W A L L .Flares had been reported and the Frenchmotor ketch Ster Vras was found, but she didnot need help.-Rewards, £14 15s.

J U L Y 9 T H . - Y A R M O U T H , I S L E O FWIGHT. An aeroplane had come down inthe sea off Milford-on-Sea, but no trace of hercould be found. She is believed to have sunkwith her pilot.-Rewards, £3 18s.

JULY 9TH . - NEWHAVEN, SUSSEX. Acanoe had capsized with two people on board,but the police rescued them from the shorewith lines.-Rewards, £5 13s.

J ULY 1 3 T H . - MARGATE, KENT. Anaeroplane was reported as having come downin the sea a few miles out, but though thelife-boat searched over a wide area she couldfind nothing.-Rewards, £6 4s.

JULY 16TH . - ROSSLARE HARBOUR,CO. WEXFORD. Signals of distress were

J ULY 2 0 T H . - WHITBY, YORKSHIRE.News had been received from the coastguardthat a trawler was in distress twenty-eightmi les away, bu t she was p icked up by asteamer.-Rewards, £16 10s.

J ULY 2 1 S T . - THURSO, CAITHNESS-SHIRE. Distress signals had been reportedbetween Stroma and Pentland Skerries, butthe life-boat could find nothing.-Rewards,£9 11s.

JULY 21ST . - FENIT, CO. KERRY. Thelife-boat put out at 8.45 P.M. in a dense fogto the help of a trawler which was reported tohave struck Sibyl Head and to be making forBlasket Sound in a sinking condition. Mr. T.Bar re t t , the honorary secre ta ry , was onboard the life-boat. A later message saidthat the trawler was making for Valentia, butit was not possible to recall the life-boat untilshe reached Sibyl Head. She arrived backat her station at five o’clock next morninghaving had a very difficult passage in the fog.The trawler sank before reaching Valentia andher crew were rescued by another trawler.-Rewards, £10 6s.

JULY 21ST. - SUNDERLAND, CO. DUR-HAM. A vessel had gone ashore, but sherefloated without needing help and went onher way.-Rewards, £12 18s.

J U L Y 2 2 N D . - T O R B A Y , D E V O N . Amotor launch with a number of passengerson board was overdue, but she was towed inby a motor trawler.-Rewards, £4 13s.

JULY 23RD . - SOUTHEND - ON - SEA,ESSEX. A message had been received thata yacht was flying distress signals two milesoff the Nore Light Vessel, but no yacht indistress could be found.-Rewards, £6 10s.

JULY 23RD . - WESTON-SUPER-MARE,SOMERSET. News had been received thatan up-turned boat could be seen on StertFlats, apparently drifting out to sea, withtwo people clinging to her. The boat, how-ever, grounded on a mud bank and the twomen got ashore.-Rewards, £5 8s. 6d.

S E R V I C E S 1 9 3 936

JULY 23RD . - EYEMOUTH, BERWICK-SHIRE. A raft with two boys on board wasdrifting seawards., but one of the boys suc-ceeded in swimming ashore. The other wasdrowned, and his body recovered by a boat. -Rewards, £10 11s. 6d.

J ULY 2 3 R D . - DUNGENESS, KENT. Asmall yacht had capsized, but her crew oftwo were rescued by a motor boat from RyeHarbour. - Rewards, £11 3s. 6d.

JULY 23RD. - HOLYHEAD, ANGLESEY.A small yacht had gone aground in a danger-ous position, but she refloated with the risingtide. - Rewards, £7 10s.

JULY 24TH . - HASTINGS, SUSSEX. Anaeroplane had been reported to have comedown in the sea. Another aeroplane and amotor boat joined the life-boat in the search,but nothing could be found and no aeroplanewas reported as being missing. - Rewards,£16 18s. 6d.

J U L Y 2 5 T H . - M A R G A T E , K E N T . Asmall rowing boat was drifting out with aboy in it, but before the life-boat arrived itwas found by a motor boat. The boy wasexhausted and, after he had been given waterand chocolate from the life-boat, the motorboat took him to Herne Bay. (See “ Servicesby Shore-boats,” Herne Bay, page 96.) - Re-wards, £15 12s.

JULY 27TH. - FALMOUTH, CORNWALL.Two steamers had been in collision in themorning, one an oil tanker which had caughtfire. Ten of her crew lost their lives. Theo t h e r t w e n t y - f o u r h a d b e e n r e s c u e d b yanother steamer. At 8 P .M. it was reportedby the coastguard that the tanker was stillon fire, and the life-boat was launched, butshe found no survivors. - Rewards, £9 1s.

JULY 27TH. - NEWHAVEN, SUSSEX. Ayacht was on fire. but the people on boardwere rescued by a fishing boat. - Rewards,£10 15s. 6d.

J U L Y 2 8 T H . - F L E E T W O O D , L A N -CASHIRE. An aeroplane which had onboard the Air Minister, Sir Kingsley Wood,making for Belfast, was reported as missing.She had last been seen out at sea three milesS.S.E. of Walney Light. After searching forthree and a half hours without success thelife-boat put into Heysham, and there learntthat the aeroplane, which had been compelledto return by bad weather, had made a forcedlanding a t Ki rby- in-Furness . - Rewards ,£12 5s.

J ULY 2 8 T H . - RAMSGATE, KENT. Aman who had put out in a speed-boat wasreported as missing, but he had returnedsafely. - Rewards, £10 11s.

JULY 30TH . - NEW BRIGHTON, CHE-SHIRE. A motor boat had been reportedin distress, but she was picked up by a pilotboat. - Rewards, £7 15s.

JULY 30T H . - MARYPORT, CUMBER-L A N D . A m o t o r f i s h i n g b o a t h a d b e e n

AUG. 1ST . - GALWAY BAY, GALWAY.At 6 P . M . a message was rece ived f romInishere tha t a Connemara boa tman hadrepor ted tha t he had passed an up turnedcurragh half a mile north of Sandhead. Amoderate S.W. breeze was blowing, with achoppy sea. The motor life-boat K.E.C.F.was launched at 6.30 P . M . She found thecurragh, took it in tow, and made a widesearch for the three men believed to havebeen on board , bu t could not f ind them.s h e r e t u r n e d t o h e r s t a t i o n a t 8 P . M . -Rewards, £5 14s.

AUG. 5 T H . - TOBERMORY, ISLE OFMULL. During the evening a doctor askedfor the life-boat to take a woman to Oban,to be sent thence to the Maternity Hospital,Glasgow. No s teamer was ava i lab le andhe was afraid that she would bleed to death.The motor life-boat Sir Arthur Rose left at6 . 4 5 P . M . , and , a f te r a smooth passage ,reached Oban at 9.45, arriving back at herstation at 1.40 A.M. next, morning. A nurse,who went with the patient, stated that every-thing was satisfactory, and the latest reportreceived was that the woman was as well ascould be expected . - No expense to theInstitution.

reported in distress, but she made White-haven safely. - Rewards, £12 7s.

JULY 30TH . - EASTBOURNE, SUSSEX.A small sailing yacht with three people onboard was reported as missing, but she gotin safely. - Rewards, £9 15s. 6d.

J ULY 3 0 T H . - HOYLAKE, CHESHIRE.A red flare had been reported by a fisherman,b u t t h e l i f e - b o a t c o u l d f i n d n o t h i n g . -Rewards, £15 14s. 6d.

AUGUST.

Launches 37. Lives rescued 13.

A UG . 1 S T . - M O E L F R E , A N G L E S E Y .Three men, visitors to Moelfre, who were outin a rowing boat, got into difficulties in thestrong tide. They signalled for help. Theweather was fine, with a moderate S.W. windand a slight sea. At 1.30 P .M . the motorlife-boat G.W. was launched, picked up theboat when she was about one mile off MoelfreIsland, and brought her to safety at 2.30P.M. - Rewards, £5 5s. 6d.

AUG. 6TH. - SWANAGE, DORSET, ANDYARMOUTH, ISLE OF WIGHT. At 6.10P.M.. the coastguard informed the life-boatstation at Swanage that a sailing yacht hadcapsized off Christchurch Ledge Buoy, andthe motor l i fe -boat T h o m a s M a r k b y waslaunched at 6.34 P .M . The sea was rough,with a strong W.S.W. breeze blowing. Thel i fe -boat found the sa i l ing d inghy T h a i se m p t y , a n d t o o k h e r t o S w a n a g e . H e rcrew of two had been picked up before thel i fe -boa t a r r ived . The l i fe -boa t reachedSwanage again at eleven o’clock.

Information of the launching of the Swan-age life-boat was sent to Yarmouth, Isle of

SERVICES 1939 37

Wight , bu t was misunders tood , and themotor life-boat S.G.E. put out at 7.15 P.M.Her services were not needed and she returnedat 8.35 P.M. - Rewards : Swanage, £8 14s. ;Yarmouth, £7 16s.

A UG . 9 T H . - P E E L , I S L E O F M A N .Shortly before six in the evening informationwas received through the coastguard that thesailing yacht Annie Alice, of Port Erin, hadbeen making signals for help about sevenmiles to the S.W. of Peel. A strong S.S.W.wind was blowing, with a rough sea. Themotor life-boat Helen Sutton was launched at6.10 P.M. and found the Annie Alice, with acrew of five, lying at anchor. Two life-boatmen were put on board and the life-boattowed her into Peel Harbour, arriving at9.15 P.M. - Rewards, £15 3s. 6d.

AUG. 9TH . - MINEHEAD, SOMERSET.During the evening a message was receivedfrom the Hurlestone Point coastguard thatthe motor yacht Viking was on fire six milesnorth of Porlock Weir and that the motor

byacht Loch Maree, of Greenock, was standing

y. A strong S.W. breeze was blowing, witha very rough sea. The new motor life-boatKate Greatorex was launched at 7 P.M. withthe second-coxswain in command. Shefound the motor yacht Loch Maree, but theViking had sunk and the six people who hadbeen on board her had been taken off by theLoch Maree. The Loch Maree herself nowneeded help as her engines had become over-heated and the owner had been overcomeby the fumes. Two life-boatmen boarded theLoch Maree, and the life-boat towed her toMinehead, landing her crew of two and thesix people from the Viking, at 9.30 P.M. Theowner of the Viking made a donation of £5.-Rewards, £13 8s.

AUG. 11TH. - PORTRUSH, CO. ANTRIM.At about 4 P.M. the second coxswain of thelife-boat reported that the motor fishing boatDunluce, of Portrush, with a crew of four onboard, was in need of help off Curran Point.A moderate westerly wind was blowing, witha choppy sea and strong ebbing tide. Thereserve motor life-boat Duke of Connaughto n t e m p o r a r y d u t y a t t h e s t a t i o n , w a slaunched at 4.15 P.M., and found the boat withher engine broken down. She towed herinto the salmon fishing harbour.-Rewards,£3 11s. 6d.

AUG. 14TH. - SWANAGE, DORSET. At9.5 P .M. a message was received from thecoas tguard tha t a smal l speed-boa t wasshowing distress signals off the Anvil PointLighthouse. The weather was fine and thesea was smooth. The motor life-boat ThomasMarkby was launched at 9.27 P.M., and foundthe speed-boat with one man on board. Shetook her in tow and arrived back at Swanageat 9.51 P.M. - Rewards, £11 4s.

AUG. 16TH . - WEYMOUTH, DORSET.At 2 A.M. a message was received from theWyke Regis coastguard that a small yachtwas showing red flares a quarter of a mile eastof Portland Bill. The weather was fine andthe sea calm. The motor life-boat William

and Clara Ryland was launched at 2.25 A.M.She found the motor yacht Jane, of Poole,with a crew of two, her engine broken down.She took her in tow and retuned to Wey-mouth at 5.30 A.M. - Rewards, £10.

AUG. 1 7 T H . - NORTH SUNDERLAND,NORTHUMBERLAND. Dur ing the even-ing a message was received from the coast-guard that the steam drifter Excel IV wasaground on Gun Rock , Fame I s lands . Al ight S .E . breeze was b lowing . The seawas smooth . The motor l i fe -boat W.R.A.was launched at 7.15 P .M . , and found theExcel IV in a dangerous position on a sub-merged rock. At low tide she was left lyingon the rock amidships with her stern and stemoverhanging the water. The life-boat stoodby until she refloated with the next tide, andreturned to her station at 5.45 A.M.-Rewards,£15 3s. 6d.

AUG. 2 0 T H . - BLACKPOOL, LANCA-S H I R E . A t 7 . 3 0 P . M . a m e s s a g e w a sreceived from the police stating that someboys in an open boat were missing and hadbeen last seen drifting to sea. A moderateE.N.E. breeze was b lowing . The sea wassmooth . The motor l i fe -boat S a r a h A n nAustin was launched at 7.45 P .M. and foundt h e b o a t w i t h f o u r b o y s o n b o a r d . S h etook off the boys and towed in the boat,arriving at Blackpool at 9.50 P.M. Learningtha t a p leasure boa t , which had a l so pu tout to help the boys, had not returned thelife-boat set out again, and found the boatre tu rn ing . They go t back a t 10 .30 P . M . -Rewards, £11 13s.

AUG. 2 2 N D . - THE HUMBER, YORK-S H I R E . A t 2 . 2 0 A . M . t h e w a t c h m a nreported that a trawler had gone ashore onthe Inner Binks . A l igh t N.N.W. breezewas blowing, with a slight swell, and theweather was foggy. The motor l i fe -boatCity of Bradford II was launched at 2.45 A.M.S h e f o u n d t h a t t h e s t e a m t r a w l e r C a p ePalliser, of Hull, with a crew of eighteen,had gone aground while returning to Hullfrom Bear Island. The life-boat coxswainadvised the Cape Palliser and stood by untilshe had been refloated by a tug and was outof danger . She re turned to her s ta t ion a t9 .30 A.M .-Permanent paid crew : Rewards,18s.

AUG. 2 6 T H . - P E T E R H E A D , A B E R -D E E N S H I R E . A t 1 2 . 3 0 A . M . a m e s s a g ewas received from the relatives of two menon board the motor fishing boat Sarah Ross,of Pe terhead , tha t they were overdue . Alight N.W. breeze was blowing, with a groundswell, and the weather was very foggy. Asthe fog was clearing it was decided to waitand see whether the Sarah Ross could makeharbour, but as she was still missing at 2 A.M.the motor l i fe -boat J u l i a P a r k B a r r y o fGlasgow was launched. She was unable tofind anything, and returned to harbour at6 .45 A.M . The boat had not arrived. Thelife-boat left again at 7.30 A.M., and this timefound the miss ing boat , wi th her enginebroken down, eight miles south of Buchan-ness. She towed her into harbour, arrivingat 11 A.M.-Rewards, £12 19s.

38 SERVICES 1939

A UG . 2 9 T H . - A N S T R U T H E R , F I F E .S H I R E . A t 3 . 1 0 A . M . t h e c o a s t g u a r dreported a vessel ashore on May Island. Theweather was very thick, with a light easterlybreeze and a smooth sea. The motor life.boat Nell ie and Charl ie was launched at3.31 A.M. and found the S.S.. Hilda, of LuviaFinland, ashore on North Ness. The crewof seventeen wished to remain on board, sothe life-boat took the mate ashore to com-.munica te wi th the vesse l ’s brokers . Shethen returned to the Hilda and stood by.An Admiralty tug failed to refloat the Hilda,but at about 2.30 P.M. she got off under herown power. She was holed and had a listbut the captain said that he needed no helpso the life-boat left and reached her stationagain at 3.30 P.M. - Rewards, £16 19s.

AUG. 1 4 T H . - PENLEE, AND COVER-ACK, CORNWALL. A French trawler hadbeen reported in difficulties off the Lizard,but neither life-boat could find any sign ofher. - Rewards : Penlee, £12 1s. ; Coverack,£10 6s.

AUG. 1 6 T H . - BEMBRIDGE, ISLE OFWIGHT. A dinghy, with two men on board,had been reported as being carried out to seaby the strong tide. The motor life-boat putout in charge of Captain Sir Charles Camp-bell, Bt., in the absence of the coxswains, andsearched a wide area before she was recalledby wireless, after a message had been receivedb y t h e c o a s t g u a r d t h a t t h e d i n g h y h a dreturned safely. - Rewards, £4 0S. 6d.

The following life-boats were launched, butno services were rendered for the reasongiven :

AUG. 4T H . - SCARBOROUGH, YORK.SHIRE. A motor boa t was seen f ly ing adistress signal, but she was towed in byanother boat.-Rewards, £13 12s. 6d.

A UG . 1 8 T H . - H Y T H E , K E N T . I t h a dbeen reported that a canoe was being carriedaway by the wind and tide, but the life-boatcould find nothing, and it was learnt latertha t the canoe had come safe ly ashore . -Rewards, £23 16s.

A UG . 6 T H . - S T . A B B S , B E R W I C K -S H I R E . A b a t h e r h a d b e e n r e p o r t e d i ndifficulties by the pilots, but the life-boatcould find no sign of him. He was alreadydrowned. - Rewards, £5 11s. 6d.

AUG. 19TH . - SELSEY, SUSSEX. It hadbeen reported that a rowing boat was driftingout to sea with a man on board shouting forhelp, but the life-boat could find nothing.-Rewards, £11 15s.

AUG. 8TII . - ALDEBURGH, SUFFOLK,AND WALTON AND FRINTON, ESSEX.A m e s s a g e h a d b e e n r e c e i v e d f r o m t h eColchester Air Observers’ Post, through thecoas tguard , tha t th ree Roya l Ai r Forceaeroplanes had crashed into the sea, sevenor eight miles S.E. of Aldeburgh. Both life-b o a t s s e a r c h e d a w i d e a r e a , b u t f o u n dnothing, and returned to their stations afterinformation had been received that the searchwould be continued by Government vessels.-Rewards : Aldeburgh No. 1, £29 15s. 6d. ;Walton and Frinton, £14 5s.

AUG. 1 1 T H . - EXMOUTH, DEVON. Aship had been reported by the coastguard asapparen t ly on f i re , bu t no th ing could befound, and it was presumed that the ship hadgone on her way. - Rewards, £17 17s. 6d.

AUG. 1 2 T H . - HOWTH, CO. DUBLIN.The civic guard had reported that a man wasin the sea and was urgently in need of help.The life-boat put out with Mr. H. McCracken,a member of the committee, on board, and

AUG. 23RD. - BARRY DOCK, GLAMOR-GANSHIRE. It had been reported that anover-turned boat could be seen with someoneclinging to it, but it was found to be a treetrunk. - Rewards, £5 11s.

A U G . 2 6 T H . - T H E H U M B E R , A N DBRIDLINGTON, YORKSHIRE. Rocke t shad been seen, but the life-boats could findn o t h i n g . O n h e r w a y b a c k t h e H u m b e rlife-boat found the small racing yacht Asia, ofBrough, which had lost her bearings, andtowed her in . - Rewards : The Humber ,permanent paid crew, 12s. ; Bridlington,

£13.

A UG . 2 6 T H . - K I L M O R E , C O . W E X -FORD. Flares had been reported, but thelife-boat could find nothing. - Rewards,£20 11s. 6d.

A U G . 2 8 T H . - P E T E R H E A D , A B E R -DEENSHIRE. A trawler had gone on therocks, but she refloated unaided. - Rewards,£4 11s.

AUG. 28TH . - FRASERBURGH, ABER-DEENSHIRE. A motor f i sh ing boa t hadbeen reported ashore, and the life-boat putout in a dense fog, but she was recalled as herhelp was not needed. - Rewards, £9 13s.

AUG. 29TH. - GREAT YARMOUTH ANDGORLESTON, NORFOLK. Guns had beenheard in a fog, but the life-boat could findnothing. It was learnt later that a steamdrifter had been sunk in a collision, but the

SERVICES 1939 39

crew had been rescued by another vessel.-Rewards, £7 13s.

AUG. 31ST . - CLACTON - ON - SEA,ESSEX. A small sailing yacht with twomen on board had broken adrift and was beingcarried out to sea in a dense fog, but when themotor life-boat found her she was safely atanchor and did not need help. - Rewards,£11 9s.

A UG . 3 1 S T . - T E N B Y , P E M B R O K E -SHIRE. A cry for help had been heard bythree boys from the Lydstep Caves. Themotor life-boat was launched, and a coast-guard search party went by car along thetop of the cliff, and got down it by the lightof the life-boat’s searchlight, but nothingcould be found. - Rewards, £13 17s.

SEPTEMBER.

Launches 52. Lives rescued 115.

SEPT. 2ND. - WICK, CAITHNESS-SHIRE.At 6.36 A.M. the coastguard informed thelife-boat authorities that the trawler Wash-ington, of Grimsby, was ashore near Dun-cansby Head. The weather was very foggy,with a fresh southerly breeze and a roughsea. The motor life-boat City of Edinburghwas launched at 7 A.M. and found the trawler,but she had already got off. She was makinga lot of water and the skipper decided tomake for Wick, accompanied by anothertrawler and the life-boat. The Washingtonwas safely berthed at twelve noon. - Rewards,£4 10s. 6d.

SEPT. 2ND.- WICK, CAITHNESS-SHIRE.A t a b o u t 1 1 . 2 0 P . M . i n f o r m a t i o n w a sreceived from the coastguard that the trawlerNavarre, of Grimsby, was ashore about fivemiles south of Duncansby Head. A freshs o u t h e r l y w i n d w a s b l o w i n g , w i t h amoderately rough sea. The weather wasfoggy. In the absence of the coxswain, whowas ill, and second-coxswain, who was onnaval service, a pilot took charge of the motorlife-boat City of Edinburgh when she put outat 11.40 P.M. She found the Navarre on therocks at Skirza Head. Another trawler wasattempting to get her off. This was un-successful. The weather became worse andthe trawler began to break up. Her skippers ignal led for he lp and the l i fe -boat im-mediately went to her and took off nine ofthe crew of eleven. As the life-boat drewaway, she twice bumped on sunken rocks.The other two members of the crew wererescued from the shore by the coastguardlife-saving apparatus. The life-boat returnedto her station at 5.40 A.M. - Rewards, £8 15s.

War declared at 11 a.m. on the 3rdof September.

SE P T . 3RD . - ILFRACOMBE, DEVON.Shor t ly before 6 P . M . in format ion wasreceived from the police that a small boat

was in difficulties outside the breakers inWoolacombe Bay. A squally W. by S. windwas blowing, with a heavy ground sea. Themotor life-boat Rosabella was launched at6.11 P . M . and found the small boat with aman and two boys on board . They werekeeping her afloat by baling. All three werewet through, and the boys were distressed andexhaus ted . They had been out s ince tenin the morning . The l i fe -boa t took themo n b o a r d a n d t o w e d t h e b o a t t o I l f r a -combe, arriving at 8.40 P.M. The rescue waswitnessed from the shore at Woolacombe bya la rge c rowd of v is i tors and res idents . -Rewards, £19 6s.

SEPT. 3RD. - WALTON AND FRINTON,ESSEX. At about 4.10 A.M. it was reportedthat a vessel was showing distress signalsabout one and a half miles south of WaltonPier. The weather was clear with a strongbreeze. The sea was rather rough. Themotor life-boat E.M.E.D. was launched at4.50 A.M . and found the barge Eureka, ofHarwich , wi th th ree men on board . Hermain sail was damaged and she was com-ple te ly unmanageable . At her sk ipper ’srequest, life-boatmen boarded the Eureka.The life-boat then towed her to Harwich,arriving at 7.35 A.M . She arrived back ather station at 10.15 A.M. - Property salvagecase.

SE P T . 7 T H . - LONGHOPE, ORKNEYS.At 10 P.M. the life-boat station was informedby the coas tguard tha t the s team t rawlerCommander Nasmith was ashore on the northside of Stroma. A later message said thatthe vessel was ashore on the Lowther Rock,South Ronaldshay. A strong S.E. wind wasblowing, with a moderate sea. The night wasvery dark, with rain. The motor life-boatThomas McCunn put out at 10.45 P .M. Theskipper of the trawler asked her to stand byuntil high water. She did so. The trawlerrefloated and went on her way, and the life-boa t re tu rned to her s t a t ion , a r r iv ing a t8.30 A.M.-Rewards, £14 9s. 6d.

SEPT. 9TH. - HASTINGS, SUSSEX, ANDD U N G E N E S S , K E N T . A t 9 . 2 9 P . M .the coastguard at Fairlight reported that anaeroplane had come down in the sea a mileto the east. The weather was clear and thesea was calm. At 9.35 the Dungeness life-boat station was told by the observer postat Dungeness that an aeroplane had comedown in the sea about seven miles W.S.W.o f D u n g e n e s s . A t 9 . 4 0 M r . R . C o o k e ,volunteer-in-charge of the life-saving corps atPett, was told that an aeroplane had comedown about one and a half miles south ofPe t t . The Has t ings l i fe -boa t , C y r i l a n dLilian Bishop, was launched at 9.47 P .M. ;the Dungeness motor life-boat, Charles CooperHenderson, at 9.45 P . M . Mr. Cooke calledfor a crew to man his motor boat, and put outwith three men. He was the first to find theaeroplane. Her crew, four in number, wereo n t h e t o p o f t h e m a c h i n e . M r . C o o k elanded them at Pett. At 10.40 the Hastingslife-boat found the aeroplane, abandoned byher crew, and towed it into Hastings, arrivinga t 1 . 3 0 A . M . T h e D u n g e n e s s l i f e - b o a t

40 SERVICES 1939

cruised about, using her searchlight, for anhour and a half, but found no trace of thea e r o p l a n e . L a t e r s h e l e a r n e d f r o m adestroyer that the crew had been saved, andreturned to her station, arriving at 1 A.M-Rewards : Hastings, £28 14s. 6d. ; Dunge-ness, £22 2s. ; the four men who manned themotor boat, £2, and 5s. for the use of theboat.

SEPT. 10TH. - ALDEBURGH, SUFFOLK.While bound for Newcastle the S.S. Magdapur,of Liverpool, a vessel of 8,640 tons, carryinga crew of eighty, was sunk by a U-boat offAldeburgh. Information reached the life-boat station at 3.20 P.M. from the coastguard,and seventeen minutes later the motor life-boat was on her way. The sea was smooth,with a light S.W. wind. The life-boat foundthree steamers standing by the Magdupur,which was sinking, with her back broken.The water round her was covered with blackoil. Some twelve survivors, most of theminjured, were first rescued from the sea withthe help of the ship’s boat. The remainderwere then taken on board the life-boat fromthe steamers. The injured were treated, andartificial respiration given by two of the life-boatmen. The honorary secretary, Mr. WalterRiggs, watched the rescue from the shore andwhen he saw the life-boat returning with alarge number on board, he at once arranged forfirst-aid help. Dr. Robin Acheson, honorarysurgeon to the branch, took charge when theboat reached the shore, and with the able andwilling help of the St. John Ambulance, theShipwrecked Mar iners Soc ie ty and loca lfirst-aid organizations, gave help to all whoneeded it. Nine had to be brought ashoreon s t re tchers . The o thers , though muchexhausted, were able to walk.

The rescued were 18 white men and 56lascars. All were smothered from head tofoot in black oil. The second officer wasbrought ashore dead. Five other membersof the crew were missing.

The service was carried out in fair weather,but it was marked by the prompt launchingof the life-boat and the efficient co-operationof all who could in any way help.

The life-boat returned to her station at5 . 3 0 P . M . , two hours a f te r pu t t ing ou t .She was covered with oil and blood, but shewas cleaned, refuelled, and ready for serviceby 8 P.M.

A letter of thanks was sent to Dr. RobinAcheson, and in view of the fact that the life-boat crew’s clothes were badly damaged byoil, an increase in the usual money award ont h e s t a n d a r d s c a l e w a s g r a n t e d t o e a c hmember of the crew. Standard rewards tothe crew, £16 3s. ; additional rewards tocrew, £5 ; total rewards, £21 3s.

SE P T . 10TH . - SHOREHAM HARBOUR,SUSSEX. The coastguard reported that thesailing yacht Wisp, of Shoreham, had cap-s ized about one and a ha l f mi les to thesouthward of the harbour entrance. A freshwesterly wind was blowing, with a ratherrough sea. The motor life-boat Rosa Wooddand Phyllis Lunn was launched at 5.21 P.M.and rescued the crew of two. They wereexhausted and had to be revived. She then

took the yacht in tow and brought her intoShoreham, arriving at 6.10 P.M. - Rewards,£4 19s. 6d.

S E P T . 1 5 T H . - C O U R T M A C S H E R R YH A R B O U R , C O . C O R K . A t e l e p h o n emessage was received from the Superintendentof the Coast Life-Saving Service at about6.30 A.M., asking that the life-boat should besent out to meet the Norwegian motor vesselIda Bakke, which had on board the crewof a steamer which had been sunk by enemyaction. The motor life-boat Sarah Ward andWilliam David Crosweller was launched in acalm sea at, 6.45 A.M. and went to the OldHead of Kinsale. There she took on boardthe crew of forty-two of the oil tanker BritishInfluence, of London. She then returned toh e r s t a t i o n a n d l a n d e d t h e m a t C o u r t -macsherry at 10 A.M. - Rewards, £4 10s. 0d.

SE P T . l5TH . - WEYMOUTH, DORSET.At 7 .20 P . M . the coas tguards te lephonedthat four boats were adrift near the ShamblesLightship with the crew of a Belgian steameron board. The weather was fine. The motorlife-boat Will iam and Clara Ryland waslaunched at 7.40 P .M . , and found that thesteamer was the Alex Van Opstal, of Antwerp,and that she had been sunk by a Britishmine. Her crew had got away in the ship’sboats, and the life-boat found them in towo f a G r e e k s t e a m e r . S h e s t o o d b y t h esteamer until she reached a safe anchoragein Weymouth Bay, and then returned to herstation arriving at 11.45 P . M . - Rewards,£8 15s.

SE P T . 1 6 T H . - COURTMACSHERRY,C O . C O R K . A t 3 . 2 0 A . M . a t e l e p h o n emessage was rece ived f rom the Super in-tendent of the Coast Life-Saving Service thatthe motor vessel Cheyenne, a tanker of New-cas t le , had been sunk by enemy ac t ion200 miles off the Fastnet Lighthouse on theprevious day, and that her crew had beenpicked up by the Norwegian vesse l , I d aBakke. The life-boat was asked to meet theIda Bakke off the Fastnet, and bring therescued crew ashore. The motor life-boatSarah Ward and William David Croswellerwas launched at 4.30 A.M. A strong E. windwas blowing with a rough sea. The life-boatfell in with the Ida Bakke at 8.30 A.M., tookon board the thirty-seven rescued men, andlanded them at Baltimore, returning to herstation at 4.55 P.M. - Rewards, £14 16s. 6d.

SEPT. 22ND. - HOLY ISLAND, NORTH-UMBERLAND. At 8.8 P.M. it was reportedby the coastguard that a vessel was showings igna ls of d i s t ress near the P lough Sea tRocks. A fresh N.E. wind was blowing, witha heavy swell. The motor life-boat Milburnwas launched at 8.18 P.M. and found the S.S.Miltrap, of Newcastle, with her engine brokendown. The l i fe -boat towed her to a safeanchorage in Holy I s land Harbour , andr e t u r n e d t o h e r s t a t i o n a t 1 0 . 3 0 P . M . -Property salvage case.

SE P T . 22ND . - THE HUMBER, YORK-S H I R E . A t 8 . 4 5 P . M . t h e R o y a l N a v a lShore Signal Station reported that red flares

SERVICES 1939 41

had been seen in an easterly direction. Afresh northerly wind was blowing, with avery rough sea. At 8.48 P .M . the motorlife-boat City of Bradford II was launched.The steam trawler Kopenes, of Grimsby,was found aground on the Middle Binks,with a broken propeller. Signals were madeto the shore for a tug, and the life-boat stoodby until she arrived. The tug took the trawlerin tow, and the life-boat escorted her tosafety, returning to her station at 12.40 A.M.- Paid permanent crew : Rewards, 12s.

SEPT. 24TH. - ALDEBURGH, SUFFOLK.A message was received from the coastguardat 8 A.M. that a steamer was sinking throughenemy action, three or four miles E. by N;from the look-out. A N.W. breeze was blow-ing, with a heavy swell. The No. 1 motorlife-boat Abdy Beauclerk was got away innine minutes. In the meantime the crew ofthe steamer, some of them injured, hadtaken to the sh ip’s boa ts . She was thePhryne, of Caen, of 3,500 tons, bound fromImmingham to Bayonne, with coal, and carry-ing a crew of twenty-four. After taking onboard the whole of the crew the life-boat tookthe two boats in tow, and in response to asignal from the shore made a good landing toleeward of the slipway which had been badlyscoured away. The life-boat was ashore at9.40 A.M. and the injured members of thePhryne’s crew were sent by ambulance toIpswich Hospital. A letter of thanks wasreceived from the owners. In 1945, after theliberation of France, a letter of appreciationwas rece ived f rom the Radio Off icer . -Rewards, £16 18s.

SE P T . 25TH . - REDCAR, YORKSHIRE.While homeward bound for Grimsby, thesteam trawler Oswaldian, laden with Ashand carrying a crew of eleven, ran ashore onthe Salt Scar Rocks off Redcar. The weatherwas hazy with a heavy swell from the north-ward. She burnt flares and the motor life-boat Louisa Polden was launched to her helpat 9 P.M. She took off four members of hercrew. Four of the remaining men were takenoff and landed by a boat which had put outfrom the shore, and the other three got awayin their own boat and made for the life-boat.The life-boat then stood by for some hours,and as the weather had improved, she put theseven men on board the trawler again. At1 A.M. they were able to refloat her under herown steam, and the life-boat returned to herstation at 1.20 A.M.-Rewards, £14 4s.

SEPT. 27TH. - STROMNESS, ORKNEYS.At 1.30 A.M. the Kirkwall coastguard re-ported that a Norwegian steamer was ashoreat Burness, Sanday, nearly fifty miles away.The weather was fine, with a light N.E.windblowing. The motor life-boat J.J.K.S.W.was launched at 2.35 A.M., and, going throughH o y S o u n d , f o u n d t h e m o t o r v e s s e lSardinia, of Oslo, at 7.30 A.M. The life-boatstood by until the vessel refloated and saidthat she did not need further help. The life-boat set out on her return journey at about8.40 A.M . , by way of Holm Sound, andreached her station again at 2 P.M. - Rewards,£14 18s. 6d.

SE P T . 27TH . - WALMER, AND RAMS-G A T E , K E N T . A t 6 . 4 5 A . M . t h e D e a lcoastguard reported a motor barge driftingashore to the N.E. of their station. A heavysea was running with a strong easterly wind.At 7.5 A.M. the motor life-boat Charles Dibdin(C iv i l Se rv i ce No . 2 ) was launched . Shefound the motor barge Halcyon, of Hull, witha c rew of th ree . She was then gradua l lydrawing away from the shore, and the life-boat escorted her into deep water. The life-boat returned to her station at 8.20 A.M .E i g h t m i n u t e s l a t e r a n o t h e r c o a s t g u a r dmessage was received that the Halcyon wasagain drifting ashore. The life-boat put outa second time at 9 A.M. Six minutes laterthe Ramsgate motor life-boat Prudential ,also put out in response to a message from thecoas tguard tha t the H a l c y o n was dr iv ingashore a mile north of Sandown Castle. Shefound the barge striking the ground, got ropesaboard her, with considerable difficulty ; andtook her in tow. Shor t ly a f te rwards theWalmer life-boat arrived on the scene, but,as her help was not needed, she returned toher station, which she reached at 11.30 A.M.The Ramsgate life-boat, with the barge int o w , r e a c h e d R a m s g a t e a t 1 0 . 5 7 A . M . -Rewards : Walmer, first launch, £9 13s. 6d.,second launch , £9 13s . 6d . ; Ramsga te ,Property salvage case.

The following life-boats were launched, butno services were rendered for the reasonsgiven :

SE P T . 1 S T . - SENNEN COVE, CORN-WALL. A bather had got into difficultiesin a rough sea, but the life-boat could findno sign of him and he was believed to havebeen drowned. - Rewards, £6 7s. 6d.

SEPT. 3RD. - SUNDERLAND, CO. DUR-HAM. A ship had gone ashore but refloatedunder her own steam. - Rewards, £10 5s.

SE P T . 3 R D . - LONGHOPE, ORKNEYS.A small vessel had been reported flying dis-tress signals, and the life-boat searched a widearea but found nothing. It was learned laterthat the vessel had been taken in tow by adrifter. - Rewards, £4 11s. 6d.

S E P T . 4 T H . - H E L V I C K H E A D , C O .WATERFORD. What looked like a burningaeroplane was reported to have been seen todrop into the sea, but nothing was found.-No rewards ; launch treated as exercise.

S E P T . 4 T H . - A P P L E D O R E , D E V O N -SHIRE. A motor boa t had been repor tedo n f i r e , b u t n o t h i n g c o u l d b e f o u n d . -Rewards, £7 17s. 9d.

SEPT. 4TH. - PORTRUSH, CO. ANTRIM.A small boat out fishing had been kept underobservation and, as the wind increased, thelife-boat was launched at 9.20 P.M., but in thedarkness failed to find the boat, which got inunaided. - Rewards, £7 3s.

SE P T . 5TH . - ST. HELIER, JERSEY. Itwas reported shortly after eleven at nightthat Verey lights had been seen. The life-

SERVICES 1939

b o a t p u t o u t , w i t h L i e u t . - C o m m a n d e rT. Le B. Pirouet, the honorary secretary,on board. She made a wide search, but asnoth ing had been found by daybreak shereturned to her station, arriving at 9.15 nextmorning. - Rewards, £15 8s. 6d.

SE P T . 6TH . - SHOREHAM HARBOUR,SUSSEX. Informat ion had been rece ivedthat a steamer appeared to have blown upseven mi les of f Shoreham Harbour , bu talthough the life-boat made a wide searchshe found nothing. - Rewards, £7 11s.

SEPT. 6TH. - GREAT YARMOUTH ANDGORLESTON, NORFOLK. An exp los ionhad been reported in the neighbourhood ofthe Corton Light-vessel, but the life-boatfound that the light-vessel itself was all right,and there was no sign of any ship in distress.-Rewards, £6 10s. 6d.

S E P T . 7 T H . - B R O U G H T Y F E R R Y ,ANGUS. Shortly after 10 P . M . informationwas rece ived tha t an a i rc ra f t had d ivedinto the sea three miles N.E. of the NorthC a r r L i g h t - v e s s e l . T h e l i f e - b o a t f o u n dnothing, spoke the light-vessel, and learnedthat the position was four miles N.N.E. Shesearched again, without success, and it wasnot until day came that she found oil on thesea. It was assumed that the aircraft hadbeen los t . The l i fe -boa t re turned to herstation at 8.40 next morning. - Rewards,£13 1s.

SEPT. 8TH. - ARKLOW, CO. WICKLOW,AND ROSSLARE HARBOUR, CO. WEX-FORD. Shor t ly before midnight repor t shad been received that flares from a vesselashore on Blackwater Bank had been seen.Both life-boats searched without success, andthe coxswains came to the conclusion that amistake had been made in reporting flares.-Rewards : Arklow, £12 10s. 6d. ; RosslareHarbour, permanent paid crew, £4 13s.

SE P T . 9 T H . - MARGATE, KENT, ANDSOUTHEND-ON-SEA, ESSEX. An aero-plane had been reported down in the seaoff Leysdown. The Margate life-boat waslaunched just after eleven at night in a thickfog and reached Leysdown two hours andtwenty minutes later. Owing to the fog sheanchored until 5.15 in the morning and thenmade a search, but found nothing. Mean-while the Southend-on-Sea life-boat had beenlaunched at 11.30 and had searched a widearea. The two life-boats met at 6.30 nextmorning. At 7.50 a morse signal from the

R A F w a s r e c e i v e d t o s a y t h a t a l l w e r esaved. The Margate life-boat reached herstation at 10.30 in the morning, and theSouthend-on-Sea at 8.50. - Rewards : Mar-gate, £18 12s. ; Southend-on-Sea, £18 3s.(See “ Services by Shore-boats,” Herne Bay,page 97.)

SE P T . l0TH . - LYTHAM - ST. ANNES,LANCASHIRE. Information had been re-ceived that a yacht was in difficulties on theN o r t h B a n k a n d a s m a l l m o t o r l a u n c haground. Both vessels were on a lee shore,with a strong S.W. gale blowing, and a heavy

sea. Before the life-boat arrived the yachthad bumped c lear over the bank and nolonger needed help, and when the life-boatreached the motor boat she found that shehad been abandoned. - Rewards, £9 11s.

SEPT. 10TH. - TORBAY, DEVONSHIRE.A s m a l l s a i l i n g d i n g h y , w h i c h h a d l e f tPaignton at two in the afternoon had notreturned at ten that night, but it was learnedlater that she had got in safely. - Rewards,£9 13s.

SEPT. 13TH. - LOWESTOFT, SUFFOLK,AND GREAT YARMOUTH AND GOR-LESTON. NORFOLK. Early in the morn-ing information was received that two vesselshad been in collision off Lowestoft. A N.E.gale was blowing with a rough sea, and it wasvery dark wi th heavy ra in squa l l s . Bothlife-boats searched for some time and in theend found H.M. Destroyer Wallace badlydamaged, but not then in any need of help- Rewards : Lowestoft, £16 3s. 6d. ; GreatYarmouth and Gorleston, £18 19s. 6d.

SEPT. 13TH. - RAMSEY, ISLE OF MAN.A steamer had been reported ashore, butwhen the life-boat arrived she found that shehad refloated without help and was able to goon her way. - Rewards, £11 5s.

SE P T . 1 4 T H . - BALLYCOTTON, CO.CORK. At 2 .20 P . M . the c iv ic guard a tCork reported that a man had picked up awireless S O S call from the S.S. VancouverCity, of Bideford. She was a vessel of about5,000 tons and had been torpedoed and sunkb y a U - b o a t a b o u t s i x t y m i l e s S . E . b yS. of Ballycotton Light. The position wasoutside the normal range for the reservemotor life-boat William Evans, which waso n t e m p o r a r y d u t y a t t h e s t a t i o n , b u tshe took a reserve supply of petrol on deckand set out. With her went Dr. Ted O’Con-nell, in case his services were needed. Thelife-boat picked up the coxswain, who was outfishing, four miles off, and went on until at1.30 A.M. on the 15th the coxswain reckonedtha t he had reached the pos i t ion g iven .Several destroyers were in the neighbour-hood. The life-boat could obtain no definitenews, but it was reported that several of thesteamer’s crew had been killed, and that theremaining thirty had been picked up by aDutch tanker.

At 2.30 A.M. the life-boat turned for home,but when she was about fifty-two miles S.E.o f M i n e H e a d h e r e n g i n e b r o k e d o w n .N o t h i n g c o u l d b e d o n e i n t h e w a y o ftemporary repairs, and sail was set. Thesteam trawler Gwmaho was sighted at about9.30 A.M., when the life-boat was thirty-twomiles S. by E. of Ballycotton, and she towedthe life-boat home. They arrived at 2 P .M.,over twenty-one hours after the life-boat hadset out. The captain of the trawler said thathe would make no claim for his services ashe did not know when he might need a life-boat himself. Letters of thanks were sentto the captain of the trawler, to his ownersand to Dr. O’Connell, and an increase in theusual money awards on the standard scalewas made to each member of the crew.-

SERVICES 1939 43

Standard rewards to crew, £18 10s. ; addi-tional rewards to crew, £12 ; total rewards,£30 10s.

SEPT. 15TH. - ABERDEEN, ABERDEEN-SHIRE. A message had been received thata vessel was in distress through enemy action,but the life-boat found that her help was notrequired. - Rewards, £5 15s. 6d.

SE P T . 1 6 T H . - MARGATE, KENT. Avessel had been reported with a bad list,which was thought to be the result of enemyaction, and the life-boat put out in charge ofthe bowman, as both the coxswain andsecond coxswain were at sea fishing, butnothing could be found. - Rewards, £6 4s.

SEPT. 16TH. - RAMSGATE, KENT. TheItalian steamer Liana had been seen agroundnear the Goodwin Knoll, but by the time thelife-boat arrived she had refloated. - Rewards,£5 3s.

SEPT. 17TH. - TORBAY, DEVONSHIRE.A motor boat, with ten passengers on board,had not returned and the life-boat put out tosearch for her, but she got in without help.-Rewards, £9 7s.

SE P T . 1 8 T H . - ANGLE, PEMBROKE-S H I R E . A t o n e i n t h e m o r n i n g i t w a sreported that an aeroplane had crashed in thesea. She sank just after the life-boat reachedher. There was no sign of her crew. Thelife-boat again searched in the daylight butfound nothing except wreckage and this wash a n d e d o v e r t o t h e R . A . F . - R e w a r d s ,£15 8s. 6d..

SEPT. 18TH. - SHOREHAM HARBOUR,SUSSEX. A rowing boat with a boy andgirl on board had been reported as missing andthe life-boat put out, but was recalled as theboat had been found. - Rewards, £10 5s.

SEPT. 18TH. - SENNEN COVE, CORN-WALL. An aeroplane had been reporteddown in the sea, but the life-boat was recalledby the coastguard as her services were notneeded. - Rewards, £12 5s.

SEPT. 24TH. - COURTMACSHERRY, CO.CORK. A message had been received that asteamer was in distress, as a result of enemyaction, about fifteen miles south of FastnetLighthouse. She was the steamer Hazleside,of Newcastle-on-Tyne, bound from BritishColumbia to Garston with a crew of thirty-four. As the Baltimore motor life-boat wasoff service the Courtmacsherry motor life-boatput out. She found nothing and put intoBaltimore. There she learned that a shore-boat had two boats in tow. She put outagain, with a local pilot on board, to helpthem, but by this time they had reached theSchull. After returning to Baltimore for foodand rest the life-boat made for her station,arriving at 12.30 P.M. on 25th September.She had then been out for over twentyhours. - Rewards, £20 10s.

SEPT. 25TH. - HASTINGS, SUSSEX. Anaeroplane had been reported down in the

channel between Hastings and Le Treport.No position was given. The life-boat andtwo aeroplanes searched for some time. Inthe meanwhi le the d is t ress ca l l had beencancelled and the life-boat was recalled.-Rewards, £12 12s. 6d.

SEPT. 26TH. - SUNDERLAND, CO. DUR-HAM. A fishing coble had been reported indistress, but a pilot cutter took her in tow.-Rewards, £5 2s. 6d.

SEPT. 27TH. - NEWHAVEN, SUSSEX. Amotor yacht had been reported broken down,but a tug took her in tow. - Rewards, £5 16s.

SE P T . 28TH . - DOVER, KENT. A smallboat had been reported as capsized six milesfrom Dover in a rough sea, but the life-boatcould find nothing. - Partly permanent paidcrew : Rewards, £1 17s. 6d.

OCTOBERLaunches 107. Lives rescued 107.

OCT. 3RD . - WALTON AND FRINTON,ESSEX, At abou t 4 P . M . the coas tguardreported that a motor yacht, lying about twomiles S.W. by S. of Walton Pier, was flyingdistress signals. A moderate easterly galewas blowing, and the sea was very rough.The motor life-boat E.M.E.D. was launchedat 4.25 P.M. and found the motor yacht Herga,of Guernsey, with a crew of six, in difficultieswith her engine. At the request of her crewthe life-boat started to escort her to Harwich,but very soon had to take her in tow. Afterberthing the yacht at Parkeston Quay thelife-boat returned to Walton at 9.40 P .M .-Property salvage case..

OCT. 4TH. - BOULMER, NORTHUMBER-LAND. At 9.45 A.M. the Craster coastguardreported that the motor fishing coble Onwardwas disabled a mile off the harbour. A strongE.S.E. breeze was blowing, with a rough sea.At 9.57 A.M . the motor life-boat ClarissaLangdon was launched. The life-boat camein towards the Cullernose Watch Station,which semaphored to her that the coble hadreached harbour. On her way back the life-boat fell in with three fishing cobles of Amble,and as the weather was very bad off BoulmerS t e e l s h e e s c o r t e d t h e m t o A m b l e . S h ereturned to her station at 1.5 P.M. - Rewards,£9 10s.

OCT . 4TH . - WALMER, KENT. At 4.20P .M . the Deal coastguard reported that theS.S. Noordam, of Rotterdam, lying off Deal,had signalled for a boat to take a man ashorefor an immediate operation. A strong E. byS. wind was blowing with a rough sea andsqualls of rain. No other suitable boat beingavailable the motor life-boat Charles Dibdin(Civil Service No. 2) was launched at 4.45P .M., after a second urgent signal had beenm a d e . T h e p a t i e n t w a s b r o u g h t a s h o r e ,accompanied by two members of the ship’screw, and sent to hospi ta l , the l i fe -boatreaching her station again at 5.45 P.M. The

44 SERVICES 1939

owners, The Holland-America line made adonation of £25 in gratitude for this service.- Rewards, £21 18s. 9d.

OCT. 5TH. - CAMPBELTOWN, ARGYLL-SHIRE. At 2.10 P .M . the Southend coast-guard reported that a vessel had strandedo n t h e S k e r r y v o r e R e e f , M a c h r i h a n i s h .It was thought that the services of a tugm i g h t b e n e e d e d , a n d t h e t u g E n g l i s h -man was warned. A moderate E. gale, veer-ing to S.S.E., was blowing, with a rough sea.A t 3 .40 P . M . the motor l i fe -boat Ci ty o fGlasgow was launched. The tug also wentout. The vessel in distress was the Sonja,of Helsingborg. The tug could not get nearher, and the life-boat passed ropes betweenthe two. The tug then made several attemptsto tow the Sonja off, but without success.Life-boat and tug stood by the Sonja untilearly morning. The tug then succeeded intowing her off, and she was able to go onh e r w a y . T h e l i f e - b o a t r e t u r n e d t o h e rstation at 10.30 A.M. the following morning.- Property salvage case.

O C T . 5 T H . - FRASERBURGH, ABER-DEENSHIRE. Ear ly in the morn ing theassistant harbour master saw distress signalscoming from the bay. A strong E.S.E. windwas blowing with a choppy sea. The motorlife-boat John and Charles Kennedy waslaunched at 6.40 A.M., and found the smallfishing boat Pioneer, of Peterhead, draggingher anchor . F i sh ing gear had fou led herpropeller and she was in danger of beingdriven ashore. The life-boat towed her intothe harbour, and returned to her station at7.25 A.M. - Rewards, £7 6s. 6d.

O C T . 5 T H . - FRASERBURGH, ABER-DEENSHIRE. Informat ion was rece ivedthat the small fishing boats of Fraserburgh,Violet, Promote II, Boy George, Union, andVictory, had put out at 2.30 P.M. but had notreturned by 6.40 P .M., and the coastguard atKinnaird reported that they were makingtheir way eastwards towards FraserburghH a r b o u r . A v e r y s t r o n g S . E . w i n d w a sblowing, with a rough sea which made theharbour entrance dangerous. At 6.55 P .M .the motor life-boat John and Charles Kennedywas launched. She met the boats, warnedthem of the state of the harbour entranceand escorted them in. She returned to herstation at 9 P.M. - Rewards, £14 9s. 6d.

OCT. 6TH. - THE MUMBLES, GLAMOR.G A N S H I R E . A t 6 P . M . t h e c o a s t g u a r dinformed the life-boat station that the motorvessel Lochgoil, of London, had been sunkby enemy action five miles S. by W. of theScarweather Lightship. She was a steamerof 10 ,000 tons wi th s ix ty- four c rew andpassengers on board, and was bound fromNewpor t , Monmouthsh i re , to VancouverA slight breeze was blowing, with a moderatesea. At 6.10 P.M. the reserve motor life-boatJ. B. Proudfoot, on temporary duty at thestation, was launched, and found that thecrew of the Lochgoil had already been takenoff by the S.S. Philip M. The life-boat stoodby this steamer and piloted her to Mumbles

Roads, where she landed forty-five of ther e s c u e d p e o p l e , o f w h o m t w e n t y w e r einjured. The Shipwrecked Mariner's Society,the Red Cross and the St. John AmbulanceBrigade had already been informed, and whenthe surv ivors were landed they a t oncereceived medical attention, and accommoda-t ion was found for them. The l i fe -boatr e t u r n e d t o h e r s t a t i o n a t 1 1 . 5 P . M . -Rewards, £14 17s. The Royal Mail Line,owners of the Lochgoil , gave £25 to theMumbles branch.

OCT . 7TH . - RAMSGATE, KENT. Twovessels were seen to be ashore on GoodwinSands . One of them was the Admira l tytrawler Cape Barracouta. A light E.N.E.wind was blowing, with a moderate sea. At1.45 A.M. the motor life-boat Prudential waslaunched. As it was difficult for tugs toapproach the Cape Barracouta owing to theshallow water, the life-boat carried hawsersand lines to her and enabled her to refloatwithout damage. The life-boat returned toher station, arriving at 8.24 P.M. Rewards,£23 5s. 6d.

OCT. 7TH. - WEYMOUTH, DORSET. At11.15 P.M. the coastguard informed the life-boat station that signals of distress had beenseen near Grove Poin t . A message wasreceived a few minutes later that a ship wasin distress, through enemy action, near theShambles Light-vessel. A light E. wind wasblowing with a smooth sea. The motor life-boat William and Clara Ryland was launchedat 11.52 P.M. She reached the vessel at 12.30A..M., and found her to be the S.S.. Binnendijk,of Rotterdam, of 6,873 tons, bound ladenfrom New York to Rotterdam. Her crew offorty-one had already been taken off by anAdmiralty examination steamer, but the life-boat stood by until the steamer sank, andthen returned to her station at 3.15 A.M. Alittle while before the life-boat‘s return thecoastguard reported that a very heavy explo-sion had occurred near the Shambles Light-vessel at 3 A.M. They thought that anothervessel was in difficulties. At 3.50 A.M. thelife-boat was again launched, on instructionsfrom the senior naval officer at Portland.She searched the position given, found onlyw r e c k a g e , a n d r e t u r n e d a t 8 . 1 5 A . M . -Rewards : first launch, £13 2s. 6d. ; secondlaunch, £16 9s.

SILVER MEDAL SERVICEAT CROMER

OCT. 9TH. - CROMER, NORFOLK.At 6.25 in the morning the Cromercoxswain learned through the Humberradio and the coastguard that a vesselhad gone ashore on HaisboroughSands, thirteen miles to the east. Abreeze was blowing with increasingforce from south-east-by-east. A veryheavy sea was running. The tide wasat half ebb. There was mist and rain.

SERVICES 1939 45

At 6.45 the No. 1 motor life-boatH, F. Bailey was launched. Beforelaunching the coxswain had asked thecoastguard to get the position of thevessel. and shortly after eight o’clockthe life-boat heard on its wireless thecoastguard asking the HaisboroughLight-vessel to tell her that the vesselhad grounded on the Ower Bank. Shewas nowhere near the HaisboroughSands, but another nineteen milesfurther on.

At this time the life-boat was nearthe North Middle Haisborough Buoy.She went south towards Middle Hais-borough Buoy and then across thesands to the gap between that buoyand the East Haisborough Buoy.From there she set a course for theOwer, to the north-east. About oneo’clock she crossed the Leman Bank,and shortly afterwards saw the vesselaground on the Ower. She was aGreek steamer, the Mount Ida, ofPiraeus, of 4,275 tons, loaded withgrain and timber, and on her way fromVancouver to Hull. She had a crewof twenty-nine on board.

The steamer was lying nearly headon to the seas, so that she offered thelife-boat no lee. She had a list tostarboard. Part of her bridge hadbeen smashed. Her starboard life-boats had been carried away. A veryheavy sea was running on the bank.

A DOZEN ROPES SNAPPED

It was now about 12.30, and thecoxswain approached her on the portside, but before a rope could be thrownthe life-boat was struck by two heavyseas and flung back. The coxswainmade a second attempt to go alongside, but he found that the ship hadset up such strong cross currents in thetide as made it impossible for the life-boat to remain alongside her. Hedecided to wait until slack water be-fore making another attempt. Hetook the life-boat clear of the sandsand signalled to the ship what heintended to do.

At 2.15 in the afternoon the cox-swain dec ided tha t the t ide hadslackened enough for another attemptto be made. Wind and sea, however,had by this time considerably in-

creased. The life-boat went alongsideand ropes were thrown to her fromthe wreck, but they snapped almostat once from the strain put upon themby the heavy seas. At least a dozenropes were snapped. There was nohope of being able to keep the life-boat alongside the steamer by ropes.Instead the coxswain used the life-boat’s engines. He drove ahead asthe seas broke alongside the ship, andso prevented them from sweeping thelife-boat away from her.

A rope ladder was dropped over thesteamer’s side and six men climbeddown into the life-boat. A seventhman began the attempt, but whenabout half-way down he hesitated.The life-boat’s crew shouted to himto jump. Instead he started to climbback, but before he could get aboardthe steamer again a big sea lifted thelife-boat right to the top of the ladderand the man’s leg was crushed betweenher and the steamer’s side. His com-rades pulled him aboard and did theirbest to stop the flow of blood from hismangled leg. Then they tied him inblankets and lowered him by ropesfrom the steamer’s port life-boat intothe life-boat.

While the injured man was beingattended to, no other members of thesteamer’s crew would come down theladder. Then only about six of theremaining twenty-two would ventureto use it. The others slid down a ropefrom the port life-boat.

TWENTY-NINE RESCUED

It was not until about 3.30 in theafternoon that the last of the twenty-nine men had been rescued. The life-boat had been alongside the steamer,held in position there by her engines,for well over an hour. She had beenswept almost continuously by heavyseas. She had been flung against thewreck and badly damaged. Only thebold seamanship of the coxswain, thecare with which the mechanics hadhandled the engines, and the prompt-ness with which they had carried outthe coxswain’s orders had made itpossible to keep alongside the steamerat all.

When the last man had been rescued,

46 SERVICES 1939

the coxswain decided that his best wayof clearing the sands was to drivestraight ahead through the seas. Thiswas safely accomplished, and he madefor Cromer as the best place to landthe injured man and to get him medicalhelp as soon as possible.

A LAUNCHING MISHAP

There the life-boat arrived at eightin the evening, but, with the sea thatwas running, it was impossible to landthe man on the slipway. The cox-swain thereupon called out the No. 2life-boat Harriot Dixon, which islaunched by tractor off the open beach.The Harriot Dixon was launched at8.25, with Dr. D. Vaughan on board.Unfor tuna te ly , as she was be inglaunched, a throttle wire broke, theengine stalled, and the life-boat wasthrown right across the carriage. Ahole was knocked in her port quarter,the carriage was broken, and the life-boat was launched stern first. In spiteof this mishap she got safely away,and brought ashore the injured man,the other twenty-eight rescued men,and the H. F. Bailey’s crew. Themotor mechanic of the H. F. Baileystayed on board her, with four mem-bers of the Harriot Dixon’s crew, tolook after her while she lay at anchor.

The injured man was taken at oncethe the Cromer and District Hospital,but there he died of his injuries thenext night.

went to the boat-house intending torefuel the H. F. Bailey from the slip-way. This was found to be impossible.It was impossible also, owing to themishap to the tractor, to launch theHarriot Dixon again, so the biggestshoreboat available was loaded withforty tins of petrol, and she took themand the crew out to the H. F. Bailey.Two of the life-boatmen brought theshoreboat in again. They narrowlyescaped being capsized in the brokenwater. The H. F. Bailey stood byuntil they had signalled that they were,safely ashore, and then made for Bac-ton. A strong wind was blowing fromthe south-east. There was haze andheavy rain, but the sea was nowmoderate.

The vessel in distress was the steamdrifter Vera Creina, of Lowestoft, withten men on board. She was on herway home from the fishing groundsand had run aground.

The life-boat reached her at oneo’clock next morning. She was hailedf rom the shore and to ld tha t thedrifter’s crew had already been rescuedby the coastguard life-saving appara-tus. The drifter herself was refloatedtwo days later.

The coxswain sent his crew home atonce to get dry clothes and a meal.They had then been out for fourteenhours.

A S E C O N D C A L L

Meanwhile, the tractor and the car-riage of the Harriot Dixon had beencompletely submerged. They had tobe hauled out by means of the winchand a wire hawser, a difficult task inthe darkness, wind and rain. Thecoxswain remained on the beach untilthis had, been done. He then wenthome, but he had only just got insidewhen news was brought him that avessel was in distress off Bacton, nearlyten miles south-east of Cromer. Hecalled out the crew again, stayed onlyto put on dry clothes himself, and

As the life-boat had been damaged,during the service to the Mount Ida,the coxswain, instead of returning toCromer, made for Lowestoft, twenty-five miles further south, where repairscould be started at once. The life-boat arr ived there at 6.30 in themorning and her crew returned byroad arriving at midday. It was then,thirty hours since they had set out tothe help of the Mount Ida. Duringthose thirty hours they had been at.sea nearly twenty-one hours and hadtravelled over 100 miles.

THE DAMAGED LIFE-BOATS

The smaller life-boat, Harriot Dixon,was found to have six planks in herskin fractured on the port side and ahole in one of the air-cases. She wastemporarily repaired with a patch ofcopper on the outside, and strength-ened with timber on the inside. Theserepairs were completed by the 12th,and the life-boat was then again readyfor service.

SERVICES 1939 47

The larger life-boat, the H. F. Bailey,was found to have her stem badlydamaged at the forefoot. Four innerskin planks, two ribs and two deckbeams had been fractured Twentyfeet of the fender on the starboard sidehad been broken to splinters, Thefootwale was badly split all along thestarboard side. Stanchions had beenbent and the guard chains broken.The repairs were completed late on thenight of 20th October. The life-boatwas launched next day. She returnedto Cromer, ready for service again, onthe 22nd October

THE REWARDS

This was a. very fine service, carriedout in very severe weather, and theInstitution made the following awards:

To COXSWAIN HENRY G. BLOGG, asecond clasp to his silver medal forgallantry, and a copy of the vote in-scribed on vellum ;

To SECOND-COXSWAIN J. J. DAVIES,SENIOR, a second clasp to his bronzemedal for gallantry, and a copy of thevote inscribed on vellum ;

To H. W. DAVIES, motor-mechanic,a clasp to his bronze medal for gal-lantry, and a copy of the vote inscribedon vellum :

To J. W, DAVIES, assistant motor-mechanic, a clasp to his bronze medalfor gallantry. and a copy of the voteinscribed on vellum ;

To H. T. DAVIES, boat signalman,and to each of the seven other membersof the crew, R. C. DAVIES, F. DAVIES,J. J. DAVIES, JUNIOR, W. H, DAVIES,R. DAVIES, R. Cox and G. Cox, thethanks of the Institution inscribed onvellum ;

To the coxswain and each of theeleven members of the crew of theH. F. Bailey. who went out to theMount Ida, a reward of £3 in additionto the ordinary scale reward of £3 6s.Standard rewards, £41 6s. 6d. ; addi-tional rewards, £36 ; total rewards,£77 6s. 6d.

To the coxswain and crew of theHarriot Dixon who, owing to theaccident with the tractor were on dutyfor eleven hours, £1 17s. 6d. each ;total rewards, £33 ;

To the Coxswain and crew (some ofwhom had manned the H. F. Baileyand some the Harriot Dixon in theservice to the Mount Ida) who wentout to the Vera Creina, £1 17s. 6d.each ; total rewards,, £23 2s. ;

Total rewards for the services to theMount Ida and the Vera Creina,£133 8s. 6d.

The owners of the Mount Ida gave£50 to the Institution.

W A T E R F O R D . A W . b y S . w i n d w a sO C T . 9 T H - H E L V I C K H E A D , C O .

blowing, with a heavy sea. At 2 P .M . themotor life-boat Elsie was launched to thehelp of the motor vessel West Coaster, ofLondon, which was in distress in the bay.She found that the vessel’s engine had brokendown and that her anchors were not holding.The l i fe -boa t a t tempted to take the WestCoaster in tow. but in the heavy sea the ropesbroke and the life-boat’s stern bollard wasd a m a g e d . S h e t h e n w e n t t o D u n g a r v a nwhere she got a local steamer to bring theWest Coaster into harbour. She returned toher station at 7 P.M. - Rewards, £12 1s. 6d.

SILVER MEDAL SERVICEAT THE HUMBER

OCT. 10TH.- THE HUMBER,YORKSHIRE. At 4.20 in the morn-ing the watchman saw a vessel headingfor the beach. He gave the alarm andthe motor life-boat City of Bradford IIwas launched at 4.55. A gale had beenblowing. It had dropped to a freshwind, from the south-south-west, butit had left a very heavy sea running.Twenty minutes after she launched thelife-boat found the steam trawler Sal-taire, of Grimsby, aground on the InnerBinks. She was rolling, her gunwalesright under, and the seas were breakingover her. The trawler was lying headoff shore, so the coxswain anchored towindward, and dropped down on hiscable. By the light of his searchlight,he came alongside and held the life-boat there while the nine men of thetrawler’s crew jumped aboard. Oneof the men fell between the trawlerand the life-boat, but he was pulledaboard before the seas had flung themtogether again. At 6.30 the rescuedmen were landed.

48 SERVICES 1939

IN PERIL A SECOND TIME

At low water it was possible to walkout to the Saltaire, and by now thewind had dropped. Her crew, withthe owner’s agent, returned to her,and a wire was run out, to seaward fora tug to pick up. It was hoped totow her off at high tide, but as thetide rose the wind went round to theeastward and freshened. The sea gotup rapidly and the Saltaire was swungbroadside on to the seas and fell overto seaward. She lay at an angle of40 degrees, with seas breaking rightover her. Her crew took shelter in thewheelhouse. The life-boat crew hadbeen watching and they launched atonce. It was then two in the after-noon.

men were hauled into the life-boat.Three were still on the wreck.

There was not enough water betweenthe Saltaire and the shore for the life-boat to get to leeward of her, and onthe windward side it was impossible toapproach because, lying at an angle asshe was, her masts were in the way.The only way to rescue her crew wasto haul them through the water in abreeches buoy. The coxswain anchoredto windward ; paid out a little cable ;made fast another rope to the cablefrom the starboard quarter ; and then,by going ahead and astern on hisengines, he kept the ropes taut andheld life-boat steady while a l inewas fired over the wreck. Ropes, atail block and a lifebuoy from thelife-boat were then hauled across bythe trawler’s crew, but they had verygreat. difficulty in finding a point suffi-ciently high for fastening the block.

It was now over an hour since thelife-boat had anchored. The strongflood tide, the wind blowing across thetide, the shallow water, the heavy seas-all this had made it. extraordinarilydifficult to keep the life-boat. closeenough to the wreck for the buoy. tobe drawn backwards and forwards,and at the same time to prevent thelife-boat. from being flung on to her.At times they were thirty yards apart,at t imes nearly touching. But thecoxswain was most skilful in hand-ling the life-boat, and his crew mostskilful in working the buoy throughthe breaking seas, and hauling therescued men aboard. It was the proofof their skill that not one of the sevenmen was hurt. But the other three,who for over an hour had watchedtheir comrades being hauled throughthe seas, could not face it themselves.They preferred to be rescued from theshore, and a party of soldiers hauledthem through the surf. Two of themwere badly hurt. At 3.30 the life-boatleft the wreck and twenty minuteslater was landing the rescued men.

The Institution made the followingawards :

To COXSWAIN ROBERT CROSS, asecond clasp to his silver medal forgallantry, a copy of the vote inscribedon vellum, and £5 ;

To JOHN S. MAJOR , the motor-mechanic, the bronze medal for gal-lantry, a copy of the vote inscribedon vellum, and £5 ;

A DIFFICULT RESCUE

In the end, with the seas breakingover them, they succeeded in makingit fast to the top of the wheelhouse.Then came another great. difficulty,to get into the buoy with the deck atso sharp an angle and seas smashingover it,. Three of the men had suc-ceeded, and had been hauled throughthe surf to the life-boat, when somenets and other gear were washed outof the trawler and fouled the ropes andbuoy. Another line had to be fired ;another block sent. over to the wreckand made fast ; then the work ofrescue began again, and another four

To each of the other six members ofthe crew, SECOND-COXSWAIN WILLIAMR. JENKINSON, WILLIAM J. T. HOOD,bowman, SAMUEL CROSS, assistantmotor-mechanic, SAMUEL F. HOOPELL,GE O R G E F . HO O P E R and WA L T E RBIGLIN, the thanks of the Institutioninscribed on vellum, and £5. Perma-nent paid crew : Standard rewards,£1 7s. ; special rewards £40 ; totalrewards, £41 7s.

OCT. 11TH. - GREAT YARMOUTH ANDGORLESTON. NORFOLK. At 6 .46 A . M .the Gorleston coastguard reported a messagereceived from Yarmouth that a vessel hadapparently grounded on the Scroby Sands.A light S.W. wind was blowing, with a smoothsea. At 7.10 A.M. the motor life-boat Louise

SERVICES 1939 49

Stephens was launched. She found the S.S.Commar, of Panama. on the sands, about a

The barge was lying 100 yards frommile from the St. Nicholas Light-vessel. the shore, aground in about six feetHelp was declined by the pilot of the steamer, of water. She was surrounded bybut the life-boat stood by until high water.The Commar refloated and went on her way,

heavy breaking seas, which were

and the life-boat returned to her station,smashing the bathing huts on the

arriving at 11 A.M. - Rewards, £8 4s. 6d. shore. The coastguard l ife-savingrocket apparatus was quickly on the

OCT. 12TH. - HOLY ISLAND, NORTH-scene, and managed to send a line

UMBERLAND. At 5.33 A.M. the coastguard to her, but she swung round, and thereported a ship ashore on the Goswick Sands. line got under her bottom and wasThe weather was wet and co ld , wi th a useless.moderate easterly breeze and a heavy swell.At 5.57 A.M. the motor life-boat Milburn was

At 9.50 the Walton and Frintonlaunched. She found the Norwegian steamer motor life-boat E.M.E.D. was launched,Royal, of Arendal, ashore on Sand Ridge. and a quarter of an hour later sheThe Royal was a ship of 1,000 tons, bound inballast from Langesund to the Tyne, with a

reached the barge.

crew of fifteen. Her crew declined to leaveher, and the captain asked the coxswain towait for the next tide. The life-boat returned

A CLEVER MANOEVRE

to her station at 8.45 A.M. and put out againat 1 P .M. to stand by the Royal until high

The coxswain anchored to windward

water. As the Royal did not get off theand dropped down stern first towards

captain signalled the life-boat to leave, and the bow of the barge. When he wasshe reached her station again at 4.15 P .M. off her bow he moved the cable fromAt low tide the steamer was high and dryon the sands. - Rewards, £11 13s. 3d.

OCT. 12TH. - CROMER, NORFOLK. - Atabout 11.10 P .M . the coastguard reportedthat a vessel was believed to be in distress amile S.E. of the station. The report wasconfirmed, and the No. 2 motor life-boat,Harriot Dixon, was launched by tractor atmidnight. Rain was falling heavily, and amoderate N.W. wind was blowing, with amoderate sea. The life-boat found the S.S.Linwood, of Middlesbrough, of 500 tons.She was bound from Ipswich to Hartlepool,in ballast, with a crew of twelve. She hadbeen in collision and had been beached toprevent her sinking. The life-boat took offher crew and arrived back at her station at1 A.M. - Rewards. £29 12s.

the forward post of the life-boat to thes ta rboard a f t e r bo l l a rd and thensteamed in under the lee side of thebarge. By this manoeuvre, whichbrought his cable t ight round thebarge’s bow, he drew the stern of thelife-boat against the barge. Lineswere thrown from the life-boat to thebarge, fore and aft, and by keeping theboat still steaming ahead, the cox-swain held her long enough alongsidefor the master, his wife, the mate andthe dog to jump aboard her.

SILVER MEDAL SERVICE ATWALTON AND FRINTON

OCT. 14TH. - WALTON ANDFRINTON, ESSEX. The ba rgesEsterel and Yampa, of London, wereon their map from London to Norwichwith cargoes of maize, When nearlyopposite Orfordness they were caughtby an easterly gale. Both bargesturned back. They struck the CorkSands. The Esterel succeeded in get-ting off. with her sprit carried away.She was out of control ; the heavyseas stove in her hatches ; she wasdriven ashore east of Walton Pier.It was then nine in the morning, andthe tide was at half flood.

A DANGEROUS MOMENT

Now came the mos t dangerousmoment. The life-boat was not morethan fifty yards from the rocks, andthe water was so shallow that shestruck the bottom several times. Thecoxswain dared not risk going anynearer the shore and, with so small aspace in which to manoeuvre, it wasmost difficult and hazardous to getaway from the barge. He moved thelife-boat carefully astern, hauling onhis cable at the same time, and thusbrought her clear of the bows of thebarge. Heavy seas were breaking overher the whole t ime. The slightestmistake would have put her ashore.When the life-boat, going astern, wasfar enough from the shore, the cox-swain shifted the cable again from theafter bollard to the forward post, went

50 SERVICES 1939

ahead on his engines, and picked up hisanchor.

The life-boat arrived back at herstation at 11.30, an hour and fortyminutes after putting out. As soon asshe had landed the rescued she put outagain for, fifty minutes before, thecoastguard had received from the CorkLight-vessel a signal that a vessel wasin distress. The honorary secretary ofthe station, Captain William J. Oxley,went out with her. There was a verybig swell running, with a confused sea,and the gale was blowing fresh fromthe north-east.

A LONG SEARCH

The coxswain made straight for theCork Sands, as he could see a bargeashore there. He reached her in anhour and twenty minutes and foundher completely submerged. She wasthe Yampa, the sister barge to theEsterel, which had been with her whenshe put back off Orfordness. Nothingcould be seen of her crew. Very heavyseas were running on the sands, andto make certain that no one was inthe rigging, the life-boat made twocomplete circles of the barge. Thenshe made a call on the light-vessel,spoke a mine-sweeper, and searchedthe Wallet, the channel between themainland and Gunfleet Sound, for sixmiles, but she could neither learn norfind anything of the men. Finally, thecoxswain spoke the Walton coast-guard, but they had no informationto give. It was clear that the menwere drowned, and the life-boat re-turned to Walton arriving at three inthe afternoon.

The rescue of the crew of the Esterelwas a very fine service, carried outunder very difficult conditions, andit was only through the great skilland fine seamanship of CoxswainT. H. Bloom tha t the c rew wererescued and the life-boat brought outagain from her perilous position practi-cally undamaged. The coxswain’smanoeuvre in shifting his cable was aclever idea very skilfully carriedout. The assistant motor mechanic,F. Bacon, who was in charge of theengines in the absence of the motor

mechanic, managed them very skil-fully, and the signalman, F. Williams,kept in touch with the coastguardthroughout the rescue by means ofthe searchlight, a very difficult thingto do in the heavy seas.

The Institution made the followingawards :

To COXSWAIN T. H. BLOOM, thesilver medal for gallantry, and acopy of the vote inscribed on vellum ;

'I'o SECOND COXSWAIN WALTER J.OXLEY, the bronze medal for gallantry,and a copy of the vote inscribed onvellum ;

To F. BACON, the assistant motor-mechanic, the bronze medal for gal-lantry, and a copy of the voteinscribed on vellum ;

To F. WILLIAMS, the boat signalman,the bronze medal for gallantry, anda copy of the vote inscribed on vellum ;

To each of the other five membersof the crew, E. OXLEY, A. HALLS,G. ALDRICH, A. E. COOK, and G. SHAR-MAN, the thanks of the Institutioninscribed on vellum ;

To the coxswain and each of theeight members of his crew a reward of£3 for the service to the Esterel, inaddition to the ordinary scale rewardof 19s. Standard rewards, £10 16s. ;additional rewards, £27 ; total re-wards, £37 16s. ; rewards for the launchto the Yampa, £10 16s.

OCT. 14TH . - WEYMOUTH, DORSET.At 9.20 P.M. the coastguard reported that theShambles Lightsh ip had f i red guns androckets . A s t rong E. wind was b lowing,with a moderate sea and rain. At 10 P .M .the motor life-boat William and Clara Rylandwas launched, and learnt from the lightshipthat an aeroplane had come down two milesto the north-east. The lightship’s boat hadalready put off to the rescue, manned byfour men. The life-boat found this boat twomiles away. She had already succeeded inrescuing the crew of four of the aeroplane-a very fine piece of work in the darkness andrain with a strong wind blowing-and wasputting them aboard a destroyer. She washerself waterlogged, so the life-boat took onboard the four men and brought them backto the lightship, returning to her station at2.15 A.M.. - Rewards, £13 2s. 6d.

OCT. 14TH. - MARGATE, KENT. -Duringthe morning a sailing barge was seen draggingher anchor off Margate Jetty. A northerlygale was blowing, with a very rough sea, andit was decided to send out the motor life-boat

SERVICES 1939 51

The Lord Southborough (Civil Service No. 1).She was launched at 11.25 A.M. Mr. P. E. W.Gellatey, the honorary secretary of thestation, went with her. She reached thebarge five minutes later. The barge was theCeltic, of London, with a crew of two, bound,laden, from London to Newport, Isle ofWight. She was dragging into a very perilousposition, and her master asked for help.With grea t d i f f icu l ty four l i fe -boa tmenboarded the Celtic got a tow rope aboard,and hove up the anchor The life-boat thentook the barge in tow to Ramsgate. OffBroadstairs the tow rope parted. Anotherrope was made fast. As the two boats werenearing Ramsgate this also parted. Yet.another rope was put aboard the barge ; andthe life-boat got her into Ramsgate Harbourwithout further mishap arriving at about4.30 P .M. As the weather and tide wouldmake it impossible to house the life-boat atMargate it was decided to leave her mooredin Ramsgate Harbour. The crew returnedto Margate by road. The Institution sent, aletter to the branch expressing appreciationof the way in which the life-boat saved theCeltic. - Property salvage case

OCT . 14T H . - BRIDLINGTON, YORK-SHIRE. The coas tguard repor ted tha t asteam trawler was ashore on the SmithicSands. A fresh N.E. wind was blowing, witha heavy sea. At 2.15 P.M. the motor life-boatStanhope Smart was launched and found thetrawler Erillus, of Grimsby. labouring in theheavy seas, which were breaking over hers t e r n . H e r r u d d e r a n d p r o p e l l e r w e r edamaged. The life-boat took her in tow,with the help of a motor fishing vessel. Thewater in the trawler’s cabin was two feetdeep and all available pumps had to be keptworking. The life-boat towed her to Brid-l ing ton and re tu rned to her s ta t ion a t5.30 P.M. - Property salvage case.

O C T . 1 5 T H . - MARGATE, KENT. At .2 .15 A.M . the coastguard telephoned thecoxswain tha t he be l ieved a vesse l wasburning flares. The coxswain went to thecoastguard look-out and was satisfied thatthey were distress signals. An answeringrocket was fired by the coastguard, and thecrew went by car to Ramsgate, where theyhad left the life-boat the night before afterthe service to the Celtic. At 3.20 A.M. theyset out. A N.E. breeze was blowing, with amoderately rough sea. It was not until day-light that the life-boat found the sailingbarge Yarana. of London, with two men onboard. They had not been able to makemore signals as they had burnt everythingon board that would burn. The barge wasro l l ing very heavi ly , and the men, whoexpected the mast and sprit to go overboardat any moment, were about to abandon her.Four life-boatmen were put aboard the bargeand the life-boat towed her to Whitstable,arriving at 11.0 A.M. She then returned toher station at two in the afternoon.

The Institution sent a letter to the branchexpressing appreciation of the promptitude

with which the life-boat got away to the helpof the Yarana from Ramsgate Harbour. -Property salvage case.

O C T . 1 7 T H . - THE HUMBER, YORK-SHIRE. - At abou t 1 A . M . the l i fe -boatwatchman reported that a vessel was standinginto danger near the Middle Binks. A light,var iab le wind was b lowing . The sea wassmooth. At 1.15 A.M. the motor life-boatCity of Bradford II was launched, and foundthe steam trawler Dane, of Hull, aground.She laid out an anchor and with the help ofit the trawler refloated later and went. on herway to Hull. The life-boat returned to herstation at 6.30 A.M. - Property salvage case.

O C T . 1 8 T H . - W A L M E R , K E N T . A t6.30 P . M . a message was received from adoctor that he had been requested by thesenior naval officer at Ramsgate to go to theDutch steamer Mirza. A gale was blowing,with a very rough sea. As no motor boatwould take the doctor, the motor life-boatCharles Dibdin (Civi l Service No. 2) waslaunched a t 6 .55 P . M . She got f rom theguard-ship the position of the Mirza, but inthe very heavy rain she was unable to findthe steamer, although she searched for overfour hours. She returned at midnight andwaited for daylight. At 8.30 the followingm o r n i n g s h e p u t o u t a g a i n ; f o u n d t h esteamer; put the doctor on board; stood by,and brought him ashore again, at 10 A.M .She had been out altogether for nearly sevenh o u r s . A d o n a t i o n o f £ 4 5 w a s r e c e i v e din appreciation of this service. - Rewards :first launch, £29 0S . 6d. ; second launch,£14 12s. 6d.

O C T . 1 9 T H . - W A L M E R , K E N T . A t5.50 P . M . a message was received from adoctor that the senior naval officer, Rams-ga te , wished h im to go out to the Greeks teamer P a n a c h r a n d o s A s t rong N.N.E.wind was blowing, with a heavy sea. Theweather was s t i l l too rough for o rd inaryboats, and the motor life-boat Charles Dibdin(Civil Service No. 2) was again launched.She left at 6.15 P.M. Although the positionof the steamer had been given as a mile fromthe Goodwin Fork Buoy, the life-boat couldnot find her. She cruised among neighbour-.ing vessels, and spoke to the guard-ship, butwithout result. She abandoned the searchand re tu rned to he r s t a t ion a t 9 P . M . At8.10 A.M. the following morning the doctorsaid that he must make another attempt and,as the weather was still rough, the life-boatwas again launched at 8.45 A.M. This timeshe found the steamer. The sick man hadacute appendicitis, and the doctor said hemust be taken at once to hospital. He wasput on board the life-boat and signals weremade to the guard-ship to arrange for anambulance to be ready on shore to receivehim. He was landed ; operated on ; and hislife saved by a margin of a few hours. Thelife-boat returned to her station at 10.40 A.M.She had been out for nearly five hours. Adonation of £45 was received in appreciationof th is serv ice . - Rewards : f i r s t l aunch ,£29 0S. 6d. ; second launch, £14 12s. 6d.

52 SERVICES 1939

O C T . 1 9 T H . - NEWBIGGIN, NORTH-UMBERLAND. Dur ing the morn ing thesecond coxswain reported that six fishingcobles had not re turned f rom the n ightfishing. A gentle N.E. breeze was blowing.The sea was modera te , bu t was growingstronger. At 11.55 A.M. the motor life-boatAugustus and Laura was launched, foundthe cobles, escorted them into harbour, andr e t u r n e d t o h e r s t a t i o n a t 1 . 1 0 P . M . -Rewards, £12 7s.

O C T . 2 0 T H . S E L S E Y , A N D S H O R E -HAM HARBOUR, SUSSEX. At 1.13 A.M .a message was received from the coastguardthat the Bognor police had reported a navalaeroplane down in the sea off Bognor. Anortherly breeze was blowing. The sea wass m o o t h . T h e m o t o r l i f e - b o a t C a n a d i a nPacific was launched at 1.55 A.M. and foundthe aeroplane close to the beach off Felpham.Owing to a failure in her engine the life-boatwas unable to reverse. She could not reachthe aeroplane and went aground herself on asandy bottom. The crew of four men on theaeroplane swam ashore. The Selsey honorarysecretary asked for the help of the ShorehamHarbour motor life-boat, the Rosa Woodd andPhyllis Lunn. She was launched at 4.25 A.M. ;reached the Selsey life-boat at 7.30 A.M. ;found her high and dry; and stood by untilhigh water. She then passed a warp to herand towed her of f . The Selsey l i fe -boatarrived back at her station at 6 P.M., and theShoreham Harbour l i f e -boa t a t 8 .5 P . M . -Rewards : Selsey, £27 18s. 3d. ; ShorehamHarbour, £35 3s.

OCT. 20TH. -GREAT YARMOUTH ANDGORLESTON, NORFOLK. - At 2.40 A.M .the Gor les ton coas tguard repor ted tha t avessel north of the St. Nicholas Light-vesselhad fired distress signals. The light-vesselalso fired signals. A strong N.N.W. breezewas blowing, with a rough sea. At 2.54 A.M.the motor l i fe -boat L o u i s e S t e p h e n s waslaunched. She spoke the light-vessel ; wastold that the vessel was to the S.E. ; andf o u n d h e r t o b e t h e A d m i r a l t y t r a w l e rKirkella, disabled near the Scroby Sands:Her anchor and propeller were fouled. Hermaster asked the life-boat to stand by, whichshe did. By 6.30 A.M. the trawler had clearedher propeller and the life-boat escorted hertowards the St. Nicholas Light-vessel, to asafer position. The life-boat returned to herstation at 8.30 A.M. - Rewards, £24 6s.

OCT . 20TH . - LERWICK, SHETLANDS.At 2.10 P . M . a message was received fromthe senior naval officer that the S.S. SeaVenture, of London, had been sunk by enemyaction fifteen to twenty miles east of Flugga,and that the crew were in the ship’s boat.A light S.W. wind was blowing. The seawas smooth. The motor life-boat Lady Janeand Martha Ryland was launched at 2.35 P.M.and went to the position given. She flashedher signal lamp and an answering red flarewas seen, but no further signal. The life-boa t cont inued to search un t i l midnight .She then went into Balta Sound. At day-break she searched to the north and east of

Flugga and when fifteen miles from the light-house received a message that the crew of thestreamer had landed on the beach at the Islandof Skaw. The l i fe -boa t went there , tookthem on board, and landed them at Lerwick.She found that the men had made no furthersignals, as they had thought that the life-boat,whose engines they heard, was a submarine.The l i fe -boa t re tu rned to her s ta t ion a t5 .35 A.M . the next morning. She had beenaway for twenty-seven hours. - Rewards,£30 13s.

OCT . 20TH . - SWANAGE, DORSET. At8.18 A.M. the Swanage coastguard reportedtha t the Greek s teamer S.S. T u r k i a hadgrounded one mile and a half N.W. by W.of St. Albans Head, but was not flying distresssignals. About 9.25 A.M. a tug was sent fromPortland, and a trawler also went out tostand by. The naval authorities had givenorders to the tug to take off the crew, butthey refused to leave. A moderate breeze wasblowing with a heavy swell. At 7.11 P.M. themotor life-boat Thomas Markby was launched,permission having been obtained from thenaval authorities. It had been the intentionof the coxswain to return when help reachedthe steamer, but the Naval Salvage Officerasked h im to remain dur ing the sa lvageoperations.

On reaching the Turkia the life-boat foundher bumping heavi ly , and s tood by un t i l4 P .M. the following day when she returnedto refuel and enable her crew to get food.At 6 P .M . she put out again and stood byuntil 11 A.M. on the morning of the 22nd,when a tug arrived from Portland with aworking party. As the tug was unable toyet alongside, the life-boat put the party onboard. A signal was then made for the life-boat to pick up Lloyd’s agent at Kimmeridgeand take him to the steamer. This was done,and later the life-boat put the working partyback on the tug. She again returned to herstation between 6 and 7 P .M., and put backt o t h e s t e a m e r a t 1 1 P . M . O n t h e 2 3 r dOctober the tug arrived at 9.30 A.M . , andthe life-boat again put the working party onboard the steamer, and continued to stand by.At 6 P.M. she took the working party back tothe tug and then went alongside the steamerand took off her crew of twenty-six with theirpersonal belongings. She finally returned toher station at 8.30 P.M., after being on serviceseventy-four hours, a fine example of thedetermination of the crew. - Rewards, £87 6s.

OCT. 21ST. - GREAT YARMOUTH ANDGORLESTON, NORFOLK. Just after fourin the afternoon a police inspector and ambu-lance men arrived at the life-boat station,and shortly afterwards a message was receivedfrom the coastguard that the S.S.. Gwynwoodhad entered the roadstead and was flyingsignals for a doctor and two stretchers to betaken out. A moderate N.W. breeze wasblowing. The sea was smooth. The motorlife-boat Louise Stephens was launched at4.20 P.M., taking with her a doctor, ambulancemen and stretchers. Three injured men, twoof them on stretchers, and nine other men,all survivors of the Norwegian steamer S.S.

SERVICES 1939 53

Deodata, which had been sunk by enemyaction at 7.45 in the morning, were takeninto the life-boat and brought ashore. Theinjured men were sent to hospital and theothers to the sailors’ home. The life-boatwas ready for service again at 6.20 P . M -Rewards, £14 8s.

OCT . 22ND . - RAMSGATE, KENT. At2.35 A.M. the Deal coastguard reported bytelephone that the Dutch steamer S.S. Alphald,of Rotterdam, was aground near the N.W.Goodwins Buoy, close to the wrecked S.S.Mahra t t a . A modera te N.E. breeze wasblowing. The sea was smooth. After con-sultation with the senior naval officer atRamsgate the motor life-boat Prudential waslaunched at 3.33 A.M. She found that thesteamer had refloated with the rising tide,but was in need of a pilot. The life-boatarranged this with the pilot cutter, and thenr e t u r n e d t o h e r s t a t i o n a t 8 . 1 5 A . M . -Rewards, £19 7s. 3d.

OCT. 23RD. - SOUTHEND - ON - SEA,ESSEX. At 1.45 P . M . the signal stationreported that a vessel was ashore on theShoebury Sands. The weather was calm,and the sea smooth. At 2 P . M . the motorlife-boat Greater London (Civil Service No. 3)was launched, and found the S.S. Copeland,of Glasgow, a vessel of 1,500 tons, aground.The life-boat stood by until she refloated, andthen returned to her station at 9.30 P.M.-Rewards, £28.

O C T . 2 4 T H . - CLOVELLY, DEVON.SHIRE. At 3.45 A.M. a message was receivedfrom the Croyde Coastguard station that avessel was in distress fifteen miles S.W. ofLundy Island. A strong W.N.W. wind wasblowing, with a moderate sea. At 4 A.M. themotor life-boat City of Nott ingham waslaunched and found the S.S. Argos Hill, boundfor Swansea, with her engine broken downThe life-boat stood by at the master’s requestuntil a tug arrived and took the steamer intow for Swansea. The life-boat returnedto he r s t a t ion a t 12 .15 P . M . - Rewards£34 13s. 6d.

OCT. 24TH. - GREAT YARMOUTH ANDGORLESTON, NORFOLK. - At, 12.28 P.Ma message was received from the senior navalofficer through the Gorleston coastguard thatH.M.S. Wanderer expected to arrive in Yar-mouth Roads at 1.30 P.M. and that a doctorand stretchers might be needed. A moderateW.N.W. wind was blowing. The sea wassmooth. At 1.30 P .M. the motor life-boatLouise Stephens was launched, met H.M.S.Wanderer abreast the Britannia Pier, andtook off sixteen survivors of the Greeksteamer S.S. Konstantinos Hadjipateras, ofChios, which had been sunk by enemy action.The life-boat landed the men, who were un-injured, and re tu rned to her s ta t ion a t3.38 P.M. The captain of H.M.S. Wanderertold the life-boat coxswain that other sur-vivors were on the S.S. Crossbill, which would

seven men from her and returned to herstation at 8.15 P.M. - Rewards, £28 11s. 6d.

OCT. 25TH. - CLACTON - ON - SEA, ESSEX.At 2.45 P.M. the coastguard reported havingreceived a message from a resident of Holland-on-Sea, that a small rowing boat with threemen on board appeared to be in difficultiesabout two miles out. A moderate breeze wasblowing and the sea was smooth. At 3.20 P.M.the motor life-boat Edward Z. Dresden waslaunched and found the rowing boat MonAmi. The three men on board were fishing.They had not noticed that a strong off-shorewind was carrying them out to sea. Thelife-boat towed the boat to Clacton andreturned to her station at 5.15 P.M. A letterof thanks was received from the rescued men.- Rewards, £13 4s. 9d.

O C T . 2 5 T H . - R E D C A R , A N D T E E S -MOUTH, YORKSHIRE. At 6 .32 P . M . amessage was rece ived f rom the Sa l tburncoastguard that a resident at Skinningrovehad seen three red flares showing well outto sea. A strong W.N.W. wind was blowing,with a heavy sea. The report was confirmed,and the motor life-boat Louisa Polden waslaunched at 7.55 P.M. She went six miles offthe coas t and then tu rned southward . Atabout 9.30 P .M . her engines broke down.She hoisted sail and continued the search,but found nothing. At 10 P.M. she anchored.As there seemed no prospect of repairingthe engine, she burnt red flares. These wereseen at Teesmouth, and at 10.25 P .M . themotor life-boat J. C. Archer was launched.When she arrived, however, the Redcar boathad got her engines working again. As aprecaution, Teesmouth escorted her to Red-car which was reached at 11.30 P .M . TheTeesmouth l i fe -boa t re turned to her ownstation at 12.30 A.M. - Rewards, £19 3s. 6d. ;Teesmouth, £19 9s. 6d.

O C T . 2 5 T H . - W I C K , C A I T H N E S S -SHIRE. Shor t ly before 9 A . M . the coas t -guard repor ted tha t the t rawler S t a r o fVictory, of Aberdeen, was ashore off Keiss,in Sinclair Bay. A light N.N.E. wind wasblowing. The sea was smooth. The motorlife-boat City of Edinburgh was launched at9.7 A.M. and found the trawler hard aground,bu t in no immedia te danger . She had acrew of ten. At the skipper’s request thel i fe -boa t pu t ou t a kedge anchor for herf o r w a r d . T h i s d r a g g e d h o m e . A n o t h e ranchor was put out, this time aft, and thet rawler wai ted for the next h igh t ide to

arrive in the roadstead at about 6 P.M. Thelife-boat remained afloat and at 6.50 P .M.

r e f loa t herse l f . The l i fe -boa t re turned to

went out to S.S. Crossbill. She brought ashoreWick Harbour at 2 P.M.

At 10.30 A.M. on the morning of the 26th

OCT. 25TH. - DOVER, KENT. The motorlife-boat Sir William Hillary was launched at4.50 P.M. at the request of the chief of staffof H.M. Naval Base at Dover. A strongE.N.E. wind was blowing, with a moderatesea. As the service was of a secret nature,no informat ion was g iven by the nava lauthorities. The life-boat returned to herstation at 9.15 P.M. - Expenses met by navalauthorities.

54 SERVICES 1939

October, the coastguard reported that theStar of Victory needed immediate help. Fiveminutes later the life-boat put off again andfound that the crew wished to be taken off.A fresh E.N.E. gale was blowing, with squalls,the sea was rough and conditions were gettingworse. The life-boat rescued the crew of tena n d r e t u r n e d t o h e r s t a t i o n a t 1 P . M . -Rewards : first service, £6 13s. ; secondservice, £6 13s.

OCT . 26TH . - FILEY, YORKSHIRE. Inthe early morning the fishing fleet put to sea.By 8.10 A.M. several of the boats had returned.A fresh to strong breeze was blowing, with arough sea, and some of the boats had had toleave their lines. The weather was gettingworse, and at 8.30 A.M. the pulling and sailingl i fe -boat T h o m a s M a s t e r m a n H a r d y waslaunched and stood by the other boats asthey came in. She returned to her stationat 11.25 A.M. - Rewards, £17 7s.

OCT . 26T H . - EYEMOUTH, BERWICK-S H I R E . A w h o l e N . E . b y N . g a l e w a sblowing, with a very rough sea in EyemouthBay. Four local fishing boats were waitingto enter the port. The motor life-boat Frankand William Oates was launched at 11 A.M.and stood by at the harbour entrance untilthey had got in safely. She returned to herstation at 1 P.M. - Rewards, £10 17s.

O C T . 2 6 T H . - NEWBIGGIN, NORTH-UMBERLAND. - At 10.45 A.M . the coast-guard informed the life-boat station that thefishing coble Humility, of Newbiggin, was out.A strong northerly breeze was blowing, witha moderately rough sea, and the weather wasgetting worse. The motor life-boat Augustusand Laura was launched at 11.5 A.M., andfound the coble two miles to the E.S.E. Shehad left three of her lines and was runningfor shelter. The life-boat escorted her to thebeach and returned to her station at 11.50 A.M.- Rewards, £8 6s. 6d.

O C T . 2 6 T H . - BLACKPOOL, LANCA-SHIRE. At 1 .30 P . M . the coxswain te le-phoned that he had had a fishing boat underobservation since noon. She was trying tobeat up from about three miles south of theCentral Pier, and seemed to be in difficulties.A moderate northerly gale was blowing, witha rough sea. At 2.15 P.M. the motor life-boat Sarah Ann Aust in was launched, andfound the motor boat Albion, of Fleetwood,with a crew of three on board, unable to beatup against the wind. The life-boat towedher to Lune Deeps , and re turned to herstation at 7.30 P .M. The owner sent a letterof thanks. - Rewards, £16 1s. 6d.

OCT . 27TH - TORBAY, DEVONSHIRE.It was reported to the senior naval officer,Weymouth , by an observer on a R.A.F .aeroplane, engaged on reconnaisance overWest Bay, that a motor boat was driftingabout ten miles north-east of Berry Head.The information was passed to the life-boatstation by the coastguard. A strong northwind was blowing, with a moderate sea.. At8 A.M. the motor life-boat George Shee was

launched and found the motor boat Olive,but she had no one on board. The life-boatreturned to her station at 1 P .M . , bringingthe boat with her. - Rewards, £7 6s. 6d.

O C T . 2 8 T H . - W A L M E R , K E N T . A t7.55 P .M. the Deal coastguard reported thattwo steamers had been in collision near theFork Buoy. A strong squally N.N.E. windwas blowing, with a rough sea. The motorlife-boat Charles Dibdin (Civil Service No. 2)was launched at 8.15 P .M . She found thatthe Italian steamer Manzoni had been runinto by the American steamer Cranford. TheManzoni had been damaged on the starboardside, and her boats had been smashed. Thelife-boat put one man on board her and stoodby until 7.45 A.M., when the captain said thathe did not need her help any longer. TheC r a n f o r d had a l ready gone on her way .Returning to her station, the life-boat spokethe schooner Katie, which was riding heavilyand dragging her anchors, but she needed nohelp. She reached her station at 8.30 A.M.The owner of the Manzoni gave £20 to thelife-boat crew. - Rewards, £36 6s. 9d.

O C T . 2 9 T H . - W I C K , C A I T H N E S S -S H I R E . T h e A b e r d e e n t r a w l e r S t a r o fVictory had stranded near Keiss on the 15thOctober, 1939, and the Wick life-boat Cityof Edinburgh helped her on that day andrescued her crew of ten on the following day.At 11.55 A.M. on the 29th October, a boatmanat Keiss telephoned that owing to a shift ofwind and a rising sea he was unable to getalongside the Star of Victory, and that asalvage crew of seven were marooned onboard. A fresh E.S.E. breeze was blowing,with a choppy sea. The life-boat went to thewreck, rescued the seven men and returnedto Wick at 2.15 P.M. - Rewards, £6 13s.

OCT. 30TH. - PETERHEAD, AND ABER-DEEN. At 11.15 P.M. a message was receiveda t Pe te rhead f rom the coas tguard tha t avessel was sinking three miles east of RattrayHead, and that two vessels were standing by.A light easterly breeze was blowing, but therewas a heavy ground swell. At 11.30 P.M. themotor life-boat Julia Park Barry of Glasgowwas launched. the found the S.S. Cairnmona,of Newcastle, bound from Montreal to Leith.The steamer had been sunk by enemy actionand had gone down in less than twentyminutes. Three of her crew had been killedand the remainder, forty-two in number, hadtaken to the boats, and had been picked upby the trawler Strathlossie. They were trans-ferred to the life-boat and landed at Peter-head. The life-boat returned to her stationat 1.15 A.M

The Aberdeen station had also been in-formed. As i t knew tha t Pe te rhead hadlaunched, its crew stood by. At 1.30 nextmorning the No. 1 motor life-boat EmmaConstance was launched. She searched batfound nothing, and putting into Peterheadlearnt their that the forty-two survivors hadbeen landed. She returned to her station at10.42 A.M. - Rewards : Peterhead, £12 19s. ;Aberdeen, £23 5s. 6d.

SERVICES 1939 55

OCT. 31ST. - SCARBOROUGH, YORK-SHIRE. A strong easterly wind was blow-ing, with a rough sea. Two local fishingboats Premier and Pr ide were ou t , andanxiety was felt for their safety. The life-boat crew and helpers assembled at 10.30 A.M.La te r the coas tguard repor ted tha t thePremier was coming in from the eastward,and at 3.45 P.M. the motor life-boat HerbertJoy II was launched. She met the Premierat 4 P.M., passed life-belts to her crew, andescorted her to harbour. Putting out again,and going in a S.E. direction, she picked upthe Pride and escorted her to safety. Shereturned to her station at 5 P.M. - Rewards,£19 9s.

The following life-boats were launched, butno services were rendered for the reasonsgiven :

OCT. 1ST. - PETERHEAD, ABERDEEN-SHIRE. A small trawler had been reportedin a sinking condition fifty miles away, butanother vessel took her in tow. The life-boat returned after being out for over ninehours. - Rewards, £16 2s. 9d.

OCT. 3RD. - ILFRACOMBE, DEVON. Alarge lighter had been reported broken awayfrom her tow in a heavy sea, with half a galeblowing. After two hours the life-boat cameup with her, about twelve miles from Ilfra-combe, but found that there was no one onboard. - Rewards, £34 3s. 5d.

OCT . 4TII . - BLYTH, NORTHUMBER-LAND. A motor fishing boat had showndistress signals, but was towed in by a tug.- Reward, £6 7s. 6d.

O C T . 4 T H . - F L E E T W O O D , A N DLYTHAM - ST. ANNES, LANCASHIRE. Amotor fishing boat, with two on board, was,long overdue. A strong wind was blowing,and the sea was rough. Both l i fe -boa tssearched all night, but found nothing, andit was learned later that the boat got inunaided, although her engine had brokendown and her sails had been blown away. -Rewards, Fleetwood, £12 16s. ; Lytham,£14 1s. 6d.

OCT. 4TH. - PORTRUSH, CO. ANTRIM.Dis t ress s igna ls had been repor ted butnothing could be found. The life-boat wasout for fifteen hours.-Rewards, £21 16s.

OCT. 4TH. - ABERDEEN. In the eveningthe Bridge of Don coastguard reported thatthe steam trawler Stromness, of Aberdeen,had stranded on the beach, abreast of BroadHill. The pulling surf life-boat Robert andEllen Robson was taken by tractor to thescene and launched at 9.45 P.M. A S.E. galew a s b l o w i n g , w i t h a h e a v y s u r f . T h ecoastguard life-saving apparatus had a1soarrived and fired a line across the trawler.The life-boat had almost reached the trawlerwhen she grounded on a sandbank, anda s e a s w e p t h e r p a s t . T w o o a r s w e r ebroken and the rocket line fouled the crewand oars. After getting clear, the crew tried

to pu l l back to the t r awle r , bu t wi thou tsuccess, and ran the life-boat on the beach.The coastguard then fired another line acrossthe trawler and landed her crew by breechesbuoy. Meanwhi le , the l i fe -boat had beenreplaced on her carriage, stood by until therescue had been completed, and then returnedto her station, arriving at 3 A.M. - Rewards,£32 7s.

O C T . 5 T H . - L E R W I C K , A N D A I T H ,SHETLANDS. In the morn ing of the 4 thOctober a Royal Air Force aeroplane camedown on the sea about twenty-five milesN.E. of the N.E. corner of Unst Island, anda p innace went ou t to her he lp . On thefollowing day at 5.10 P .M . the Air Wing-Commander asked through the Senior NavalOfficer that the life-boat should search fort h e p i n n a c e w h i c h h a d n o t r e t u r n e d . Awhole S.E. gale was blowing, with a veryheavy sea . The n ight was co ld and verydark. The Aith motor life-boat was askedto keep a wireless watch, and the Lerwickmotor l i fe -boat L a d y J a n e a n d M a r t h aR y l a n d w a s l a u n c h e d a t 5 . 5 0 P . M . T h eweather was too bad for aeroplanes to takepart in the search. The life-boat searchedall the night, without finding the pinnace,and was recalled by wireless from Aith at8.20 A.M. the following morning, 6th October.She arrived back at 2.50 P .M. on that day.She had been out for twenty-one hours .Mleanwhile, at 11.45 A.M. on the same day,6th October, the coastguard had reported tothe Aith life-boat station that the pinnacehad been seen several miles off Flugga. TheNor th Uns t L igh thouse under took to ac tas shore radio station, and as efforts to getinto touch with the Lerwick boat failed, theAith motor life-boat The Rankin was launcheda t 1 2 . 5 P . M . Af te r a s ix ty mi les run shebegan her search, but without result. Byarrangement the life-boat was recalled at8 A.M. on the morning of the 7th October, asAdmiralty craft and the Royal Air Force hadstarted an extensive search. The life-boatreached her station at 3.30 P . M . She hadbeen out for over twenty-seven hours. Theaeroplane which was the cause of the launcheswas found and towed to safety, and the pin-nace eventually arrived at Lerwick on the8th October, after having been seen by ana e r o p l a n e n i n e t y m i l e s o f f t h e l a n d . -Rewards : Lerwick, £20 14s. ; Aith, £27.

OCT . 5T H . - CROMER, NORFOLK. Anaeroplane was reported to have sent out adistress signal, but nothing could be found.-Rewards, £26 2s.

OCT . 7TH . - STROMNESS, ORKNEYS.Distress signals had been reported, and thelife-boat was out for nine hours in a stronggale, with a rough sea, but found nothing.-Rewards, £18 6s. 6d.

O C T . 8 T H . - R A M S G A T E , K E N T . ABelg ian s teamer ly ing in the Downs wasflying a signal for immediate medical aid,and the life-boat went out with two doctors,Before she arrived the steamer had gone onher way, and it was found that she had been

56 SERVICES 1939

flying the medical help signal by mistake. -Rewards, £11 14s. 9d.

O C T . 9 T H . - AITH, SHETLANDS. In -formation was received through the coast-guard at 1.45 P .M. that the S.S. Vistula, ofGothenburg Sweden, had been sunk byenemy action on the previous day twenty-fivemiles off Unst, that nine of her crew had beenlanded near Flugga Lighthouse from a boat,but that the captain and the seven remainingmembers of her crew were missing in anotherboat. A whole S.E. gale was blowing, withan extremely heavy sea and rain squalls.The motor life-boat was launched at 2.25 P.M.and went to the position given, seventy milesaway. There she searched over a wide area,but wi thout success . In the end she wasrecalled by wireless from North Unst Light-house which acted as shore radio station forthe life-boat during this service. The life-boat returned to her station at 4.30 P .M. onthe following day, having been out for overtwenty-six hours. - Rewards, £26 19s.

OCT. 10TH. - ALDEBURGH, SUFFOLK.A steamer had gone ashore, but refloatedwithout help. - Rewards, £65 17s.

O C T . 1 0 T H . - B R O U G H T Y F E R R Y ,ANGUS, A N D ABERDEEN. The Swedishvessel Solstad, of Karlstad, had been reportedi n d i s t r e s s w i t h h e r s t e e r i n g g e a r d i s -abled, about fifteen miles S.E. of Mont-rose, and the Montrose motor life-boat wasunable to launch owing to low water . As o u t h - e a s t e r l y g a l e w a s b l o w i n g . T h eBroughty Ferry motor life-boat searched butfound noth ing and was reca l led when amessage was received that the steamer nolonger wanted help. The life-boat was outf o r o v e r s e v e n h o u r s . M e a n w h i l e , t h eAberdeen life-boat crew stood by for fourhours. Later a message was received thatthe Swedish steamer was making for Aber-deen, and the Aberdeen No. 1 life-boat waslaunched, as the pilot cutter could not crossthe heavy breaking sea on the bar. The life-boat searched in all directions for severalhours but found nothing and later it waslearned that the steamer was being towed toLeith - Rewards : Broughty Ferry, £7 11s. ;Aberdeen, £16 11s. 6d.

OCT . 12TH . - LOWESTOFT, SUFFOLK.Two longshore boats had been seen flyingdistress signals, but one was taken in tow bya herring drifter and the other, which was atanchor with her engine broken down, refusedhelp as her skipper expected to be able torepair the engine.-Rewards, £20 18s. 6d.

O C T . 1 3 T H . - ST . MARY’S, SCILLYI S L E S . T h e c o a s t g u a r d h a d r e p o r t e d amessage from the R.A.F. that a flying boathad come down approximately fifty milesto the west of Scilly Isles, but shortly afterthe life-boat was launched she was recalledas the flying boat’s crew had been rescuedby a Dutch steamer. - Rewards, £15 7s. 6d.

OCT. 16TH. - AMBLE, NORTHUMBER-LAND. A barrage balloon was reported to

have fallen into the sea, but the life-boatcould find no trace of it. - Rewards, £11 8s.

OCT. 17TH. - AMBLE, AND BOULMER,N O R T H U M B E R L A N D . A s t e a m e r h a dbeen reported in distress. Her position wasgiven as nine miles S.E. of Coquet Island,and the Amble motor life-boat was launched.A warning of an air-raid had been givenshor t ly before . The l i fe -boat found theS .S . . Asse , of Denmark . Her engine hadbroken down, but the engineers hoped torepa i r i t . The l i fe -boa t re tu rned to herstation. While at sea she saw gun fire froma des t royer . At Boulmer explos ions hadbeen seen at sea and gun fire heard. Aero-planes had also been heard but not seen.Then a message was received that an aero-plane was in distress thirty-eight miles E. 1/4 S.from Coquet Island. Only three hours ofdaylight remained. The chance of findingthe aeroplane was remote. The life-boat,which had Mr . Wi l l i am S . S tan ton , thehonorary secretary, on board, decided tomake for the vessel to which the Amble life-boa t had gone in case there had been aserious casualty. In view of the firing at seathe life-boat flew the Institution’s house flag.Half an hour after putting out the life-boatsaw what appeared to be shells bursting, butwent on her way. She searched but couldf ind ne i ther the Amble l i fe -boat nor theDanish vessel and returned to her stationfour hours after putting out. - Rewards :Amble, £11 8s. ; Boulmer, £23 6S.

OCT. 18TH. - WHITBY, AND RUNSWICK,YORKSHIRE. The coastguard reported avessel firing signals six miles north of Whitby.A moderate N.E. wind was blowing with achoppy sea. At 7.45 P .M. the No. 1 motorlife-boat was launched. The night was verydark and there was danger from floatingmines. The life-boat searched without result,and re tu rned to he r s t a t ion a t 9 .30 P . M .News of the signals had also been receivedat Runswick, and at 8.10 P.M. the motor life-boat was launched. She also failed to findany vessel in need of help, and returned toher station at 11 P.M. Later it was learnedthat the signals had been made by the crewof a German bombing aeroplane. She hadbeen shot down two days before, and two ofher crew of four had been killed. The othertwo, one severely injured in the leg, hadtaken to their rubber collapsible boat on theevening of 17th October. They came ashoreat Whitby on the morning of the 19th, havingb e e n a f l o a t f o r t h i r t y - s i x h o u r s . T h e ybelieved themselves to be in the Firth ofForth. - Rewards : Whitby, £14 2s. ; Runs-wick, £30 16s.

OCT. 18TH. - EXMOUTH, AND TORBAY,DEVON. A message was received at 7.25P . M . f r o m t h e R . A . F . t h a t t w o o f t h e i rspeedboats had broken down twelve milesS .W. of Beer Head , and the motor l i fe -boat was launched with the help of soldiers.News was also received at the Torbay station,through the coastguard, and the Torbay life-boat was also launched. When the Exmouthlife-boat reached Beer she was recalled, as

SERVICES 1939

the two boats had reached Lyme Regis safely,and she arrived bark at her station at 1.15next morning. At midnight the Torbay life-boat was recalled by wireless and reached herstation at 2.30 next morning. The R.A.F.sen t i t s thanks . - Rewards : Exmouth ,£26 15s. ; Torbay, £14 9s. 6d.

OCT. 18TH. - SHOREHAM HARBOUR,SUSSEX. An aeroplane was reported tohare fallen into the sea in flames, but nothingcould be found. - Rewards, £15 7s. 6d.

O C T . 1 9 T H . - ST . MARY’S, SCILLYISLES. A message was rece ived tha t aBritish steamer, S.S. Halizones, had beensunk by enemy action forty miles S.W. of theBishop Lighthouse, but ten minutes after thelife-boat was launched, news came that theDutch steamer Colytto had gone to her helpand the life-boat was recalled. - Rewards,£15 7s. 6d.

OCT. 19TH. - CLOVELLY, DEVON, ANDPADSTOW, CORNWALL. A message wasreceived that a R.A.F. aeroplane had comedown in the sea, and the Clovelly life-boatwas launched at 10.20 P.M. to search betweenHartland Point and Bideford. A N.E. windwas b lowing . The sea was modera te torough. On reaching Hartland Point the life-boat was signalled to go to Bude Bay andthere she received a further message throughthe coastguard that the aeroplane had beenwashed ashore but the pilot was missing.She searched as far as Widemouth Bay, butwithout result. A recall rocket was then seenoff Bude, and the life-boat returned to herstation, arriving at six next morning. Mean-while, the Padstow No. 1 station heard fromthe coastguard at 10 P.M. that the aeroplanewas in Bude Bay, and the motor life-boat waslaunched . Soon af te rwards the Pads towstation was able to get into communicationwith Clovelly and the life-boat was recalled.-Rewards : Clovelly, £24 16s. 6d. ; Padstow,£8 1s. 6d.

OCT . 21ST . - SKEGNESS, LINCOLN-SHIRE. A message had been received thattwenty-six seamen from a French ship whichhad been sunk by enemy action were onboard the Inner Dowsing Lightship. Thelife-boat was launched to bring them ashore,but on reaching the lightship she found thatthey had been taken on board a mine-sweeper and landed at Grimsby. - Rewards,£17 14s. 6d.

OCT. 21ST. - CROMER, NORFOLK. Anexplosion had been heard and a white lightseen three miles away and later anotherexplosion was heard and a red light seen, butnothing could be found. - Rewards, £27 4s. 6d.

OCT . 2lST . - SHOREHAM HARBOUR,SUSSEX. Rockets had been reported southof Brighton but nothing could be found.-Rewards, £15 7s. 6d.

OCT. 22ND . - REDCAR, YORKSHIRE.Information had been received through thecoastguard from the senior naval officer at

Newcastle that there had been a collision offMarske, one of the vessels being H.M. De-stroyer Javelin. The life-boat, with CaptainE. Combes, the honorary superintendent onboard, searched for three hours, could find novessel in need of help, and it was reportedlater that the destroyer had reached Hartle-pool. - Rewards, £9 17s.

O C T . 2 3 R D . - THE HUMBER, YORK-SHIRE. A message had been received thata vessel had been torpedoed, and the explo-sions had been heard, but nothing could befound, and it was assumed that the wreckedvessel’s crew had been rescued by anothervessel. - Rewards, 4s. 6d. Permanent paidcrew.

O C T . 2 3 R D . - W I C K , C A I T H N E S S -SHIRE. The life-boat station was informedthat a R.A.F. aeroplane had failed to reportand had last been seen thirty miles east ofWick. The motor life-boat was launched at3.20 P .M. Two hours later she was recalledas a i rc ra f t had searched wi thout f ind inganything. The life-boat reached her stationagain at 8 P.M. - Rewards, £18 16s.

OCT . 24T H . - LONGHOPE, ORKNEYS.A trawler had been reported ashore on thenorth-east end of Stroma, but the life-boatcould f ind no th ing . La te r i t was learnedthat she was ashore in the Keiss Bay, andthat the Wick life-boat had gone to her help.- Rewards, £14 9s. 6d.

O C T . 2 4 T H . - M A R G A T E , K E N T . A naeroplane had been reported to have comedown in the sea, but it was reported laterthat it was a false alarm. - Rewards, £18 12s.

O C T . 2 6 T H . - R A M S G A T E , K E N T . Avessel had been reported as showing blueflares, but nothing was found. - Rewards,£11 14s. 9d.

OCT. 26TH. - RAMSEY, ISLE OF MAN.A drifter had been reported as flying distresss i g n a l s , b u t s h e g o t i n t o t h e s h e l t e r o fDouglas Bay unaided. The life-boat was outfor nearly five hours in a gale with a heavysea. - Rewards, £31 5s. 6d.

OCT. 26TH. - WALMER, KENT. A motorboat had broken down, and another boat hadgone to her help. As neither had returnedthe motor life-boat was launched, but shortlyafterwards it was learned that both boats hadreached Ramsgate. - Rewards, £29 0S. 6d.

OCT. 27TH. - BALTIMORE, CO. CORK.A trawler was reported to be sounding hersiren as if in distress, but two trawlers whichthe life-boat found were neither of them inneed of help. - Rewards, £12 15s.

O C T . 2 7 T H . - THE HUMBER, YORK-SHIRE. An aeroplane was reported to havecome down in the sea but the life-boat foundnothing. - Permanent paid crew : Rewards, 9s.

OCT. 28TH. - WALTON AND FRINTON,

ESSEX. The Dutch motor vessel Pegasus

58 SERVICES 1939

was reported to be sinking in a gale with aheavy sea, but later it was learned that her

went to Kirkwall where the whole crew werelanded at 2.40 P.M.

c rew had been taken of f by a s teamer . -The life-boat had then

Rewards, £12 4s.been out for sixteen hours. She returned toher station next day, 3rd November, arrivingat 2.45 P.M. This was a fine piece of work by

O C T . 2 8 T H . - W I C K , C A I T H N E S S -SHIRE. An aeroplane had come down in

the life-boat crew for they had made their

the sea, but the crew of two had been pickedsixty miles journey at night, through danger-

up by a trawler. - Rewards, £9 19s. 6d.ous waters without lights. A donation wasreceived in appreciation of this service and the

O C T . 2 8 T H . - DUN LAOGHAIRE, CO.D U B L I N . F l a s h e s h a d b e e n s e e n , b u tthe l i fe -boat found noth ing . - Rewards ,£14 18s. 6d.

Institution made an increase in the usualmoney award of £l on the standard scale toeach member of the crew. - Standard re-wards, £29 11s. 6d. ; additional rewards, £8 :total rewards, £37 11s. 3d.

OCT . 28TH . - SHOREHAM HARBOUR,SUSSEX. A small boat with two men onboard was in distress off Brighton, but laterthe Brighton police reported that the boatand men had been washed ashore. - Rewards,£15 7s. 6d.

O C T . 3 0 T H . - THE HUMBER, YORK-SHIRE. A ship had been reported on fire,but a later message stated that the survivorsof a Danish vessel, believed to have beensunk by enemy action, had been picked upby a Finnish vessel. - Permanent paid crew :

N o v . 1 S T . - D O V E R , K E N T . A t t h erequest of the chief of staff., Naval Base, themotor l i fe -boat S i r Wi l l i am Hi l la ry waslaunched at 1.50 P.M., but the services ren-d e r e d w e r e n o t r e p o r t e d . T h e l i f e - b o a treturned to her station at 7 P.M. - Expensesmet by naval authorities.

Nov. 2ND. - FALMOUTH, CORNWALL.

s e a . A t 4 . 1 5 A . M . t h e m o t o r l i f e - b o a t

At 4 A.M. the St. Anthony coastguard reportedthat a vessel was in distress about four milesS .S .E. of the l i fe -boat s ta t ion . A south-easterly gale was blowing, with a very heavy

B.A.S.P. was launched, and found the S.S.P i n k R o s e , o f L i v e r p o o l , b o u n d f r o mRochester to Cardiff. She was at anchor,but was labouring very heavily, and wasleaking badly. Her starboard anchor had

Rewards, 9s.

OCT. 31ST . - HOLY ISLAND, NORTH-UMBERLAND. An observation balloon wasseen floating in the sea, but it was picked upby a fishing coble. - Rewards, £7 15s. 6d.

OCT. 31ST. - ARKLOW, CO. WICKLOW.been lost and her stokehold flooded. Thelife-boat stood by until the Pink Rose could

It had been reported that a raft with menon board could be seen off Wicklow Head.A strong gale was blowing, with a very roughsea. A rowing skiff put out from Wicklowas well as the motor life-boat from Arklow.The “ ‘ ra f t” was found to be f i sherman’sbuoys with an upright pole to which a hurri-cane lan te rn was a t tached . The l i fe -boa ttowed the sk i f f and buoys in to Arklow.-Rewards, £8 18s.

raise steam and then escorted her into Fal-mouth Harbour, returning to her station at1 P.M. - Rewards, £20 9s.

NOVEMBERLaunches 120. Lives Rescued 460.

Nov. 1ST. - STROMNESS, ORKNEYS. At10.40 P.M. a message was received from theKirkwall coastguard that a vessel was ashoreat North Ronaldshay, sixty miles away. Afresh south-easterly wind was blowing, witha rough sea. At 11.15 P.M. the motor life-boat J.J.K.S.W. was launched, and at sevennext morning she found the Norwegiansteamer Mim, of Tonsberg, ashore on DykeReef , bad ly damaged . The s teamer wasbound from Fremantle, Australia, to Bergen,and was on her way to the Kirkwall Contra-band Base in the Orkneys, for examination.Before the life-boat arrived eleven men hadbeen rescued by a local boat and had beenlanded at North Ronaldshay. The life-boatwent alongside and took off the remainingtwenty-two members of the crew. In makingthe rescue the local boat had been damagedand had to be beached, and the life-boat tookthe eleven men she had rescued on board and

Nov. 3RD. - BLYTH, NORTHUMBER-LAND. At 10 A..M. a message was receivedfrom the Blyth coastguard that two localfishing boats, Ina and Johnstones, were at sea.A S.E. gale was blowing, with a choppy sea.At 11 A.M. the motor life-boat Joseph Adlamwas launched, and searched for the boatswithout result. She returned at 12.40 P.M. ;put out again at 1.10 P.M. ; found the Inaabout th ree mi les nor th-eas t o f the Eas tPier ; and escorted her to the harbour. At2.25 P.M. she again put out ; picked up theJohnstones about three miles north-east ofSt. Mary’s Lighthouse ; and escorted herto Safety, returning to her station at 8 P.M. -Rewards, £6 7s. 6d.

Nov. 3RD. - FILEY, YORKSHIRE. Dur-ing the morning four motor fishing cobleswere at sea. The weather was bad. Watchwas kept, and at 11.40 A.M., as the conditionswere then dangerous for the returning boats,the pulling and sailing life-boat ThomasMasterman Hardy was launched. High seasbroke over her and soaked the crew, but sheescorted the cobles into safety and returnedt o h e r s t a t i o n a t 1 . 4 5 P . M . - R e w a r d s ,£16 2s.

Nov. 3RD . - SCARBOROUGH, YORK-SHIRE. Three local fishing cobles were atsea. The wind was light from the S.E., butthe sea was very rough. At 12.20 P.M. the

SERVICES 1939 59

motor life-boat Herbert Joy II was launchedand found the coble Evelyn and Margaret amile to the east. She passed life-belts to hercrew, and escorted her through heavy seasi n t o h a r b o u r . S h e t h e n p u t o u t a g a i n ,picked up the second coble Hilda two milesto the E.N.E., took on board a boy, passedlife-belts to the crew of two, and escorted thecoble into harbour. She then put out a thirdtime, passed life-belts to the Premier, andescorted her in. She returned to her stationat 4.50 P.M. - Rewards, £19 14s. 6d.

Nov . 3 R D . - THE HUMBER, YORK-SHIRE. Dur ing the a f te rnoon the S .S .Canada, of Copenhagen, bound for Hull, wasbadly holed by enemy action when twentymiles north-east of the Humber, and one ofher holds filled with water. Forty of hercrew, including five stewardesses, left her int h e b o a t s a n d w e r e p i c k e d u p b y t h eNorwgian steamer Ringhorn. The captainand thirteen men remained aboard theCanada.

At 5.40 P.M. the Humber life-boat stationreceived the news and four minutes later themotor life-boat City of Bradford II was away.A moderate wind was blowing from the south-east. The sea was very rough. An hour andthree-quarters later she found the Canada atanchor about a mile and a half from the shoreoff Holmpton. The life-boat sent a messageby morse to the coastguard for the help oftugs. Five arrived just after midnight, butin the heavy seas they could do nothing. Thesteamer was gradually filling. Her decksforward were awash. She had a list.

The l i fe -boa t s tood by un t i l day l igh t ,when the captain of the Canada shouted toher to come alongside and take him to thenearest telephone to report to his agents.The life-boat could not leave as the men onthe Canada were in danger, but she took thecaptain off and put him aboard one of thetugs which were returning to the Humber.By th is t ime the s teamer had a l i s t o f45 degrees.

.JUST IN T IME.

The life-boat continued to stand by andthe weather was getting steadily worse. Atten in the morning the first mate of theCanada signalled that he wished the rest ofthe crew to be taken off. By this time thedecks were awash, and the deck cargo oft imber was f loa t ing a l l round the sh ip .Through this the coxswain took the life-boat,which was slightly damaged by the timber,and got alongside the sinking steamer. By10.30 A.M. the thirteen men were on boardt h e l i f e - b o a t . S h e h a d l o s t n o t i m e i nrescuing them and there had been no time tolose. Five minutes later the Canada heeledover on her broadside, and her crew on boardthe life-boat stood at attention with theircaps in their hands as she went over.

Half an hour after midday the life-boatway back at her station. She had been outfor eighteen and a half hours, and it had beena long, arduous and difficult service.

The Institution made the following awards:To COXSWAIN ROBERT CROSS, the thanks

of the Institution inscribed on vellum, and£1 ;

To each of the seven members of h iscrew, £1.

Permanent Paid Crew ; Standard Rewards£1 7s. ; special rewards to the crew, £8 ;total rewards, £9 7s.

NOV. 4TH. - WALMER, AND RAMSGATE,KENT. At 8.7 P .M. a message was receivedat Walmer from the Deal coastguard thatdistress signals had been seen about two milese a s t o f t h e i r s t a t i o n . A S . W . w i n d w a sblowing, with squalls. There was a moderatesea. At 8.23 P.M. the motor life-boat CharlesDibdin (Civil Service No. 2) was launched.The l i fe -boat went to the West GoodwinBuoy and from there to the Brake Light-vessel. There she was given the position ofthe signals as E.S.E. four miles outside thesands. Dead low water made it impossibleto cross the sands, but the life-boat continuedher search to the North Goodwin Buoy andthen hack to the Brake Light-vessel. Thereshe was told that fourteen survivors of theGreek steamer S.S.. Nicolaos M. Embiricos,which had been sunk by enemy action, wereon board the North Goodwin Light-vessel,and that another of the steamer’s boats withtwelve men aboard was missing. The life-boat searched for the second boat, and thenwent to the Nor th Goodwin Light -vesse lwhere she was told that the missing men hadbeen picked up by a Dutch steamer.

Meanwhile, at 8.21 P .M . , the Ramsgates ta t ion had rece ived a message f rom theRamsgate coastguard that the North Good-win Light-vessel had reported a ship’s boatwith men on board drifting northward, andat 9.24 P .M. the motor life-boat Prudentialwas launched. On reaching the light-vesselshe found alongside a boat with fourteenmembers of the crew of the steamer. Shethen searched for the other ship’s boat whichwas adrift, and near the Elbow Buoy washailed by the Dutch steamer. The Ramsgatelife-boat then took off the twelve men fromthe Dutch steamer, and the Walmer life-boattook off the fourteen men who had got tot h e N o r t h G o o d w i n L i g h t - v e s s e l . T h eWalmer l i fe -boa t re turned to her s ta t iona t two next morning , and the Ramsgatelife-boat at 2.27. The owners of the steamermade a gift to the Ramsgate life-boat crew.-Rewards : Walmer, £29 0S. 6d. ; Ramsgate,£15 9S.

N o v . 5 T H . - N E W B R I G H T O N ,CHESHIRE. At 6.30 P .M . a message wasreceived from the New Brighton Stage thata fishing boat appeared to be out of controland drifting. Later flares were seen off theR i p R a p B u o y . A m o d e r a t e S . S . E . g a l ewas blowing, with a rough sea, and at 7.5 P.M.the No. 2 motor life-boat Edmund and MaryR o b i n s o n w a s l a u n c h e d . S h e f o u n d t h efishing boat Queen, of Liverpool, anchoredoff the Rip Rap Buoy, with six men on board.Three were taken off, one of them injured,and landed at the stage. The life-boat thenreturned, and towed in the fishing boat, withthe remain ing three men on board . The

60 SERVICES 1939

life-boat returned to her station at 8.40 P.M.-Rewards, £13 12s. 6d.

Nov. 7TH. - WICKLOW, CO. WICKLOW.At 8.30 P.M. signals of distress were seen froma fishing skiff about two miles north-east ofWicklow Pier. A moderate S.W. gale wasblowing, with a heavy sea. At 8.45 P .M. themotor life-boat Lady Kylsant was launched,and found the skiff Polly, with three men onboard, three miles east-south-east of the pier.They had broken an oar, and were beingblown out to sea. A line was got on board,and the skiff was towed back to harbour.Information was then received that the skiffParnell was in difficulties, so the life-boat putout again and found the skiff two miles northof the pier with one of her crew of three veryill. The life-boat took the sick man on board,and towed the skiff into harbour. She wasr e a d y f o r s e r v i c e a g a i n a t 1 1 . 4 5 P . M . -Rewards, £15 18s. 6d.

Nov. 8TH . - WALMER, KENT. At mid-night a message was received from the Dealcoastguard that a vessel was ashore on theSouth Goodwins. A strong southerly windw a s b l o w i n g , w i t h a c h o p p y s e a . A t12.20 A.M. the motor life-boat Charles Dibdin(C iv i l Se rv i ce No . 2 ) was launched . Shefound the S.S. City of Melbourne, of Liverpool,of 6,600 tons, bound from Calcutta to London,s t randed near the South Goodwins Buoy.A tug was standing by. The life-boat wasengaged to help to refloat the steamer, and al i f e - b o a t m a n w a s p u t o n b o a r d h e r . A t7 . 1 5 A . M . she re f loa ted and the l i fe -boatpiloted her to an anchorage in the Downs,r e t u r n i n g t o h e r s t a t i o n a t 9 . 1 0 A . M . -Property salvage case.

N o v . 9 T H . - B R I D L I N G T O N , Y O R K -SHIRE. At 7 A.M . a message was receivedthat a vessel was making distress signals tothe E .S .E. A s t rong souther ly wind wasblowing , wi th a shor t , sharp swel l . Themotor life-boat Stanhope Smart was launchedat 8 A.M. and found the motor fishing boatMelba, with a crew of five, stranded on therocks behind the north pier. The life-boatanchored ; and got a tow rope aboard her ;and at 12.15 P.M. refloated her and towed herinto Bridlington Harbour. She returned toher station at 1.20 P.M. - Property salvagecase.

Nov. 9TH . - SEAHAM, AND SUNDER-LAND, DURHAM. At 7.50 A.M. a messagewas received at Seaham from the coastguardthat the S.S. Carmarthen Coast, of Liverpoolbound, laden, from Kirkcaldy to Londonhad struck a mine several miles to the eastward . A S .W. breeze was b lowing . Thesea was smooth. At 8.30 A.M. the Seahammotor life-boat Elizabeth Wills Allen wascalled out, at dead low water, but groundedwhen launched and could not get away forsome little time. A message was sent for theSunderland life-boat, and at 9.15 A.M. themotor life-boat Elizabeth Newton, on tem-porary duty at Sunderland, was launchedMeanwhile the Seaham life-boat had gotaway; had reached the wreck ; and had

rescued fourteen survivors from the ship’sboat. Two other members of the crew werebelieved to have been lost. The Seahamlife-boat took the boat in tow and returnedto her station at 11 A.M . The Sunderlandlife-boat returned to her station, arriving at12 noon. - Rewards : Seaham, £8 ; Sunder-and, £7 15s. 6d.

Nov. 11TH. - THE HUMBER, AND BRID-LINGTON, YORKSHIRE. At 6.49 A.M. .a message was received at the Humber life-boat station from the Spurn Head RoyalNaval Shore Signal Station that a vesselone and a half miles south-west from Withern-sea wanted he lp . A l ight S .S .W. breezewas blowing ; the sea was smooth ; theweather was foggy. At 7.16 A.M. the motorlife-boat City of Bradford II was launchedand found that the S.S. Dryburgh, of Leith,bound, laden, from Leith to Antwerp, hadcollided with the sunken wreck of the Danishsteamer, Canada, and was fast. The life-boat went alongside the Dryburgh, whichwas lying at a very dangerous angle, rescuedthe crew of sixteen and then stood by untilthe arrival of the tugs Yorkshireman andSuperman. The tugs pulled the Dryburghclear of the Canada and towed her towardsthe shore, so that the channel used by ship-ping was left clear, but she capsized and sank.The rescued crew was landed at Grimsby andthe l i fe -boa t re turned to her s ta t ion a t6.10 P.M.

At 12 noon, at Bridlington, an Admiraltysalvage officer wished to be taken out to theDryburgh. As no other boats were available,the Bridlington motor life-boat StanhopeSmart was launched at 12.45 P .M. with thesalvage officer on board. She found that thesteamer had sunk and the salvage officer wasput on board the tug Yorkshireman. Laterhe was taken off again and the life-boatr e t u r n e d t o h e r s t a t i o n a t 8 . 2 5 P . M . -Rewards : Humber, permanent paid crew;Bridlington, £15 from the naval authorities,£18 1s. from the Institution.

Nov. 12TH. - LOWESTOFT, SUFFOLK.At 4.15 A.M. a message was received from thecoastguard that a steamer was aground onthe Newcombe Sands. A light S.W. windwas blowing, with a moderate sea, and athick fog. At 4.30 A.M. a further messagewas received from the Senior Naval Officerat the Nore that seven steamers belonging toa convoy were aground on the NewcombeSands. The motor life-boat Michael Stephens,with the second coxswain in charge, waslaunched and found the S.S. Appledore boundfor Hull, hard and fast on the sands. The foghad now lifted and six other steamers couldbe seen. As the tide rose they refloated,and the life-boat escorted each into deeperw a t e r a n d s a f e t y . T h e l i f e - b o a t t h e nreturned to the S.S. Appledore, which two tugswere t ry ing to re f loa t . The a t tempt wasunsuccessful. The life-boat returned to herstation at 1 P.M. At 8.40 P.M. a message wasreceived from the coastguard that the SeniorNaval Officer at Lowestoft required an urgentletter to be taken by the life-boat to thecaptain of the S.S. Appledore. The weather

SERVICES 1939 61

was still hazy, and at 9.30 P.M. the life-boat minesweeper. He came out and wentwas again launched and took the letter,returning to her station at 11.30 P .M. The

in bow first, right among the rocks,Appledore was refloated on the following day and got alongside. The minesweeper- Rewards : First launch, £33 1s. ; second had depth charges ready for droppinglaunch, expenses paid by naval authorities. at her stern and quarter and a boat

just forward of them. so that the life-

SILVER MEDAL SERVICEAT WHITBY.

boat could not get alongside her stern,and had to go right abreast the wheel-house.

NOV. 12TH. - WHITBY, YORK-SHIRE. About three-thirty in themorning the coastguard telephoned tothe Whitby life-boat station that avessel was ashore close under the cliffs200 yards on the south side of theEast Pier. The night was dark andfoggy. A light wind was blowing fromthe south-west but for some daysthere had been a wind from the eastand it had left a heavy easterly swell.It was nearly high water and the swellwas breaking high against the cliffs.

Twenty minutes after the messagehad been received the No. 1 motorlift-boat Mary Ann Hepworth waslaunched. She reached the vessel ina quarter of an hour and found her tobe the minesweeper Cape Comorinwith a crew of eighteen.

The minesweeper was only 100 feetfrom the cliffs, bow on to them. Shewas in a corner made by the break-water and the cliffs where the doublebackwash always causes a confusedsea. She was on rocky bottom, andlarge rocks were close on either side ofher. The seas were breaking rightover her and she was rolling heavily.

BY THE LIGHT OF COASTGUARD'SSEARCHLIGHT

It was a difficult place to get intoeven by daylight, and this night wasnot only very dark but foggy. Fortun-ately the minesweeper was close underthe coastguard station and the districtofficer was able to keep his searchlighttrained on her all the time. Withoutthat help it is doubtful if a rescuewould have been possible, for theseas were so big that the life-boatcould not have used her own light.

On the rocky bottom it was impos-sible for the life-boat to anchor anddrop down to the wreck on her cable.The coxswain tried first to go in sternfirst, but the tide carried him past the

Ropes were thrown, and eleven ofthe minesweeper’s men jumped aboardthe life-boat. Then a very big seastruck her. It carried away the ropes ;k n o c k e d i n t h e g u a r d r a i l s a n dstanchions on the port side ; carriedaway the wind-screen of the shelter ;bent the coxswain’s back screen fourinches forward ; knocked the coxswainhimself over the wheel, and knockedthe wheel out of his hands, so that itspun round violently and bent thepintle ; filled to the roof the shelterwhere the mechanics were standingat the controls: lifted the life-boattowards the cliffs.

E I G H T E E N R E S C U E D

The coxswain quickly got her undercon t ro l aga in ; went as te rn ; andbrought her alongside for the secondtime. Four more men jumped aboard.Again a heavy sea carried the life-boattowards the cliffs. Again the cox-swain went astern, and came alongsidefor the third t ime. The last threemen of the minesweeper then jumped.All eighteen had been saved.

Very - cautiously the coxswainworked the life-boat, stern first, awayfrom the wreck and came clear of therocks, without touching anything.The actual work of rescue had takenforty minutes.

The district officer of coastguardwho had been holding the searchlighton the wreck all the time, saw thewhole rescue - the seas breaking rightover the minesweeper and the life-boat herself smothered in the breakingwater. He had thought that it wouldbe impossible for her to go alongsidethe wreck.

The chief engineer of the mine-sweeper had stood at her stern holdinga light to guide the life-boat. He wascontinually struck by the seas andwondered “ what it was like in thelittle boat below.” He could see the

62 SERVICES 1939

two mechanics at their engines underthe canopy, up to their necks in water.He watched in admiration the way inwhich the life-boat was handled, andhe noticed that not a voice was heardexcept the coxswain’s, giving hisorders.

REWARDS

This was a very fine service in whichthe life-boat was most skilfully andcourageously handled by the coxswain,James Murfield. The coxswain him-self spoke very highly of the quicknesswith which the motor mechanic gotthe engines going full speed asternwhen the first big sea struck the boatand fil led the shelter, and of thecourage and resource of the actingsecond-coxswain, John Dryden, whohad retired from the crew and hadreturned, at the age of sixty-one, totake the place of a man on war service.He was in charge of the after lines,where there was no shelter, and, asthe coxswain said, “ got all there wascoming.”

The Institution made the followingawards :

To COXSWAIN JAMES MURFIELD, thesilver medal for gallantry and a copyof the vote inscribed on vellum ;

To ACTING SECOND,-COXSWAIN JOHNDRYDEN, the bronze medal and a copyof the vote inscribed on vellum ; 1

To J. PHIILPOT, the motor mechanic,the bronze medal and a copy of thevote inscribed on vellum ;

To each of the other five membersof the crew, C. WALE, W. DRYDEN,R. WALKER, J. RICHARDSON and J.HEBDEN, the thanks of the Institutioninscribed on vellum ;

To the coxswain and each of theseven members of the crew a reward of£2 in addition to the ordinary scalereward of £1 17s. 6d. each. Standardrewards to c rew and l aunchers ,£13 16s. 6d. ; additional rewards tocrew, £16 ; total rewards, £29 16s. 6d.

The commander of the minesweepermade a donation to the funds of theInstitution.

N O V . 1 2 T H . - THE HUMBER, YORK.SHIRE. At about 7 P . M . information wasreceived from the Withernsea coastguard

1 Three months later John Dryden lost hislife on service.

that a vessel was making S.O.S. signals onher foghorn from the position of the Danishsteamer Canada which had sunk after anexplosion a few days earlier. The weatherwas dark and foggy, with little wind and S.W.The motor life-boat City of Bradford II waslaunched at 7.10 P.M. She went to the wreckof the Canada and found a steamer fast onher deck, and lying at a very dangerous angle.The steamer was the Fireglow, of London,bound for Sunderland, with a crew of eighteen.Her boats had been lowered and the crewwere ready to leave. All were taken aboardthe life-boat, which then stood by to see whatwould happen to the steamer. At 10.10 P.M.the life-boat picked up by her radio telephonea signal from the S.S. Deerpool asking forimmedia te he lp . She got in touch wi thH u m b e r R a d i o a n d a s k e d i t t o a s k t h eDeerpool if she wanted a tug. The reply came,” No, a life-boat.” With the crew of theFireglow still aboard, thc life-boat set off, andbefore she reached the Deerpool she saw adistress rocket and picked up a message thatthe Deerpool’s crew were about to take totheir boats. The life-boat found her agroundon the Middle Binks. She was a vessel ofover 5,000 tons and carried a crew of thirty-five.

Her captain asked the life-boat to stand byready to take off the crew, as his steamerhad a heavy list to starboard and was leakingbadly. Part of the crew were in one of theship’s boats, but they returned to her whenthe tide flowed and there was a possibilityof her refloating. One of her crew had beeninjured so the life-boat brought him to Spurn,at about 3.30 A.M., and there the R.A.M.C.t o o k c a r e o f h i m . W h e n t h e l i f t - b o a treturned to the Deerpool the captain askedher to take off his crew as the ground seahad made considerably and the steamer wasnow labour ing and s t r ik ing the bo t tom.The strong tide and growing sea made awhirlpool under the Deerpool's lee, and it wasonly with great difficulty that the life-boatwas ab le to ge t a longs ide . She took of ftwenty-nine men, the captain and four othersremaining.

The captain wanted the life-boat to stayby him, but as the crew of the Fireglow, whowere still on board the life-boat, wanted tofind out the fate of their own ship, the life-boat left the Deerpool, promising to return.She first landed the Deerpool’s crew at Spurn.She then went in search of the Fireglow.I t was now 6 .30 in the morn ing , near lytwelve hours since she had first put out.

The life-boat found that the Fireglow hadslipped off the wreck of the Canada, andpicked her up a mile and a half away. Sheput her crew on board her again and stood byuntil it was certain that the Fireglow wasseaworthy.

The life-boat then returned to the Deerpool,to find that the five men left on board hadabandoned her in the ship’s boat and werenow on board a tug. The life-boat, returnedto her station at midday and anchored. At3.30 in the afternoon it was decided to takethe crew of the Deerpool back to her as tugswere going to try to save her. They foundthis to be impossible owing to the seas, and

SERVICES 1939 63

four men from a tug, who had got aboard her,had to be rescued. The men had to jumpinto the life-boat as she went alongside atfull speed. All were got off safely, and whenthe life-boat reached smoother water shet ransfe r red them to a tug . She f ina l lyreturned to her station at 6.30 P.M., nearlytwenty-four hours after being called out.For this long service a special reward of £1was made to each man in the crew, which is apermanent paid crew - Rewards, £8.

NOV. 13TH. - HASTINGS, SUSSEX. At7 A.M. flare were seen to the eastward. This,was confirmed by the Fairlight CoastguardStation. A light S.S.W. breeze was blowing.The sea was smooth . At 7 .25 A . M . themotor life-boat Cyril and Lilian Bishop waslaunched at dead low water, and found thefishing boat Sea Queen, of Hastings, with herengine broken down fifty yards from a ledgeof rocks. She towed her to Hastings, withher crew of two, returning to her station at8.15 A.M. - Rewards, £21 12s. 3d.

NOV 13TH . - WHITBY, YORKSHIRE.Shortly after 11 A.M. the small fishing cobleRoyal Empire was expected to enter theharbour. The breeze from the S.W. waslight but a ground swell was breaking at theharbour entrance. At 11.30 A.M. the pullingand sailing life-boat Jacob and RachaelVallentine was launched and escorted thecoble to safety. Five keel boats were alsowaiting to enter, and the life-boat stood by atthe harbour entrance until they had got in.The l i fe -boa t re tu rned to her s ta t ion a t2.30 P.M. - Rewards, £12 11s. 6d.

N O V . 1 3 T H . - MARGATE, KENT. At6.54 P.M. a messagc was received from thecoastguard that a vessel was burning flaresnear the Tongue Light-vessel. A fresh S.W.breeze was blowing. The sea was smooth.At 7.10 P.M. the motor life-boat The Lord South-borough (Civil Service No. 1) was launchedandl went to the light-vessel, where threedifferent distress signals were seen. Thelife-boat went to the nearest signal and foundthe S.S. Matra, of Liverpool, with her sternunder water, sunk, it was thought, by enemyaction. A ship’s boat full of men was along-side, and these were taken on boat the life-boat. Five of the life-boat’s crew boardedthe steamer and helped the remaining sur-vivors, many of them injured, into the life-boat.

Meanwhile two other boats filled withsurvivors had drifted from the Matra. Thelife-boat rescued one boat-load and an oiltanker picked up the second. The life-boatspoke the tanker, satisfied herself that all thesteamer's crew had been rescued, andreturned to Margate where she landed fifty-two rescued persons. It was a difficult ser-vice as many of the rescued were injured.Doctors and ambulances were waiting toreceive them. The life-boat then made forh e r s t a t i o n , a r r i v i n g a t 1 0 . 5 P . M . A t11.20 P.M. she was launched a second time,to search again near the Tongue Light-vessel.By this time the Matra had drifted abouttwo and a half miles in a westerly direction.The life-boat heard shouts from the wrecked

steamer ; went alongside ; and found aninjured lascar seaman. After making surethat no one else was on board, the life-boatreturned with him to Margate. A doctor andambulance were again waiting, and afterlanding the injured man the life-boat wasmoored in Margate Harbour at 2 A.M . on14th November. An hour later the life-boatwas again launched at the request of the navalauthorities to search the area of the TongueLight-vessel. She searched until daybreak.The Matra had now gone aground on theShingles Pa tch . Three l i fe -boatmen wentaboard her, but found no one except a deadman. Later that day a representative of theowners of the Matra ar r ived , v i s i ted theinjured men in hospital, and, as he foundthat there were still some of the crew un-accounted for the life-boat was launchedagain at 5 P .M. with Mr. P. E. W. Gellatly,the honorary secretary, the representativeof the owners and the captain of the Matraon board. The steamer’s stern was now com-pletely under water, and all hope was aban-doned of f inding anyone on board a l ive .The l i fe -boa t re tu rned to her s ta t ion a t8 P.M. - Rewards : first launch, £18 12s. ;second launch, £15 18s. ; third launch, £28 ;four th l aunch , £18 12s . To ta l r ewards ,£80 16s.

Nov . 14 T H . - THE HUMBER, YORK-SHIRE. I t was e igh t a t n igh t when themotor l i fe -boat C i t y o f B r a d f o r d I I waslaunched to the help of a foreign steamer,the Georgios, of Piraeus. The night was verydark. A moderate wind was blowing fromthe south, with squalls. The sea was veryrough. The life-boat found that the steamerhad run on the wreck of the Canada. Sheturned her searchlight on her. The Georgiosseemed a complete wreck and there was noone on board. The life-boat searched in alldirections, hut found nothing. Then a redflare was seen and the coxswain took itsb e a r i n g a n d m a d e f o r i t . H e f o u n d t h etwenty-one men of the crew of the Georgiosand a North Sea pilot in two of the ship’sboats , d r i f t ing he lp less ly . By th is t imethe wind had increased to gale force. Thecoxswain manoeuvred so as to get the boatsunder the life-boat’s lee and the twenty-two men were quickly rescued. They hadvery little clothing and their boats would soonhave foundered in the very heavy seas. Thel i fe -boat then made for Gr imsby. I t wasj u s t a f t e r h a l f - p a s t n i n e . S h e r e a c h e dGr imsby a t 3 .15 in the morn ing . Dur ingthe whole passage of over five hours she wassmothered in seas, and all on board weredrenched to the skin.

At Grimsby the rescued men were landed,and the life-boat returned to her station.She arrived at eight in the morning havingbeen out just twelve hours.

The Institution made the following awards :To COXSWAIN ROBERT CROSS , a special

letter of thanks and £1 ;To each of the seven members of h is

crew, £1.Paid permanent crew : standard rewards,

11s. 3d. ; special rewards, £8 ; total rewards,£8 11s. 3d.

64 SERVICES 1939

SILVER MEDAL SERVICEAT YARMOUTH

the coxswain had been at the wheel.Four times in the pitch darkness hehad brought her safely round the

Nov. 14TH. - YARMOUTH, ISLEOF WIGHT. At 8.40 in the eveninga message was received at the Yar-mouth, Isle of Wight, station that avessel was ashore off the Brighstonelook-out.

Needles, and on the double journey tothe wreck had travelled 30 miles.

A fresh west-south-westerly breezewas blowing at Yarmouth, with amoderate sea running. It was rainingheavily, and the night was very dark.

The motor life-boat S.G.E. put outat 9.15. Only the coxswain and thetwo mechanics were regular membersof the crew. The coastguard l ife-saving apparatus was also called out.

In the darkness and heavy rain, withall lights extinguished, it was onlywith very great difficulty that the cox-swain was able to pick up Hurst Point,and then the Needles, but he washelped by the Needles signal station,which showed a searchlight on WardenPoint. As the life-boat rounded theNeedles she met a full gale, with a veryheavy sea.

At midnight she found H.M. TrawlerBritish. At the same time the cox-swain discovered that one of his crewwas seriously ill. The tide was thenat flood, and as he considered that itwould be impossible to get alongsidethe trawler until it ebbed, he decidedto put back at once, with the sick man.This he succeeded in doing in thepitch darkness, and put the man onboard the examination ship in Yar-mouth Roads. Once more he set outand reached the trawler again about7.30 in the morning. It was then get-ting light.

The coxswain anchored to windwardand veered down to the trawler. Theanchor did not hold, and he had to takethe life-boat out again. At the secondattempt he went alongside and two menof the trawler’s crew jumped aboard.Six times altogether the coxswain hadto bring her alongside, and each timetwo of the crew jumped. It was nowdaylight, and with the twelve menrescued, the life-boat put back forYarmouth arriving at 10.30 in themorning.

She had then been out thirteenhours. During the whole of that time

T H E R E W A R D S

It was a very fine piece of naviga-tion and the Institution made the fol-lowing awards :

To COXSWAIN WALTER COTTON, thebronze medal for gallantry and acopy of the vote inscribed on vellum ;

To ALBERT HAYWARD, the motormechanic, the thanks of the Institutioninscribed on vellum ;

To the coxswain, a whole-time paidman, a special reward of £3 ;

To the motor mechanic, also a whole-time paid man, a special reward of£1 8s.;

To each of the seven members of thecrew, a reward on the ordinary scale of£2 15s. 6d.

S tandard rewards to c rew andlaunchers, £21 2s. 6d. ; additional re-wards, £4 8s. ; total rewards,£25 10s. 6d.

Nov. 15TH . - SELSEY, SUSSEX, ANDB E M B R I D G E , I S L E O F W I G H T . A t4.9 A.M. a message was received from thecoastguard that the S.S. Alaska, of Havre, asteamer of 8,000 tons, was in distress fourteenmiles S.E. of the Owers Lightship. She hadbeen in collision with the S.S. Dotterel, ofLiverpool. A strong S.W. wind was blow-ing, with a moderate sea. At 4.40 A.M. them o t o r l i f e - b o a t C a n a d i a n P a c i f i c w a slaunched, and found that a destroyer hadjust rescued forty-six of the steamer’s crew.One man had been lost, the destroyer wast a k i n g t h e m t o P o r t s m o u t h , a n d a t t h erequest of the commander the life-boat tookin tow one of the s teamer’s boats . Shereturned to her station at 12.15 P.M.

The Bembridge life-boat was also out forten hours searching for the two steamers.-Rewards : Selsey, £26 10s. 6d. ; Bembridge,£19 9s.

N o v . 1 5 T H . - M A R G A T E , K E N T . A t11.45 A.M. the small coasting vessel Woods-t o w n w a s s u n k b y e n e m y a c t i o n t h r e e -quarters of a mile N.E. of the Spit Buoy. Afresh S.W. breeze was blowing, with a choppysea. At 11.50 A.M., the motor life-boat TheLord Southborough (Civil Service No. 1) waslaunched. She found that the Woodstownhad disappeared, and went to the S.S. Claphamwhich was nearby and had picked up fours u r v i v o r s . F i v e o f t h e l i f e - b o a t ’ s c r e wboarded the s teamer , he lped her c rew to

SERVICES 1939 65

pull up the ship’s life-boat into the davits,and then helped to put the rescued men,three of whom had been badly injured, intothe life-boat. After a further search thelife-boat returned to her station at 1.30 P.M.The rescued men were landed and taken tohospital by ambulance. - Rewards, £9 8s.

Nov. 16TH . - DUNGENESS, KENT. At5 A.M. the Lade coastguard telephoned thelife-boat station that a steamer had strandednear Dungeness Point. A moderate W. toS.S.W. gale was blowing, with a rough sea.At 5.30 A.M . the motor life-boat CharlesCooper Henderson was launched and foundthe Italian steamer Veloce, of Naples, boundfrom that port to Rotterdam, ashore 250 yardsS. by E. of the life-boat station. She was ina dangerous position. The life-boat wentalongside and stood by until the steamerrefloated under her own power and wenton her way. She returned to her station at1.15 P.M. - Rewards, £24 14s.

Nov. 16TH. - MINEHEAD, SOMERSET.The motor fishing boat Margaret , whichhad gone to sea at daybreak, had not returnedby 12.30 P .M. and anxiety was felt for hersafety. A W.S.W. wind was blowing, with arough sea. At 1.10 P.M. the motor life-boatKate Greatorex was launched, and found theMargaret about three miles offshore, com-pletely disabled and drifting, with her enginef looded. One of her crew of three wasprostrate with sea-sickness and exposure.The life-boat towed her in and returned to herstation at 3 P.M. - Rewards, £9 15s. 6d.

Nov. 17TH . - WHITBY, YORKSHIRE.At 11.30 A.M. a message was received fromthe coastguard that a fishing boat could beseen towing two open boats and was possiblymaking for the harbour. A strong sea wasBreaking outside the harbour entrance, mak-ing it very dangerous to enter. At noon theNo. 1 motor life-boat Mary Ann Hepworthw a s l a u n c h e d . S h e w a i t e d o u t s i d e t h eharbour and escorted the fishing boat andthe two open boats into the harbour. Thefishing boat was the Pride of Scarborough,towing two cobles which had been transferredto Whitby to be used for fishing. The life-boat returned to her station at 12.30 P .M.-Rewards, £7 6s. 6d.

Nov. 19TH. - ALDEBURGH: SUFFOLK.At 4.45 A.M. a message was received from theOrfordness coastguard that a vessel was indistress about two miles from OrfordnessLighthouse. A strong N.W. gale was blow-ing, with a rough sea. At 5.17 A.M . theNo. 1 motor life-boat Abdy Beauclerk waslaunched and found the barge Cetus, withtwo on board, near Cutter Buoy. The masterasked for help and three life-boatmen wereput on board. The life-boat then took thebarge in tow, and brought her to Harwich,arriving at 12.40 P.M. The life-boat remainedat Harwich, as in the bad weather and veryheavy seas she could not be beached atAldeburgh, and returned to her station thef o l l o w i n g d a y , a r r i v i n g a t 8 . 3 0 A M -Rewards, £39 5s.

Nov. 19TH. - CLACTON -ON - SEA,ESSEX. About 3.30 in the morningthe coastguard reported to the Clacton -On - Sea life-boat station that they hadseen red Very lights to the south-south-west, four miles from theirlook-out. At four o’clock the motorlife-boat Edward Z. Dresden waslaunched. A gale was blowing fromthe north-west. The sea was veryrough. It was raining in squalls.

As day broke the life-boat found thesmack Charlotte Ellen, of Tollesbury.She had a crew of three and a catch ofsprats on board. She was anchored,and helpless, in a very dangerous posi-tion at Swire Hole with the sands closeon her lee. She had her sprat gearstanding out fifteen feet on the star-board side, so that on that side it wasimpossible for the life-boat to approachher ; and to approach on the port side,the coxswain had to take the life-boatright between the smack and thesands. Here, in the heavy seas, it wasonly with the greatest difficulty thathe was able to bring the life-boat along-side the smack and rescue the threemen.

N o v . 1 9 T H . - W A L M E R , K E N T . A t10.35 A.M. a message was received from theDeal coastguard that signals for a doctorhad been made by the S.S. Roxby, of WestH a r t l e p o o l , a n c h o r e d i n t h e D o w n s . Astrong W.N.W. wind was blowing, with am o d e r a t e s e a . A s t h e w e a t h e r w a s t o orough for motor boats, the doctor asked forthe life-boat. At 10.50 A.M. the motor life-boat Charles Dibdin (Civil Service No. 2) waslaunched with the doctor and a naval officeron board. A man on board the Roxby hadbeen in jured . The l i fe -boa t b rought h imashore, and he was taken to hospital. Thelife-boat returned to her station at 12.30 P.M.- Rewards, £14 12s. 6d.

SILVER MEDAL SERVICEAT CLACTON - ON - SEA

The life-boat made for home, arriv-ing at 8.50. There she learnt thatthe Char lo t t e E l l en was no t thevessel which had been firing the Verylights. At once she put out again andfound the barge Lorna, of London,with a crew of two, at anchor betweenthe South Whitaker and Middle Sands.The barge was deeply laden withcotton seed. The seas were breakingright over her deck, and she was swing-ing violently from side to side. The

66 SERVICES 1939

coxswain attempted to go alongsideher, but the barge swung so violentlytowards the life-boat that he had toback away. He dared not approachher again. It was useless to fire theline-throwing gun, for, with the seasbreaking right over the barge’s deck,her crew would never have been ableto fix the rope and block so that theycould be hauled by breeches buoy tothe l ife-boat. The coxswain tookthe only course left him. He ran thelife-boat right on to the deck of thebarge between the lee-board and themast. Her stem struck the barge’shatch and was damaged. Life-boat-men seized the two men of the bargeand hauled them aboard. The nextmoment heavy seas washed the life-boat clear.

She returned to her station, arrivingjust before noon, eight hours after shehad first put out.

These were both fine services, car-ried out in severe weather, and bothvessels were very difficult to approach.

The Institution made the followingawards :

To COXSWAIN CHARLES ELLIS, thesilver medal for gallantry and a copyof the vote inscribed on vellum ;

T o S E C O N D - C O X S W A I N F R A N KCASTLE, the thanks of the Institutioninscribed on vellum ;

To W. C. HARDING , the motor-mechanic, the thanks of the Institutioninscribed on vellum ;

To the coxswain and each of theseven members of the crew, a reward of£1 in addition to the ordinary scalereward of £3 6s. Standard rewards tocrew and launchers £27 7s. 6d. ; addi-tional rewards to crew, £8 ; totalrewards, £35 7s 6d.

N O V . 2 0 T H . - M A R G A T E , K E N T . A t10.45 A.M. the coastguard reported that a mine-sweeper was sinking, as a result of enemy ac-tion, a mile east of the Tongue Light-vessel. Theminesweeper was the Mastiff. Five minuteslater the motor life-boat The Lord Southborough(Civil Service No. 1) was launched. Twomen, on their own initiative, put out in themotor boat Golden Spray and followed thelife-boat in case they should be wanted. AN.N.W. wind was blowing, and the sea waschoppy. The life-boat arrived at the sceneto find the boats of the minesweeper Spartelengaged in rescuing from a raft the last ofthe surv ivors of the Mast i f f . She towedback to the Spartel one of her boats which

was filled with men. Then, at the requestof the commander of the Spartel, the life-boattook on board f rom her four men of theMastiff who were injured, and escorted theSprartel which was making for the EdinburghChannel. On the way she fell in with theGolden Spray which, at her request, took overthe escort of the Spartel. The life-boat thenmade for Margate, while the Golden Spraysent a message, through the light-vessel,asking for ambulances to be ready, when thelife-boat arrived, to take the four injured mento hospital. As soon as the life-boat hadlanded them she put out again to make surethat the Golden Spray was all right, andFinally returned to her station at one-thirtyin the a f te rnoon. - Rewards : L i fe-boat ,£9 8s. ; Shoreboat, £2 18s., and 16s. 8d. forfuel.

NOV. 21ST. - WALTON AND FRINTON,E S S E X . A t 1 2 . 5 2 P . M . t h e J a p a n e s esteamer Terukuni Maru, of Tokio, bound forLondon, was sunk by enemy action aboutone and a half miles E. of the north-eastGunfleet Buoy. A light easterly breeze wasblowing. The sea was calm. At 1.17 P . M .the motor life-boat E.M.E.D. was launched,and on reaching the sinking steamer foundt h a t t h e p a s s e n g e r s a n d c r e w h a d b e e npicked up f rom the i r own boats by theTr in i ty House boa t Aler t . The l i fe -boa tspoke the Alert and offered her help. Aseveryone on the steamer had been rescued,and the weather was fine it was not needed.The life-boat, with other vessels, then searchedthe neighbourhood for an hour, but foundnothing except a sh ip’s boat , which shetowed back, reaching her station at 5.40 P.M.- Rewards, £10 18s. 6d.

N O V . 2 2 N D . - W A L M E R , K E N T . A t11.34 P.M. on the 21st November a messagewas received from the Deal coastguard thata mine explosion had been seen to the north-east. A fresh S.W. wind was blowing, with amoderate sea. At 12.6 A.M. the motor life-boat Charles Dibdin (Civil Service No. 2) waslaunched , and found the I t a l i an s teamerFianona, bound from St. Malo to Rotterdam,badly damaged, but, by pumping, the crewwere keeping the water under. At the requestof the captain the life-boat, stood by until day-light. She returned to her station at 7.45 A.M.- Rewards, £36 6s. 9d.

NOV . 22ND . - WEYMOUTH, DORSET.At 11.25 P.M. a message was received fromthe Wyke Regis coastguard that a vessel hadbeen sunk by enemy action near the ShamblesLight-vessel. A strong S.W. wind was blow-ing, with a rough sea. The motor life-boatWill iam and Clara Ryland was launched,with orders to make for the light-vessel.When she reached her she found on board herthe crew of the Greek steamer Elena R., ofSyra, bound from the river Plate to Antwerp,laden wi th gra in . The s teamer had beenblown up close by the light-vessel. Therewere twenty-three men of the crew, and theengineer’s wife on board the light-vessel.Three of them were slightly injured ; allwere wet through ; most of them were in a

SERVICES 1939 67

state of collapse. The life-boat took themall on board, a tot of rum was handed out toeach of them, and they were made as com-fortable as possible. On arriving at Wey-mouth the injured were taken to hospital andthe rest were sent to the Sailors’ Rest, wherearrangements had already been made toreceive them. The life-boat returned to herstation at two-fifteen the following morning.- Rewards, £13 2s. 6d.

N O V . 2 3 R D . - S T . P E T E R P O R T ,GUERNSEY. At 8 A.M. Mrs. R. W.Hathaway, La Dame de Sark, telephonedthat a French trawler had anchored nearHavre Gosselin, Sark. A fresh S.W. galewas blowing, with a very rough sea. At8.25 A.M.. the motor life-boat Queen Victoriawas launched. She found the armed Frenchnaval trawler B.3035 anchored, with a dis-abled engine, on a lee shore. She attemptedto take the trawler in tow but was not success-ful. The S.S. New Fawn was then summonedandl took the trawler in tow. The life-boatescorted both vessels and took over the towfrom the pier heads at St. Peter Port to ananchorage inside the harbour. She returnedto her station at 6.30 P.M. An increase inthe usual money reward on the standardscale was made to each member of the crew.- Standard rewards to crew and helpers,£ 8 1 1 s . ; a d d i t i o n a l r e w a r d s t o c r e w ,£2 12s. 6d. ; total rewards, £11 3s. 6d.

N O V . 2 3 R D . - MARGATE, KENT. At9.55 A.M. a message was received from theRamsgate coastguard asking that the life-boat should bc launched, go to the NorthForeland, and stop all shipping as it was adangerous area. A fresh S.S.W. wind wasb l o w i n g , b u t t h e s e a w a s s m o o t h . A t10.5 A.M. the motor life-boat The Lord South-borough (Civil Service No. 1) was launched.She stopped one vessel, telling her to returnto Ramsgate, but at 11.25 A.M. the guardshipS.S.. Goodwin signalled the life-boat that herservices were no longer needed, and the life-b o a t r e t u r n e d t o h e r s t a t i o n a t n o o n . -Rewards, £9 8s.

NOV . 23RD . - TOBERMORY, ISLE OFM U L L . A t 1 2 . 1 5 A . M . a m e s s a g e w a sreceived from the customs officer that aship’s boat had reached the Rhunagad Light-house with part of the crew of the Fleetwoodt r a w l e r S u l b y , s u n k b y e n e m y a c t i o n .Several of them were in a serious conditionfrom i l lness and exposure , and neededimmediate attention, and the road leading tothe lighthouse was so had that no motorcar could be used to bring the men away. Awesterly wind was blowing, with a moderatesea. At 12.50 A.M. the motor life-boat SirArthur Rose was launched, no other motorboat being available. She took with her adoctor. At the lighthouse she found sevenmen of the trawler, two in a state of collapse,but the remainder slowly recovering. Thetwo men were too ill to he moved, but theother five were taken to Tobermory and thelife-boat returned to her station at 3 A.M.-Rewards, £9 7s. 6d.

N O V . 2 4 T H . - THE HUMBER, YORK-S H I R E . A t a b o u t 9 . 5 A . M . a v e r y l o u dexplosion was heard in the direction of theLower Middle Buoy. A vessel. apparentlyon fire, was seen, and the motor life-boat Cityof Bradford II was launched at 9.12 A.M .A moderate N.W. breeze was blowing, with aslight swell. The vessel was the S.S. Man-galore, of Liverpool. Many of her crew hadbeen thrown into the sea by the explosion,but when the life-boat arrived, she foundthat they had got aboard one of the ship’sboats. From this boat the life-boat rescuedabout thirty men, benumbed with cold andcovered with oil. She then rescued abouttwenty more men from another boat, makinga t o t a l o f f i f t y - e i g h t . T h e r e m a i n d e r ,seventeen in number, were rescued by a pilotcutter. As the captain wished to stand byhis ship the life-boat transferred a number ofmen to the pilot cutter, which took them toGr imsby, and then , wi th the cap ta in andseventeen officers of the Mangalore on board,the life-boat stood by until one and a halfhours later the steamer broke in two. Shethen landed the eighteen men at Grimsby andr e t u r n e d t o h e r s t a t i o n a t 1 . 3 0 P . M . -Permanent paid crew. Rewards, 9s.

N O V . 2 4 T H . - N E W B R I G H T O N ,CHESHIRE. At 10 P . M . the Mersey Docksand Harbour Board reported a vessel ashoreon the revetment, inshore of Beta Buoy. Afresh N.N.W. wind was b lowing , wi th amoderate sea and squalls of wind, rain andhail. The No. 1 motor life-boat William andKate Johnston, left her moorings at, 10.25 P.M.,and at 11.15 P.M. reached the cargo passengerliner Pegu, of Glasgow, a vessel of about8,000 tons, with 103 people on board. Shew a s l i s t i n g b a d l y . A l l o n b o a r d w e r erescued by the life-boat, which then put threeaboard the Board’s vessel, Salvor, and 100on board the pilot boat J. H. Beazley. Thel i f e - b o a t t h e n s t o o d b y t h e P e g u u n t i lmorning, and at 7 A.M. twenty-three menwere put back on the steamer and the life-boat remained in attendance while effortswere made to refloat her. In the meantime,seventy-seven of the men, including fiftycoolies, had been taken to Liverpool by theJ. H. Beazley, and later the men on boardthe Pegu went back to the Salvor. The life-boat returned to her moorings at 11.4,0 A.M.on the morning of the 25th. Two days laterthe Pegu broke in two. - Rewards, £24 10s. 3d.

NOV. 24TH. - CLACTON - ON - SEA, ES-SEX. At 11.36 P.M. a message was receivedfrom the coastguard that the S.S. Lightfoot,of Newcastle, had stranded S.W. of LongsandBuoy. A S .W. wind was b lowing , wi th amoderate sea. At 12 midnight the motor life.boat Edward Z. Dresden was launched. Shereached the steamer at 7.10 A.M. and stoodby until 11 A.M, when the captain said thathe was expecting an Admiralty tug, and thathe no longer needed the help of the life-boat.S h e r e t u r n e d t o h e r s t a t i o n a t 2 P . M . -Rewards, £22 11s. 9d.

N O V . 2 5 T H . - CLACTON - ON - SEA,ESSEX. At 3.47 P.M. a message was received

68 SERVICES 1939

from the coastguard that the sailing bargeLady Dorothy, of Ipswich, had stranded on

phone asking for help. This message

the Buxey Sands, a quarter of a mile from thegave the boat’s position as ashore

Spitway. A fresh S.W. breeze was blowing, between the Bar Lightship and Greatw i t h a m o d e r a t e s e a . A t 4 . 3 0 P . M . t h e Orme’s. Head on the north coast ofmotor l i fe -boat E d w a r d Z . D r e s d e n was Wales. It was then 3.42 in the morn-launched. She stood by unti1 the barge ing of the 26th. This message wasrefloated, and then returned to her stationat 9 P.M. - Rewards, £19 12s. passed by the Mersey Docks and

Harbour Boad to the life-boat station

SILVER MEDAL SERVICESAT BLACKPOOL ANDLYTHAM - ST. ANNES

Nov. 26TH. - BLACKPOOL, ANDLYTHAM - ST. ANNES, LANCA-SHIRE; NEW BRIGHTON, ANDHOYLAKE, CHESHIRE ; RHYL,FLINTSHIRE. At noon on November24th the pilot boat Charles Livingstone,belonging to the Mersey Docks andHarbour Board, left Liverpool to cruiseon the second pilotage station. Shewas a steamer of 434 tons gross. Shecarried a crew of twenty, and therewere also on board her eleven pilotsand two examining officers, 33 men inall. She was fitted with wireless tele-phony and carried two motor and twopulling boats, with accommodation inthem for 55 men.

At midnight on the 25th she wasabout a mile from the Liverpool BarLight-vessel, to the south and east ofit. The weather was bad and a strongbreeze was blowing from the west-south-west, with squalls and rain.The sea was rough.

Shortly after midnight the pilotboat lost sight of the light-vessel.With her engines at slow she headedwest by south into wind and sea, andfor the next three and a half hours hercourse was changed from time to timewith the view of keeping her in herstation, close to the light-vessel. At3.30 she went astern to take soundings.She was found to be in 3 1/2 fathoms andthen in 2 1/2. The engines were putfull speed ahead, and the helm hardover, but the boat failed to answer thehelm and touched bottom. She beganto bump heavily. Both anchors werelet go, but they could not hold herand she continued to drive ashorebefore the seas.

Flares and rockets were sent up ;maroons fired ; the whistle sounded ;and a message sent by the radio tele-

at New Brighton at four in the morn-ing, and the No. 2 motor Life-boat,Edmund and Mary Robinson, put out.An hour later the Rhyl motor life-boat,The Gordon Warren, also put out, andan hour later still, at 6.40, theHoylake motor life-boat, Oldham.All three searched the north coast ofWales.

MEN SWEPT OVERBOARD

Meanwhi le the p i lo t boa t hadlaunched her boats, but they had allbeen carried away, with five men onboard. The weather was getting worse.The wind had increased and the tidewas rising. The seas were sweepingr igh t over the p i lo t boa t . Theyflooded her, through the engine-roomskylight ; battered to pieces hersuperstructure ; and swept overboardmany of her crew. Others of thecrew climbed for safety into the rig-ging. Four of those swept overboardwere washed ashore alive.

All this time those on board wereunder the belief that their boat wasashore somewhere near Great Orme’sHead. It was not until after eighto’clock in the morning that theydiscovered that they were, in fact,ashore on Ainsdale beach. That is tosay, instead of being on the northcoast of Wales they were on theLancashire coast, over twenty milesaway from their supposed position.

When the boat first struck, herflares had been seen by a watchmanat Ainsdale and he had reportedthem to the Southport police. TheSouthpor t po l ice in formed NewBrighton at 5.30 in the morning that aship appeared to be ashore at Ains-dale, but the message did not reachthe honorary secretary of the life-boatstation. It was not until 7.20 thathe heard of a ship ashore at Ainsdaleshowing distress flares, and not until8.20 that he learnt that this shipat Ainsdale was in fact the pilot boat

SERVICE 1939 69

for which the New Brighton No. 2life-boat had been searching since fivein the morning on the Welsh coast.After receiving the message at 7.20,he telephoned to the honorary secre-tary of the Lytham-St. Anne’s stationand found that the flares at Ainsdalehad been reported to him and that hislife-boat had been launched twentyminutes before in answer to them.Then, after the message saying that theship in distress was the pilot boat, thehonorary secretary at New Brightondecided to send his No. 1 life-boat toher help. At the same time he passedon the information to Lytham-St.Anne’s.

WRECK UNSEEN IN BREAKINGSEAS

The No. 1 New Brighton life-boat,Will iam and Kate Johnston, hadreturned from a service just after noonon the previous day, 25th November.She had then been out for 14 hoursand had rescued 103 lives from theliner Pegu, of Glasgow. She now set outagain. at nine o’clock in the morningof the 26th, and searched the coast fromFormby Point to Southport pier, butowing to the heavy breaking seas, thespume and the height of the tide, shecould see nothing of the wreck. Fromthe deck of the life-boat the wholecoast was smothered in mist and spray.The coxswain decided to return toNew Brighton. On the way he metthe New Brighton No. 2 lifeboat,and the Hoylake life-boat. Theywere both making for Ainsdale. Hoy-lake, after searching the Welsh coast,had returned to her station at 10.20 ;had learnt there that the pilot boatwas ashore at Ainsdale ; and at oncehad set out again The New BrightonNo. 2 boat, after finding nothing onthe Welsh coast, had made for theBar Light-vessel ; had there got intocommunication with New Brighton ateleven in the morning ; had beengiven the correct position of the pilotboat ; and had also set out forAinsdale. As New Brighton No. 1had found nothing between FormbyPoint and Southport pier all threeboats returned to their stat ions,arriving about 3.30 that afternoon.The Rhyl life-boat had returned to

her station from her search of the northcoast of Wales just after one o’clock.While the life-boats had been search-

ing miles away from the place of thewreck, desperate efforts had beenmade. from the shore at Ainsdale itselfto rescue the crew. They had begunbefore six o’clock in the morning.Shoreboats were repeatedly launched.They were very small, and severaltimes they capsized, but the attemptswent on until the rising tide compelledthe rescuers to stop.

A conspicuous part was taken byMr. J. J. W. Buckley, of the RelianceGarage, in the work of launching andrelaunching the boats and in bringingashore the four men of the pilot boatwho were washed up alive.

Two MORE LIFE-BOATS PUT OUT

All these efforts had failed, but nowtwo more life-boats, both of which hadbeen given the correct position, wereon their way to the rescue, the SarahAnn Austin, of Blackpool, and theDunleary of Lytham - St. Anne's.Blackpool had pu t ou t jus t a f t e releven o’clock and Lytham-St. Anne’san hour later. A gale was now blowing,with very heavy seas and driving rainand hail.

The Lytham-St. Anne’s boat hadalready been out for the greater partof the previous night. At 11.30 on thenight of the 25th she had gone tothe help of H.M. Trawler Gaul, whichhad s t randed on Foul Naze . Shehad rescued the trawler’s crew offifteen and had returned to her stationat 2.45 in the morning of the 26th.F o u r a n d a h a l f h o u r s l a t e r , a t7 . 1 5 , s h e p u t o u t a g a i n , a s t h ecoastguard had reported rockets to thesouth. There seems little doubt thatthese rockets were from the CharlesLivingstone. The life-boat took withher the naval officer in command ofthe Gaul and the Gaul’s skipper .They wished to see if the Gaul couldbe salved. The life-boat could find notrace of a ship which had fired therockets so she made for the Gaul, andput on board the naval commander andthe skipper. She then stood by whilea tug attempted to tow off the Gaul.

Meanwhile the news that the CharlesLivingstone was ashore at Ainsdale

70 SERVICES 1939

had reached Lytham - St. Anne’s at fast. The life-boat went alongside,9.45 in the morning by telephone from and this time the six survivors decidedthe honorary secretary of New to leave the pilot boat. The life-boatBrighton, and Lytham-St. Anne’s took them on board, and, perfectlypassed it on to Blackpool. Then at handled by her coxswain, made10.30 the coastguard at Hoylake asked straight for the beach. There hun-Lytham-St. Anne’s to recall its life- dreds of people were waiting, and asboat at once to go to the help of the the life-boat grounded on the sands,Charles Livingstone. Rockets were many of them waded out waist deep.sent up to recall her, but the life-boat and carried the six exhausted mend i d n o t s e e t h e m . H o w e v e r , a s ashore. Two of them had to be takenattempts to tow off the Gaul had failed away on stretchers.and as she was ashore in a safe place, As soon as the men were landed thethe l ife-boat returned of her own Blackpool l ife-boat set out again.accord, reaching her station at 11.25. She had a very rough journey home.She refuelled at once. Five minutes Two of her men were thrown over-later the coastguard reported that the board, but both were rescued, and theBlackpool life-boat had passed St. life-boat reached her station at 4.45Anne’s pier going south-west. A in the afternoon.quarter of an hour later he reported An inquiry into the wreck of theher near Peat’s Light “ making heavy Charles Livingstone was held by theweather.” The honorary secretary Ministry of Shipping at the end ofat Lytham-St. Anne’s then instructed Apr i l , 1940 . I t l a s ted f ive days .his boat to set off at once and “ to go The court severely censured the secondall out ” across the banks to Ainsdale. master of the pilot boat who had beenShe took two extra men with her. on watch when she went ashore.

THE. RESCUE

The Lytham-St. Anne’s life-boat,the larger and more powerful of thetwo, passed the Blackpool boat. Whenshe reached Ainsdale Point she couldsee the mast and funnel of the pilotboat. She was lying broadside on tothe breaking seas ; embedded in thesands ; her decks awash ; two men inthe rigging and others in the cabin.The life-boat ran in ; got under the leeof the pilot boat ; and made fast.The water was so shallow that thelife-boat was striking on the bottom.The tide was ebbing. At any momentthe life-boat might remain hard andfast on the sands. But the men ofthe pilot boat refused to leave. Theypreferred, they said, to wait until thetide ebbed and they could walk ashore.The coxswain saw that they could dothis safely, so he cut the rope and thelife-boat made for home, arriving at5.15 in the afternoon. Her crew hadthen been on duty continuously for24 hours.

Shortly after the Lytham-St. Anne’slife-boat left the wreck the Blackpoollife-boat arrived. It was then two inthe afternoon. The tide was ebbing

With regard to the six life-boats whichhad taken part in the search and therescue, the court found as follows :

“ The Life-boat Service did every-thing that was possible under verydifficult circumstances. Every effortwas made by the life-boat stationsr o u n d t h e c o a s t t o c o m e t o t h eassistance of the Charles Livingstone,and there is no doubt that theseefforts in the earlier stages miscarriedsolely because wrong information. asto the position in which the vessel wasashore was given by the vessel herself.”

The Institution made the followingawards

BLACKPOOL

To COXSWAIN WILLIAM R. PARR, thesilver medal for gallantry and a copyof the vote inscribed on vellum ;

T o T . E . R I M M E R , t h e m o t o rmechanic, the bronze medal for gal-lantry and a copy of the vote in-scribed on vellum ;

To the coxswain and each of the sixmembers of the crew, a reward of £3in addition to the ordinary scalereward of 19s. Standard rewardsto crew and launchers, £13 3s. 6d. ;additional rewards to crew, £21; totalrewards, £34 3s. 6d.

SERVICES 1939 71

LYTHAM-ST. ANNES Nov . 26 T H . - LERWICK, AND AITH,

To COXSWAIN JOHN J. PARKINSON,S H E T L A N D S . A t 2 . 4 5 A . M . a m e s s a g ewas received at Lerwick from the coastguard

the silver medal for gallantry and a that the Swedish steamer Gustaf E. Ruter, of

copy of the vote inscribed on vellum ;Gotenburg, was under observation fourteen

T o G . H A R R I S O N , t h e m o t o rmiles W.N.W. of Fair Island. A whole gale

mechanic. the bronze medal for gal-was blowing from the W.S.W., with a roughsea, and the steamer was moving south at

lantry and a copy of the vote inscribed three knots. The coastguard said he would

on vellumk e e p t h e l i f e - b o a t s t a t i o n i n f o r m e d . A t

To the coxswain and each of the5 . 2 0 A . M . , another message was rece ived

nine members of his crew a reward ofasking that the life-boat should go to the

£3 in addition to the ordinary scalesteamer’s help., and giving her position asseven to ten miles south-west from Sumburgh

reward of £6 2s. 6d. a man. StandardHead. At 6 A.M. the motor life-boat Lady

rewards to c rew and l aunchers ,Jane and Martha Ryland was launched. At

£50 11s. 3d. ; additional rewards, £30 ;10.30 A.M. the life-boat was recalled, as amessage had come that two trawlers were

total rewards, £80 11s. 3d. s t a n d i n g b y t h e s t e a m e r a n d a t u g w a se x p e c t e d . T h e l i f e - b o a t r e t u r n e d t o h e rs t a t i o n a t o n e - t h i r t y i n t h e a f t e r n o o n .

NEW BRIGHTON No. 2. M e a n w h i l e f r e s h i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t t h esteamer’s position had been received, and the

A reward of £1 to the coxswain and senior naval officer asked that the life-boat

each of the seven members of the crewshould put out again at once. The life-boat

in addition to the ordinary scalehad first to be refuelled, and the men to get a

reward of £2 16s. 6d. a man. Standardhot meal, so, in order to avoid any delay,it was decided to ask the Aith life-boat The

rewards to c rew and l aunchers , Rankin to put out. This she did at 2.10 P.M.

£22 11s, 9d. ; additional rewards toI t was s t i l l b lowing a fu l l W.N.W. ga le ,

crew, £8 ; total rewards, £30 11s. 9d.w i t h a n e x c e p t i o n a l l y h e a v y s e a . T h eposition of the Swedish steamer was nowgiven as fifteen miles W.S.W. of Fitful Head.

NEW BRIGHTON No. 1The l i fe -boa t searched a wide a rea , bu tfound nothing. She then received a message

A reward of 10s. to the coxswain andfrom the Lerwick life-boat, which was acting

each of the seven members of his crewas shore signal station, giving a new positiontwelve miles away from the last. The Aith

in addition to, the ordinary scale life-boat continued her search. She searchedthrough the whole night and early morning,

reward of 19s. a man. Standard but found nothing. She was then recalledrewards to crew and launchers, £7 17s.; by the senior naval officer at Lerwick. Sheadditional rewards to crew, £4 ; total returned to her station at 8.30 P.M. the follow-

rewards, £11 17s. ing day, 27th November, having then beenat sea for over thirty hours in very trying

RHYLconditions.

Next day, the 28th November, at 10.45 in

A reward of £1 10s. to the coxswainthe morning, the Lerwick station received the

and each of the five members of hisnews from the senior naval officer that thesteamer was ten miles from Sumburgh Head,

crew in addition to the ordinary scale that she had been damaged by enemy action,

reward of £1 8s. 6d. a man. Standardand that she was in need of immediate help.

rewards to c rew and l aunchers ,Attempts had been made to tow her, but the

£14 9s. 9d. ; additional rewards, £9 ;tow rope had broken. A tug was standingby. A s t rong wind f rom the N.N.W. was

total rewards, £23 9s. 9d. now blowing, and the sea was rough. At11.15 in the morning the Lerwick life-boatwas again launched. When she reached the

HOYLAKEposition given she could see nothing exceptsmoke to the south-east. She made for it

A reward of 15s. to the coxswain and spoke a trawler which gave the steamer’s

and each of the eight members of hisposition still further to the south-east. At

crew in addition to the ordinary scalelast, at 3.45 in the afternoon, the life-boat

reward £1 8s. 6d. a man. Standardfound the steamer. Her fore-end, includingthe fore-mast, had been blown away, and her

rewards to c rew and l aunchers , wireless aerial had been put out of action,

£16 15s. 6d. ; additional rewards,which had interfered considerably with the

£6 15s; total rewards, £23 10s. 6d.sending out of messages. Nineteen members

The rewards paid to the six stationsof the steamer’s crew had already been takenoff by a trawler and fourteen were still on

for this service amounted to board. They were rescued by the life-boat,

£204 3s. 9d,which returned to her station at 9.20 P .M .that night, 28th November. The owner made

72 SERVICES 1939

a gift of £24 to the life-boatmen at Lerwick.-Rewards : Lerwick, first service, £9 3s. ;second se rv ice , £22 3s . : Ai th , s tandardrewards, £40 14s. 9d. ; additional rewards,£8. Total rewards, £80 0S. 9d.

SILVER MEDAL SERVICEAT DOVER

Nov . 26 T H . - DOVER, KENT.During the morning H.M. TrawlerBlackburn Rovers, with 16 men onboard, was on anti-submarine patroloff Dover near the minefields. A fullgale was blowing from the south-west,with a very heavy sea, and merchantv e s s e l s l e a v i n g t h e D o w n s h a dhove to.

When the trawler was a mile south-east of the South Goodwin Sands awire fouled her propeller and couldnot be freed. She dropped anchor,but the anchor would not hold, andshe began to drift rapidly towards themine-fields.

The Dover motor l i f e -boa t S i rWilliam Hillary put out to her helpat 10 o’clock. She had on boardLieutenant Richard Walker, R.N.R.,Assistant King’s Harbour Master,with a chart of the minefields. Shereached the trawler an hour and aquarter later. The trawler was thenjust on the edge of a deep minefield.Through this she could pass withouttouching the mines herself, but therewas the grave risk that her anchorcable would foul and explode one ofthem, and if she drifted through thisminefield safely she would enter ashallow minefield where she would bein extreme danger.

The l ife-boat went close to thetrawler and the harbour master toldthe trawler’s crew to collect all secretpapers and as much of her secret gearas they could move and to pass theminto the life-boat. Then, before theyleft the trawler, they were to scuttleher lest any of the secret gear left onboard should fall into enemy hands.

By this time the trawler was rightin the minefield and her crew had givenup all hope of coming out of it alive.She was plunging and rolling in thev e r y h e a v y s e a s a n d t h e y w e r ebreak ing r igh t over he r . As he r

anchor was down she was driftingstern first before the gale and so shegave the life-boat no lee where shecould come alongside in shelter. Inspite of this the coxswain, with greatdifficulty, brought the life-boat along-side, and held her there. Then the workof transferring the gear began. It tooksome time. Once the trawler, swing-ing up on a sea, caught the life-boatunder her fender and damaged it.and the life-boat herself was tossing soviolently that the two mechanicscould hardly keep their feet. Theywere continually flung away from thecontrols of the engine.

The coxswain had seen the harbourmaster’s chart. He knew, his crewknew, that all this time the trawlerwas rapidly driving through the deepminefield towards the shallow one.They were in instant peril. At anymoment the trawler might. strike amine, and she and the life-boat go uptogether. But the work went on.The gear was transferred. The six-teen men of the trawler’s crew wererescued. Trawler and life-boat hadbeen in the minefield for nearly anhour, but, by merciful providence.escaped the mines.

Then the homeward journey began.with the rescued crew in the forwardcabin. With the gale behind her thelife-boat had taken an hour and aquarter to get to the trawler. Nowshe had the gale against her. Her fullspeed is 17 knots. She had to ease tosix knots, and it took her three hours,with seas continually breaking overher, to reach Dover. The coxswainhad not long recovered from a danger-ous illness, and during the returnjourney he had to hand over the wheelto the second coxswain. The life-boat arrived at Dover at 3.30 in theafternoon.

It was a very gallant service carriedout in face of imminent peril, of whichall were aware, but against whichnothing could be done. The Institu-tion made the following awards :

To COXSWAIN C. H. BRYANT, thesilver medal for gallantry, with a copyof the vote inscribed on vellum ;

To LIEUTENANT RICHARD WALKER,R.N.R., Assistant King’s HarbourMaster at Dover, the bronze medal for

S e r v i c e s 1 9 3 9 73

her station at 8 P.M. A donation of £20 wassent by the Commissioners of Irish Lights.-Rewards, £36 16s. 6d.

Southend-on-Sea a message had been receivedfrom the Ramsgate coastguard that the S.S.S p a a r n d a m urgent ly needed he lp , and a t

NOV . 27TH . - MARGATE, KENT, AND

9.40 A.M. the motor life-boat Greater London

SOUTHEND - ON - SEA., ESSEX. At 9.5 A.M.a m e s s a g e w a s r e c e i v e d f r o m t h e M a r -gate coastguard that a vessel had struck amine three miles E.N.E. of the Tongue Light-vessel. A strong S.W. breeze was blowing,with a moderate sea. At 9.15 A.M. the Mar-gate motor life-boat The Lord Southborough(Civil Service No. 1) was launched and foundthe Dutch steamer Spaarndam, of Rotterdam,sinking. She went round the steamer, sawno one on board, and made for the light-vessel, where she learnt that the steamer’sc r e w h a d a l r e a d y b e e n r e s c u e d b y t h eTrinity House pilot cutter. She returned tohe r s t a t ion a t 12 .15 P . M . Meanwhi le a t

gallantry, with a copy of the voteinscribed on vellum ;

To SECOND-COXSWAIN S. T. HILLSand W. L. COOK and C. R. T. STOCK,the motor mechanics, bronze medalsfor gallantry, with copies of the voteinscribed on vellum ;

To each of the other five members ofthe crew, A. F. BARTON, S. WALKER,E. J. LE GROS, H. W. HADLEY andJ. E. CLARK, the thanks of the Insti-tution inscribed on vellum ;

who were not permanent whole-timepaid men. Standard rewards, £5 14s. ;additional rewards, £27 ; total re-

To the coxswain and each of theeight men of the crew, a reward of £3,in addition to the ordinary scalereward of 19s. each to the six men

wards, £32 14s. (C iv i l Se rv i ce No . 3 ) was launched . Shefound one of the ship’s boats, took it in tow,

NOV. 26TH. - WALMER, KENT. At Rewards : Margate, £9 8s. ; Southend-on-and returned to her station at 10.30 P .M .-

9 A.M . a message was received from the Sea, £29 7s.sen ior nava l o f f icer a t Dover tha t theFolkestone Gateway Lightship had brokenaway from her moorings and was drivingtowards minefields. A whole S.S.W. galewas blowing, with a very heavy sea. At9.25 A.M. the motor life-boat Charles Dibdin(Civil Service No. 2) was launched and sawthe lightship, which was flying distresss igna ls about th ree mi les f rom land . ADover tug was the first to reach her and tookher in tow. As the lightship was sinking thelife-boat escorted her into the Downs. Shere tu rned to he r s t a t ion a t 11 .50 A . M . -Rewards. £14 12s. 6d.

NOV. 26TH. - SOUTHEND - ON - SEA, ES-SEX. At 11.33 A.M. a barge was flying dis-tress signals near the Jenkin Buoy. A westerlygale was blowing, with a very rough sea. At11.55 A.M. the motor life-boat Greater London(Civil Service No. 3) was launched and foundthe barge Five Sisters, but her skipper refusedto leave her. The life-boat stood by for sometime and then, as the weather moderated,returned to her station at 1.30 P .M . Shesaw another barge, the Scotsman, makingheavy weather but her crew would not leaveher. - Rewards, £8 9s.

N O V . 2 8 T H . - M A R G A T E , K E N T . A t4.15 P .M. a message was received from thecoastguard that a vessel had been damagedby enemy action about one and a half milesE.N.E. of the Tongue Light-vessel. A lightS.W. breeze was blowing and the sea wassmooth. At 4.30 P.M. the motor life-boat TheLord Southborough (Civil Service No. 1) waslaunched . She could f ind noth ing a t theposition given. She then went to a vesselwhich was flashing a light two miles to theeas t , and found i t to be a minesweeper .There were four injured men on board. Theywere the only survivors of the vessel whichhad been sunk, the S.S. Rubis Law, and theywere taken on board the life-boat, whichthen re turned to Marga te , where doc torsand ambulances were waiting. After land-ing the survivors, the life-boat returned toher station at 7.15 P.M. - Rewards, £23 6s.

NOV. 29TH. - ARKLOW, CO. WICKLOW.At 7.45 P .M. it was reported that the smallfishing boat St. Clare, of Arklow, was burningflares in Arklow Bay. The sea was rough,with a westerly gale blowing. The coxswainand the second coxswain were both outfishing, but another man took charge, andthe motor life-boat Inbhear Mor was launched

N O V . 2 6 T H . - KILMORE, CO. WEX-FORD. At 3.30 P .M. a telephone message

at 8 .10 P .M . She found the St. Clare twomiles S.E. of Arklow Harbour. with four men

was received that there was a sick man onthe Conningbeg Lightship who had to bemoved immediately to hospital, and that theIrish Lights tender was unable to take theman off. A W.N.W. gale was blowing with avery heavy breaking sea The motor life-boat Ann Isabella Pyemont was launched at4 P.M., and reached the lightship two hourslater. She passed lines to thr lightship, andthe lightship pumped oil on the seas. At thesecond attempt the life-boat got alongsideand took the sick man off. She returned to

o n b o a r d . S h e w a s a t a n c h o r , w i t h h e rengine broken down. The life-boat took herin tow and brought her into Arklow Harbourabout 9.15 P.M. - Rewards, £15 8s. 6d.

N O V . 3 0 T H . - M A R G A T E , K E N T . A t10 A.M. the coastguard reported that a vesselhad been damaged by enemy action E.N.E.of the Tongue Light -vesse l . A modera teS.W. breeze was blowing and the sea wass m o o t h . T h e m o t o r l i f e - b o a t T h e L o r dS o u t h b o r o u g h ( C i v i l S e r v i c e N o . 1 ) was

find nothing. - Rewards £19 12s.

74 SERVICES 1939

launched at 10.10 A.M. and found the S.S.Sheafcrest, of Newcastle, sinking, with navalvessels standing by. No one was then onboard her. A destroyer had rescued someof her crew, badly injured, and was takingthem to Harwich . The l i fe -boa t searchedaround and was signalled by a minesweeper.She went alongside and found that she hadfifteen survivors of the Sheafcrest on board.They were transferred to the life-boat whichr e t u r n e d t o h e r s t a t i o n a t 1 . 3 0 P . M . -Rewards, £9 8s.

N o v . 3 0 T H . - B A R R A I S L A N D ,H E B R I D E S . A t 1 1 . 1 0 A . M . a t e l e g r a mwas received from the Stornoway coastguardthat a vessel was ashore on Calavay Island,near Eriskay. A southerly wind was blow-ing , wi th a modera te sea . At 11 .35 A . M .the motor life-boat Lloyd’s was launched andfound the Admira l ty o i l t anker B r i c h o lashore on the most southerly point of SouthUis t I s land . A des t royer and a tug werestanding by. The life-boat transferred thecrew of the oil-tanker to the destroyer andreturned to her station at 8.5 P.M. - Rewards,£20 11s. 6d.

Nov. 30TH. - GREAT YARMOUTH ANDGORLESTON, NORFOLK. At 5 .49 P . M .the coastguard reported red rockets and flaresfrom a vessel bearing E.N.E. from Caister.A W.S.W. breeze was blowing and the seawas smooth . The motor l i fe -boat L o u i s eStephens was launched at 6.15 P . M . , andfound the steam trawler Ben Glas, of NorthShields - on Admiralty service - ashore onthe Scroby Sand. The trawler had a crew often, and some of them were already in asmall boat and preparing to abandon her.Two life-boatmen boarded the Ben Glas, hercrew returned to her, her anchor was let goand her engines were put full astern. Theanchor cable parted, but eventually, with thehelp of the local knowledge of the life-boat-men the trawler’s crew succeeded in refloatingher. The life-boat returned to her station at10.45 P.M. - Property salvage case.

The following life-boats were launched butno services were rendered for the reasonsgiven :

Nov. 3RD . - BARRY DOCK, GLAMOR-G A N S H I R E . I t h a d b e e n r e p o r t e d t h a twhat looked like an aeroplane on fire hadfallen into the sea. A few seconds later aparachute landed in the same position. Itwas found la te r tha t the aerop lane wasprac t i s ing ; the l i fe -boa t was reca l led . -Rewards, £3 11s.

Nov . 4 T H . - DOVER, KENT. A Greeksteamer was reported to be in distress throughenemy action and the life-boat put out with anaval officer on board. She was recalled,however, when she had entered the dangerarea. She had seen nothing of the steamer.-Par t ly permanent pa id c rew : Rewards ,£11 15s.

N o v . 6 T H . - R A M S G A T E , K E N T . Asmall boat had lost her mast and sail, and

was drifting, but she managed to reach har-bour without help. - Rewards, £4 19s. 6d.

Nov . 6 T H . - FRASERBURGH, ABER-DEENSHIRE. I t had been repor ted tha tan aeroplane had crashed into the sea, butthe life-boat could find nothing. - Rewards,£14 9s. 6d.

Nov. 7TH. - HOLY ISLAND, NORTHUM-BERLAND. A vessel had gone ashore, butshe refloated without help and went on herway. - Rewards, £15 7s. 6d.

Nov. 7TH . - STROMNESS ORKNEYS.The Norwegian steamer Hansi, of Bergen,had gone on Reef Dyke. Her crew of 10 hadlanded in their own boats before the life-boat arrived. (See “North Ronaldshay Ser-vices by Shoreboats,” page 99.) - Rewards,£22 19s. 6d.

Nov . 8 T H . - ARBROATH. ANGUS. I twas reported that a man had been drownedoff that part of the coast known as Mariners'Grave, but the life-boat could find nothing.- Rewards, £7 6s. 6d.

N o v . 8 T H . - R A M S G A T E , K E N T . As teamer had gone aground on the Nor thGoodwin Sands, but she refloated and hadgone on her way before the life-boat arrived.- Rewards, £7 16s. 6d.

Nov. 10TH. - CROMER, NORFOLK. TheS.S. Santa Maria, of Genoa, was strandedseven miles S.E. of the Haisborough Light-vessel, but when the life-boat arrived shefound that the vessel had been refloated.-Rewards, £33 1s. 6d.

Nov. 10TH. - PEEL, ISLE OF MAN. Thecoastguard had reported that a small fishingboat was in distress, but when the life-boatreached her found that no distress signals hadbeen made. - Rewards, £11 10s.

Nov. 10TH. - WALMER, KENT. A vesselhad gone ashore, but she refloated withouthelp. - Rewards, £14 12s. 6d.

Nov. 13TH. - MARGATE, KENT. A war-ship had been damaged by enemy action, butshe was able to go on under her own power.- Rewards, £8 9s.

Nov. 13TH . - BUCKIE, BANFFSHIRE.An aircraft was reported to have fired distresss i g n a l s , b u t n o t h i n g c o u l d b e f o u n d . -Rewards, £9 12s.

N o v . 1 5 T H . - T E N B Y , P E M B R O K E .SHIRE. An aeroplane was reported to havecrashed off Caldy Island, but the life-boatmade two long searches without finding anysign of her. - Rewards, £14 18s. 6d. and£10 9s.

Nov . 17 T H . - SHERINGHAM, NOR-FOLK. A dis t ress s ignal had been seensome miles out to sea. but the life-boat could

SERVICES 1939 75

Nov. 18TH. - ALDEBURGH, SUFFOLK.A message had been received from the coast-guard that a vessel was sinking as a result ofenemy action, but the life-boat arrived tofind that the crew had already been picked upby a minesweeper. - Rewards, £22 14s. 6d.

NO V . 18T H . - FRASERBURGH, ABER-DEENSHIRE. Flares had been reported,but the life-boat could find nothing, and itwas thought that they were made by trawlersattending to their fishing gear. - Rewards,£14 9s 6d

N O V . 1 8 T H . - HASTINGS, SUSSEX.Flares had been reported, but the life-boatcould find nothing. - Rewards, £36 6s. 6d.

NOV. 18TH. - SHOREHAM HARBOUR,SUSSEX. An aeroplane was reported tohave come down in the sea, and the life-boatmade a thorough search, but could findnothing. - Rewards, £14 18s. 6d.

Nov. 18TH. - SOUTHWOLD, SUFFOLK.Red flares had been seen, but the life-boatcould find nothing. - Rewards, £26 11s.

NOV. 19TH. - PORTRUSH CO. ANTRIM.A message had been received from the coast-guard that a trawler was drifting towardsthe rocks, but the life-boat was recalled afterbeing launched when news was receivedthat the trawler had got out of danger andhad gone on her way unaided. - Rewards,£5 13s.

NO V . 19TH . - CROMER, NORFOLK. Amotor barge had stranded, but the life-boatfound no one on board when she arrived.Her crew had already got ashore. - Rewards,£20 12s. 6d.

NO V . 19TH . - MARGATE, KENT. Thecoastguard had reported a vessel sinking byenemy action about seven miles north-eastof Margate. A strong north-west wind wasblowing with a rough sea. The life-boatarrived at the position given but found twodestroyers; searching, and she learned fromone of them that the whole crew, exceptfive men, who were missing, had been rescuedfrom the Italian steamer Grazia, of Genoa.One body was floating about eighty yardsf rom the shore . At tempts were made torecover it, but it sank. - Rewards, £10 3s.

NOV. 19TH. - SEAHAM, DURHAM. Anaeroplane was reported to have crashed intothe sea. The life-boat could find no trace ofher, and news was later received that theaeroplane herself was picked up by a trawler,but that its crew was missing. - Rewards,£14 18s. 6d.

NO V . 20TH . - BLACKPOOL, LANCA-SHIRE. An aerop lane of the Royal Ai rForce was reported to have come down in thesea, but the life-boat’s services were notneeded as it was found that the aeroplanewas carrying out smoke bomb exercises.-Rewards, £4 15s. 6d.

N o v . 2 0 T H . - P E T E R H E A D , A B E R -DEENSHIRE. A loud explosion could beheard, but nothing could be found. - Rewards,£16 2s. 9d.

Nov . 20 T H . - YARMOUTH, ISLE OFWIGHT. An aeroplane had come down inthe sea, but when the life-boat reached hershe found that the only man on board hadswum ashore. The aeroplane was taken int o w b y a n R . A . F . l a u n c h . - R e w a r d s ,£5 5s. 7d.

Nov . 21 S T . - THE HUMBER, YORK-SHIRE. A message was rece ived in theevening that an explosion and distress signalshad been heard east of Withernsea, and thelife-boat was launched at 7.35 P.M., just as anattack by a German aeroplane was beingmade on the Humber d is t r ic t . When thelife-boat reached the position given she com-municated with the Withernsea coastguardand was told that the explosion had beenheard about four miles out at sea. The life-boat made a thorough search but nothingcould be found and she re turned to herstation half-an-hour after midnight. It wasthought that the approaching aeroplanes hadattempted to bomb a ship and that she hadthen made the distress signals which had beenseen . - Permanent pa id c rew : Rewards ,4s. 6d.

N O V . 2 2 N D . - WALMER, KENT. Twoforeign steamers, the Nicolaos Giancos, ofGreece, and the Norwegian tanker Brarena,had been in collision, but neither needed help.- Rewards, £14 12s. 6d.

Nov . 23 R D . - HOYLAKE, CHESHIRE.A fishing boat had been reported ashore onWest Hoyle Bank, but when the life-boatar r ived she found no one on board . Hercrew of three had already been rescued.-Rewards, £9 16s. 6d.

Nov. 23RD . - EASTBOURNE, SUSSEX.An explosion had been reported off CoodenB e a c h , B e x h i l l . A s o u t h - w e s t g a l e w a sblowing, with a rough sea, and the life-boatsearched all night, but found nothing. Anincrease in the usual money award on thestandard scale was granted to the coxswainand each member of the crew. - Standardrewards to crew and helpers, £33 8s. 6d. ;a d d i t i o n a l r e w a r d s t o c r e w , £ 5 . T o t a lrewards, £38 8s. 6d.

Nov. 23RD. - MARGATE, KENT. A mes-sage had been received from the coastguardthat a vessel was sinking four miles east oft h e T o n g u e L i g h t - v e s s e l . T h e l i f e - b o a twas launched at 4.15 P.M. When she reachedthe position given she could see a light; as sheneared it she was given the signal that shewas s tanding in to danger . Soon the mas tand funnel of the steamer could be seen, andthe life-boat found a torpedo boat rescuingh e r c r e w . F o u r t e e n h a d b e e n r e s c u e d .Three had been killed by an explosion. Thel i fe-boat ’s he lp was not needed and shereturned to her station. - Rewards, £23 6s.

76 SERVICES 1939

NOV. 23RD. - ALDEBURGH, SUFFOLK.A message had been received from the coast-guard that a man in a life-buoy had beenseen floating two miles off Shingle Streetc o a s t g u a r d s t a t i o n . I t w a s n o t k n o w nwhether he was alive or dead. The life-boatput out, Dr. Nora Acheson going with her incase medical aid was needed. The life-boatsearched for two and a half hours and foundonly wreckage and sailors’ hats. A letter ofthanks was sent to Dr. Acheson. - Rewards,£22 14s. 6d.

NOV. 23RD. - STROMNESS, ORKNEYS.A red glare or flares had been seen low in thesky and it had been thought that a vessel wason fire but the life-boat could find no vesselneeding her help, and trawlers to whom shespoke had seen no distress signals. - Rewards,£13 11s. 6d.

N O V . 2 4 T H . - C R O M E R , N O R F O L K .Flares had been seen, but the life-boat couldf i n d n o v e s s e l i n d i s t r e s s . - R e w a r d s ,£26 9s. 6d.

NOV . 25T H . - SHOREHAM HARBOUR,SUSSEX. An aeroplane had come down inthe sea eleven miles south by east of Shore-ham. The life-boat arrived to find severalseaplanes also searching, but nothing wasfound. - Rewards, £6 16s. 6d.

N O V . 2 5 T H . - W A L M E R , K E N T . T h elife-boat went out to the help of the Dutchsteamer Amstalkirk in a full south-west gale,with very rough seas and dense rain. Shewas then told to go to another Dutch steamer,the Algorab, of Rotterdam, thought to be indistress, but found that she only wanted apilot. - Rewards, £29 0S. 6d.

NO V . 25T H . - LOWESTOFT, SUFFOLK.T w o h e a v y e x p l o s i o n s a t s e a h a d b e e nrepor ted . The l i fe -boat went f i r s t to theEast Newcombe Buoy but found nothing.She then went north to Corton Light-vesselwhich told her that she had fired two warningguns and that two underwater reports hadbeen repor ted to the wes t . The l i fe -boatsearched in that direction but found nothing.- Rewards, £28 15s. 6d.

NO V . 26TH . - LONGHOPE, ORKNEYS.A message had been received that a trawlerhad broken down, but no sign of it could befound . La te r i t was lea rned tha t she hadrepaired the damage and had gone on herway. - Rewards, £17 0S. 6d.

NOV. 26TH. - HYTHE, KENT. A steamerand a light-vessel had been in collision, butthe life-boat’s services were not needed as at u g a n d a t r a w l e r w e r e s t a n d i n g b y -Rewards, £36 14s. 6d.

N O V . 2 6 T H . - THE HUMBER, YORK-S H I R E . A n a e r o p l a n e w a s r e p o r t e d t ohave crashed into the sea. The life-boat,other vessels and aircraft searched for her, butnothing could be found. - Permanent paidcrew. Rewards, 9s.

NOV. 28TH. - TYNEMOUTH, NORTHUM-BERLAND. An unknown vessel had beenreported making distress signals, but nothingcould be found. - Rewards, £16 6s. 6d.

NOV. 29TH. - GIRVAN, AYRSHIRE. Anaeroplane had been reported in difficulties,bu t no th ing could be found. - Rewards ,£13 11s. 6d.

NOV . 29TH . - DUN LAOGHAIRE, CO.DUBLIN. A skiff with three boys on boardwas in danger of being blown out to sea, butgot in without help. The honorary secretaryof the station, Mr. J. V. Steele, went out withthe life-boat. - Rewards, £16 7s.

NOV. 29TH. - AMBLE, NORTHUMBER-LAND. A German aeroplane was reportedto have come down into the sea five mileseast of the harbour and the life-boat searcheda wide area, but could find nothing. Thehonorary secretary of the station, the Rev.J. M. Grey, went out with the life-boat.-Rewards, £5 14s.

N O V . 3 0 T H . - T E N B Y , P E M B R O K E -SHIRE. A minesweeper was repor ted tohave gone aground, but nothing could befound. - Rewards, £19 6s.

DECEMBERLaunches 143. Lives rescued 328.

DEC. 1ST . - LYTHAM - ST. ANNE’S,LANCASHIRE, AND NEW BRIGHTON,CHESHIRE. At 8.45 A.M. the Lytham second-coxswain reported a vessel ashore by Peet’sLight, south of the 12th Mile Beacon. A S.W.gale was blowing, with a heavy sea. The motorlife-boat Dunleary was launched at 10 A.M.,and at the request of the pilot boat, tookaboard a pilot and brought him to the vessel.She was the tanker Pass-o-Leny, laden withpetrol. After the captain and pilot had con-sulted, the life-boat was told that her serviceswould not be needed further. On her wayback she was signalled by the Preston cor-poration’s house barge and told that redflares had been seen about three miles southof Southport Pier. The life-boat was putabout at 11.7 A.M. and searched as far asAinsdale Beach, but she found nothing. Shereturned to her station at about 2.30 P.M.

At New Brighton news was received fromthe Southport police of flares, detonationsand firing shortly before 11 A.M., and theNo. 1 motor life-boat William and KateJohnston put out. She made a long, butfruitless, search over a wide area outside thebar, and returned at 5.55 P.M.. - Rewards:Lytham-St. Anne’s, £7 5s. ; New Brighton,£10 4s. 6d.

D E C . 1 S T . - M A R G A T E , K E N T . A t10.55 A.M. the coastguard telephoned that avessel was sinking as a result of enemy actionthree miles S.S.W. of the Tongue Light-vessel.A fresh S.W. breeze was blowing, with a roughsea. The motor life-boat The Lord South-borough (Civil Service No. 1) was launched at

SERVICES 1939 77

11.15 A.M. and found the S.S. Dalryan, ofNewcastle, sinking fast. Going alongside, thelife-boat rescued the crew, with their belong-ings, and a pilot, a total of thirty-nine men.She returned to her station at 1.15 P .M .-Rewards, £9 8s.

DEC. 1ST. - SUNDERLAND, DURHAM.At 11.10 A.M. a fishing boat was seen driftingabout three miles E.S.E. of Sunderland. Astrong W.S.W. breeze was blowing, with amoderate sea. The motor life-boat ElizabethNewton - on temporary duty at this station -was launched at 11.35 A.M. She found thesailing fishing boat Mary, of Sunderland, witha crew of two. As the fishing boat was insome danger the life-boat towed her intoharbour, arriving at 12.45 P.M. - Rewards,£5 13s.

D E C . 1 S T . - CLACTON - ON - SEA,ESSEX. At 2.17 P.M. a message was receivedf rom the coas tguard tha t a vesse l hadstranded on the Long Sand about thirteenmiles south-east of Clacton Pier. A W. windwas blowing, with a choppy sea. At 3 P.M.the motor life-boat Edward Z. Dresden waslaunched and found the S.S. Perth, of Dundee.The steamer had wirelessed for a tug, but asno answer had been received the captainasked that the life-boat should stand by untildaylight. She did so, and returned to herstation at 10.30 A.M. the following morning,bringing a message for a tug. - Rewards,£25 11s. 6d.

DEC. 1ST. - CROMER, NORFOLK, ANDTHE HUMBER, YORKSHIRE. Shor t lyafter 7 P.M. a message was received from thecoastguard that a vessel standing by twoand a half miles north of the life-boat stationwished to land a rescued crew. A westerlybreeze was blowing and the sea was smooth.A t 7 .13 P . M . the No. 1 motor l i fe -boa tH. F. Bailey was launched and found theItalian steamer Santa Gata, of Naples. Thesteamer had on board thirty-two men of theNorwegian tanker Realf, which had been sunkby enemy action, and two naval officers andeight naval ratings who had gone aboardwhen she was struck. The life-boat tookthem all off and landed them, returning toher station at 8.45 P.M.

The life-boat on the Humber was alsolaunched, but her services were not needed.- Rewards : Cromer , £26 9s . 6d . ; TheHumber, permanent paid crew.

BRONZE MEDAL SERVICE ATGREAT YARMOUTH AND

GORLESTON

Dec. 2ND. - GREAT YARMOUTHAND GORLESTON, NORFOLK.At 12.14 in the morning a messagefrom the coastguard reached the life-boat station of Great Yarmouth andGorleston that a vessel was makingsignals of distress from the Scroby

Sands. A fresh and increasing windwas blowing from the south.

The life-boat Louise Stephens putout at once and found H.M. trawlerResolvo, with a crew of ten, on theeast side of the sand bank. The wateron the bank was too shallow for thelife-boat to be able to cross it, so shewent nor thwards un t i l she founddeeper water, and then approachedthe trawler from the east.

The seas on the sand were veryheavy, and were breaking over thetrawler. The life-boat anchored anddropped down towards her throughthese heavy breaking seas. The cox-swain handled her very skilfully andbrought her safely alongside the wreck,but her stem and stern fenders wereboth damaged against it and so shallowwas the water that the life-boat struckthe sands several times. The ten menof the trawler were ready, in their life-belts, on the top of the engine-casing,and as the life-boat came alongsidethey jumped aboard. They were verywet and cold and were made as com-fortable as possible in the cabin.

The life-boat made her way north-wards and round the sands again andlanded the men, returning to herstation at six in the morning.

It was a service in which very fineseamanship was shown, and it wasonly the skill of the coxswain whichsaved the life-boat from being muchmore severely damaged.

The Institution made the followingawards :

To COXSWAIN CHARLES A. JOHNSON,a second clasp to his bronze medalfor gallantry, and a copy of the voteinscribed on vellum ;

To PERCY JAMES, travelling motormechanic, who was in charge of theengines, the thanks of the Institutioninscribed on vellum ;

To the coxswain and each memberof the crew a reward of £1 in additionto the reward of £1 17s. 6d. on thestandard scale. Standard rewardsto crew and launchers, £19 16s. 6d. ;additional rewards to crew, £10 ; totalrewards, £29 16s. 6d.

DEC . 2ND . - MARGATE, KENT. Themotor life-boat The Lord Southborough (CivilService No. 1) was launched at 11.50 A.M.,after a terrific explosion had been seen at sea.

78 SERVICES 1939

A fresh, westerly breeze was blowing, with amoderate sea. About two miles E. by N. ofthe Tongue Light-vessel the life-boat foundseveral minesweepers near the oil tanker SanCalisto, of London, sinking as a result ofenemy action. In response to a signal thelife-boat went alongside one of the mine-sweepers, Stella Leonis, which had on boardtwelve survivors of the oil tanker, and tookthem off. She then went to the San Calisto,and two of her men boarded her but foundno one, Making for home the life-boat washailed by the minesweeper Hugh Walpole,which transferred to the life-boat a dead body.She then went on again and met two moreminesweepers. From one of them she tookaboard ten more survivors of the San Calisto,and learned that aid was needed for a badlyinjured man. The life-boat then made forMargate, landed the survivors, took ambu-lance men on board, returned to the mine-sweeper, and brought ashore the injured man.- Rewards, £9 8s.

D E C . 3 R D . - SHOREHAM HARBOUR,SUSSEX. At 10 .30 A . M . the coas tguardreported that a boat a few hundred yardsfrom the Shoreham gas works, on a lee shore,appeared to have hoisted a coat as a distresssignal. A moderate S.W. breeze was blowing,with a heavy swell. The motor life-boat RosaWoodd and Phyll is Lunn was launched at1.47 P.M. and found three fishermen on boardthe boat Skylark, of Shoreham. Her enginehad broken down. The life-boat towed herto harbour, arriving at 2.39 P.M. - Rewards,£8 14s. 6d.

DEC . 4T H . - GREAT YARMOUTH ANDGORLESTON, NORFOLK. - At 2.45 A.M.,a message was received from the Gorlestoncoas tguard tha t the S .S . A c c r i n g t o n , ofGrimsby, was in the roadstead with twenty-two survivors of the crew of the S.S. Ham-sterlay. One of the crew was missing. TheHamsterlay was in a convoy, had been incollision, and had sunk. A fresh S.W. by S.wind was blowing with a moderate sea, anda t 3 . 1 0 A . M . the motor l i fe -boat L o u i s eStephens was launched. She went alongsidethe S.S. Accrington and took off the survivors.Some of them were near ly naked . Theywere made as comfortable as possible in thecabin of the life-boat. The life-boat landedthem at the Town Hall Quay, where vehicleswere waiting to take them to the Sailors’Home. The life-boat returned to her stationat 5.40 A.M. - Rewards, £17 19s.

SILVER MEDAL SERVICE ATBROUGHTY FERRY

DEC. 5TH. - BROUGHTY FERRY,AND ARBROATH, ANGUS. - Duringthe evening the Bell Rock Lighthouse,off the coast of Angus, reported byradio telephony that a small steamerhad run on to the Bell Rock. Ateight o’clock Broughty Ferry received

the news from the coastguard. Seven-teen minutes later the motor life-boatMona was launched. The coastguardat Arbroath had also received thenews, but, owing to the black-out, hewas unable to get in touch with thelife-boat coxswain at once. He didso at 8.43, and at nine o’clock themotor life-boat John and WilliamMudie was launched.

A fresh north-east wind was blow-ing, with squalls of sleet. A heavyswell was running. It was bitterlycold. The night was very dark, andon account of the war the lighthousewas showing no light, but it wasspecially lit to guide the life-boats.The Arbroath life-boat had nine anda half miles to go ; the Broughty Ferryboat seventeen miles.

Arbroath reached the lighthouse atten o’clock. She found the vessel to bethe steam trawler Quixotic, of Aber-deen, with a crew of nine. She was onthe Bell Rock only fifty feet north-west of the lighthouse itself. Thc lifeboat anchored to windward, veereddown towards the trawler, and fired aline across her with her line-throwing pistol, but the line fouledsomething, and carried away. At thesame moment the anchor ceased tohold. The coxswain brought the life-boat out again, intending to makeanother attempt.

The Broughty Ferry life-boat hadjust arrived. As Arbroath stood out,Broughty Ferry stood in. She hadswitched on her searchlight. So toohad an Admiralty trawler which wasstanding by. In this double light theBroughty Ferry coxswain could clearlysee the trawler. Her bow was on therocks. She was lying on her port bilge.and her stern was under water tonearly amidships. Heavy seas werebreaking over her. He could see hercrew on the fore deck and in the forerigging. He could see the rocks at herbow.

There was so little water that it wasimpossible for the life-boat to get underthe lee of the trawler, so the coxswainanchored and dropped down on hiscable, stern first, close to her weatherside. He then threw a grapnel aboardher, and went alongside her fore end,where the crew were gathered.

SERVICES 1939 79

The life-boat was rising and fallingheavily in the broken water, and inthe trough of the seas she had notmore than two feet under her keel.The coxswain could see the rocks closein front of him, as he went in sternfirst ; and as each sea approached, hewent full speed ahead on his engineto prevent the sea from carrying thelife-boat on to the rocks. One of theseseas, breaking over her bow, washedseveral of her crew aft, injured twoof them, and nearly swept a thirdthrough the guard rails and over-board. As each sea passed, the cox-swain, by hauling on his cable on hisport bow, and his grapnel on his star-board bow, brought the life-boatneatly alongsidc the wreck again.

In this dangerous position he heldher for half an hour, and the trawler’screw, soaked, chilled and exhaustedby three hours’ exposure to the bitterwinds and breaking seas, jumpedaboard, one by one, as the chance came.Just before eleven o’clock the last ofthem was rescued, and the life-boatweighed anchor and made for home.She arrived at 1.30 in the morning,more than five hours after putting out,

REWARDS

The coxswain handled the life-boatvery courageously and with such cool-ness and skill that he brought her outundamaged except for a few scratchesand dents to her paint. He was veryably supported by the acting secondcoxswain, who looked after the cableand grapnel rope, and by the motormechanic, who in the swift. manoeuv-ring alongside the wreck carried outhis orders instantly.

The Institution made the followingawards :

To COXSWAIN JAMES COULL, thesilver medal for gallantry and a copyof the vote inscribed on vellum ;

To ACTING SECOND-COXSWAINGEORGE B. SMITH, the bronze medalfor gallantry and a copy of the voteinscribed on vellum

To JOHN. GRIEVE, motor mechanic,the bronze medal for gallantry and acopy of the vote inscribed on vellum ;

To each of the other five membersof the crew, SAM CRAIG, G. WATSON,G. GALL , W ILLIAM F INDLAY and

ROBERT SMITH , the thanks of theInstitution inscribed on vellum ;

To the coxswain and each of theother seven members of the crew, areward of £3 in addition to the usualscale reward of £1 17s. 6d. each. Stan-dard rewards to crew and launchers,£13 6s. ; additional rewards to crew,£24 ; total rewards, £37 6s. Rewardsto Arbroath, £13 1s.

D E C . 6 T H . - SHOREHAM HARBOUR,SUSSEX - At 11.50 A.M . it was reportedthat a fishing boat was flying distress signalsa b o u t t h r e e m i l e s S W . o f S h o r e h a m . Amoderate N. gale was blowing, with a roughsea. At 12.41 P .M. the motor life-boat RosaWoodd and Phyllis Lunn was launched withCaptain C. T. Keigwin, the honorary secre-tary, on board. She found the fishing boatSkylark, of Shoreham, returning to harbour.Her engine had broken down dur ing thenight, but it had been repaired. As therewas the possibility of further trouble with theengine, the life-boat escorted the Skylark toh a r b o u r , a n d r e t u r n e d t o h e r s t a t i o n a t3.20 P.M. - Rewards, £7 15s. 6d.

S I L V E R M E D A L S E R V I C EAT SALCOMBE

DEC. 7TH. - SALCOMBE, AND PLY-M O U T H , D E V O N . E a r l y i n t h emorning the Belgian steamer LouisSheid, of over 6,000 tons, was in theE n g l i s h C h a n n e l o n h e r w a y t oAntwerp. She had a crew of forty-sixmen. She saw the Dutch steamerTajandoen, of over 8,000 tons, sunkby a German torpedo or mine, andtook on board 62 survivors who hadgot away from the Tajandoen in theship’s boats.

Early that evening the Louis Sheidwent ashore in Bigbury Bay, on thesouth coast of Devon. She was seenby Mr. J. H. Jarvis, ex-coxswain ofHope Cove life-boat, who telephonedto the Salcombe life-boat station at7.35. Ten minutes later the motorlife-boat Samuel and Marie Parkhouseput out to the rescue. The night wasvery dark, with heavy squalls of rain.The tide was at four hours ebb, andheavy seas were breaking on SalcombeBar. Conditions could not have beenmore dangerous for crossing the bar,and when the life-boat set out thehonorary secretary warned anotherboat to stand by in case of accidents.

80 SERVICES 1939

Its help was not needed. The life-boat was splendidly handled by thecoxswain . He brought her sa fe lyacross the bar and out into the opensea. Beyond the shelter of the head-lands a strong and increasing windwas blowing from the south, with arough sea.

Two hours after launching, the life-boat reached the Louis Sheid. It wasthen 9.30 at night, and the tide wasat low water. The steamer was almosthead on to wind and sea. She wasabout half-a-mile from the shore andhad no anchors down, but her engineswere going full speed ahead. Seaswere breaking heavily round her. Thewind had now increased to a gale andthere was heavy rain.

RISE AND FALL OF OVERTWENTY FEET

The coxswain anchored to wind-ward and veered down to the star-board side of the steamer, but hefound it impossible to get alongsideher, for there were rocks close by. Helifted anchor and made instead for theport side. Here the steamer gave hima little lee, and he was able to goalongside the port quarter. It was ahazardous business, for the seas wererising and falling between twenty andthirty feet. As the life-boat lay there,rising and falling in the darkness andheavy rain, forty of those who hadbeen rescued from the Tajandoen six-teen hours earlier, jumped into her.Each one had to be caught by life-boatmen. The coxswain then decidedto attempt to land the rescued at HopeCove, and signalled the shore.

Meanwhile there had been muchactivity on shore. Mr. J. C. Payne,of Salcombe, had volunteered to thehonorary secretary at eleven o’clockto go to the scene of the wreck by carwith a signalling lamp. This he didand got into touch with the life-boat.He remained at Hope Cove all thenight, got hot drinks and food fromthe hotel, which he had ready for thelife-boatmen when they came ashore,and finally went out in the life-boatwith his lamp and got in touch withthe signalman on board the LouisSheid,

Three other men were also ready

with their help when the life-boat waspreparing to land the rescued. Theywere Mr. J. H. Jarvis, junior, son ofthe ex-coxswain, Mr. R. E. Hurrell andMr. H. A. Thornton. In anticipationof the life-boat coming ashore theywent in all haste to Hope Cove andput out in their 16-feet pulling boat.In launching her they had the help offive other men, Mr. P. Jarvis andMr. F. Jarvis, also sons of the ex-coxswain, Mr. W. Leggassick, Mr. V.Leggassick and Mr. N. Thornton. Itwas very doubtful if the boat couldbe launched at all, but they broughther safely through the heavy surf.

LIFE-BOAT’s SECOND TRIP

Meanwhile the coxswain took thelife-boat inside Bolt Tail, to a pointoff Key Sands, and there the smallboat met her. The small boat hadroom only for eight people on boardat a time, so that he had to make fivetrips to land the forty whom the life-boat had rescued. Then the life-boatmade again for the Louis Sheid, tofind that she had shifted a little. Shewas now dead head-on to the seas andshe gave the life-boat no lee.

In spite of this the coxswain againbrought the life-boat alongside thesteamer’s quarter in the heavy seas,and without loss or damage, took offthe remaining twenty-two of thosewhom the Louis Sheid had rescued inthe morning from the Tajandoen.None of the Louis Sheid’s own crewof forty-five men had so far beenrescued.

The twenty-two were landed in thesame way by the small boat, and forthe third time the life-boat returnedto the Louis Sheid, taking with herMr. J. H. Jarvis, junior, to help thecoxswain with his local knowledge.She found that in the meantime theLouis Sheid had come right over thereef on which she had stranded. Shewas now close to the cliffs, lying broad-side on to them, and the coastguard’slife-saving apparatus had fired a lineaboard her. The captain and crewof the steamer decided that theywould be taken ashore by the appara-tus, but they asked the life-boat tostand by.

The Plymouth motor life-boat was

SERVICES 1939

also standing by. She had received To Mr . J . H . J A R V I S , j un io r , athe news of the wreck about an hour fisherman's inscribed barometer ; later than Salcombe, and set out at To MR. J. C. PAYNE, a letter of9.18 in the evening. At 11.15 she thanks ;found the Louis Sheid, but by that To the coxswain and each of thetime Salcombe had rescued the sixty- seven members of the crew, a rewardtwo survivors of the Tajandoen, and of £3 in addition to the ordinary scalethere were only the captain and crew reward of £2 16s. 6d.;of the Louis Sheid on board her. To each of the th ree men whoThe Sa lcombe coxswain , be fore manned the small boat, £3;standing by, returned again to KeySands, where he landed and telephoned

To each of the five men who helpedon shore, £2 ;

to the honorary secretary at Salcombe.Then he took the life-boat out againto the Louis Sheid. The honorarysecretary had remained up all night,for he thought that the bar was toodangerous for the life-boat to attemptto cross it, At daylight he arrived atHope Cove, The second coxswainwent back with him to Salcombe toexamine the bar, and then returnedto the life-boat. By that time the barcould be crossed, and the life-boatreached Salcombe at eleven in themorning of the 8th. She had been outfor over fifteen hours. The Plymouthlife-boat had reached her station againat 9.30 that morning

Standard rewards to c rew andlaunchers, £21 2s. 6d. ; additionalrewards to the crew and rewards tothe men who helped, £44 ; totalrewards, £65 2s. 6d. Standard rewardsto Plymouth, £16 19s. Total rewardsfor the service, £82 1s. 6d.

DEC. 8TH. - WALMER, AND RAMSGATE,KENT. At 8.32 A.M. a message was receivedat Walmer from the Deal coastguard that aBelgian steamer had stranded on the GoodwinSands, north of the wreck of the Mahratta.A whole S.S.W. gale was blowing, with a veryheavy sea. At 8.50 A.M. the motor life-boatCharles Dibdin (Civi l Service No. 2) waslaunched and found the S.S. Kabinda half amile east of the West Goodwin Buoy. As shecame near the sands, heavy seas struck her,and threw four of her crew to the deck. Oneo f t h e m w a s m a d e u n c o n s c i o u s . A s t h ecaptain of the steamer said that it was onlythe help of tugs which he needed, the life-boa t re tu rned to her s t a t ion , a r r iv ing a t12.15 P . M . At 3 P . M . another message wasreceived from the Deal coastguard that thesenior naval officer at Ramsgate had askedthat the life-boat should stand by the steamerall night. At 4 P.M. she was again launched,and anchored near the steamer. Tugs werepresent, but, owing to the heavy sea, it wasfound imposs ib le to connect the towinghawsers. The life-boat then went alongside.One of her crew boarded the steamer, thenat the captain’s request the life-boat ran outa kedge anchor . This done , the l i fe -boa tstood by until after high water. She thenreturned to her station at 11.45 the nextmorning, 9th December. Later the same daya reques t was made by Lloyd’s Agent a tDover that the life-boat should again standby the steamer all night. At 5.15 P .M . onthe 9th the Charles Dibdin was launched fort h e t h i r d t i m e , a n d a n c h o r e d n e a r t h esteamer while the tugs again tried to towher off. At midnight they gave it up. Twoand a half hours later the steamer broke intwo and the life-boat went alongside andrescued forty-four of those on board. Theirweight was as much as she could carry inthe shallow water with safety, for she wasbumping on the sea-bed in the heavy seas.Those still on the steamer were told that thelife-boat would return for them as soon aspossible. When she reached her station shefound that the Ramsgate life-boat had also

THE REWARDS

This was a service in which thecoxswain showed magnificent seaman-ship both in crossing the bar and along-side the steamer. He had been mostably supported by his crew for whomit had been a very exhausting service.They had had to let go and weigh andhouse the anchor seven times, and hadhad sixty-two people to get aboard thelife-boat. one by one, in very heavyseas.

The Institution made the followingawards to the Salcombe crew :

To COXSWAIN E W. DISTIN, thesilver medal for gallantry, with a copyof the vote inscribed on vellum ;

To each of the other seven men,SECOND-COXSWAIN E. CHANT, G. SHEP-HERD , bowman, J. ALLEN , motormechanic, P. CHANT, assistant motormechanic, J. LAKE , J . F I E L D andT. CHEESMAN. life-boatmen, the bronzemedal for gallantry, with a copy of thevote inscribed on vellum ;

To CAPTAIN J. L. AMES, honorarysecretary of the station, an inscribedbarometer ;

82 SERVICES 1939

been launched to the help of the steamer.Just before 2 A.M. on the 10th, the Walmerlife-boat landed the 44 men rescued, and at5.20 A.M. put out again, in case the Ramsgatelife-boat could not take everyone left onboard. However, she reached the steamerto find that Ramsgate had already rescuedthe remaining thirty-one men. The Walmerlife-boat returned to her station at 8.15 A.M. onthe 10th and the Ramsgate at 9.15 A.M. TheWalmer life-boat crew received a gift of £39f r o m t h e o w n e r s . - R e w a r d s : W a l m e r ,£14 12s. 6d., £48 9s., and £41 0S. 9d. ; Rams-gate, £23 5s. 6d.

D E C . 8 T H . - T O R B A Y , D E V O N . A t9 A . M . a message was rece ived tha t themotor fishing boat John Bull , of Torquay,which had gone to sea the previous morning,had not returned. A fresh S.W. wind wasblowing with a rough sea. At 9.45 A.M. themotor life-boat George Shee was launched,and found the fishing boat riding at anchorin rough seas, five miles N.E. of the Orestonewith her engine broken down. During thenight distress signals had been made but hadnot been seen from the shore. The two menon the fishing boat were knee deep in waterand had been baling continuously. The life-boat rescued the men and towed the JohnBull to Torquay. She returned to her stationat 2 P . M . A letter of thanks was receivedfrom the rescued men. - Rewards, £7 2s.

D E C . 8 T H . - R A M S G A T E , K E N T . A t11.15 A.M. a message was received that anexplosion had occurred four miles W.S.W. ofthe Nor th Goodwin Light -vesse l . A f reshbreeze was blowing, with a moderate sea.At 11.30 A.M. the motor life-boat Prudentialwas launched. She only found wreckage, butminesweepers told her that a few survivorsof a steamer, the Merel, of London, had beenpicked up and landed. The Northern Guard-ship had also launched a boat to help in thesearch, and owing to the strength of the windand tide this boat was in danger of beingswept away. The l i fe -boa t f loa ted a l inedown to her, attached to a petrol can. Theboat got hold of it, and the life-boat towedher back to the guardsh ip . The l i fe -boa tthen took in tow an empty ship’s boat fromthe Merel and another belonging to a vesselsunk the preceding night, and brought themashore. She then returned to her station at2.30 P.M. - Rewards, £7 16s. 6d.

D E C . 8 T H . - LOWESTOFT, SUFFOLK.At 5.30 P . M . a message was received thatH.M. Minesweeper Susette had gone agroundon North Beach and was making signals ofdistress A whole S.S.E. gale was blowingand she had missed the harbour entrance.As she had grounded high on the beach, thelife-boat could not get near her, but she waskept ready, fully manned. The crew of thetrawler remained on board her. Next day thesenior naval officer at Lowestoft asked forthe help of the life-boat to refloat the trawler.A w e s t w i n d w a s t h e n b l o w i n g , w i t h amoderate sea. At 5.30 A.M. the motor life-boat Michael Stephens was launched. Shes tood by whi le the tug Lowestof t towed

H.M. Minesweeper Susette off the beach andtook her into harbour. The life-boat thenreturned to her station. - Rewards : firstlaunch, £10 ; second launch expenses metby naval authorities.

DEC . 8T H . - CROMER, NORFOLK. Atabout 11 P.M. a heavy explosion was heard,and the No. 1 motor life-boat H. F. Baileywas launched at 11.20 P .M . A N.W. windwas blowing, with a moderate swell. Thelife-boat found the S.S. Corea, of Goole, twomiles to the eastward. She had been mined,and had a very heavy list to port. Crieswere heard from the starboard side and thelife-boat found there five men clinging tothe bridge of the steamer. She rescued them,and in doing so was damaged. The rescuedmen said that there were others in the water,and on the port side the life-boat found aman clinging to a piece of wreckage. Shefollowed the drift of the wreckage, heard awhistle and rescued yet another man from araft. The search went on until 1.15 A.M.but no more survivors were found and thelife-boat returned. In the swell the life-boatcould not be taken up her slipway, so shelanded the rescued men and in doing so shewas again damaged. She remained at anchoruntil 7.30 A.M. when she was taken up theslipway into the house. - Rewards, £26 9s. 6d.

DEC. 9TH. - ARBROATH, ANGUS. Thetwo local fishing boats Ben Venuto and Van-guard had not returned from the fishinggrounds by 3.25 P.M. A S.E. gale was blow-ing, with a very rough sea. At. 3.30 P.M themotor life-boat John and Will iam Mudiewas launched and s tood by outs ide theharbour entrance. At 4.20 P .M . the Van-guard arrived and was escorted into theharbour. Soon after the Ben Venuto wasescor ted in . Owing to low water and aheavy swell the life-boat could not be re-housed and was moored in the outer harbourat 5.5 P.M. At 2.40 P .M. the next day thefishing boat Ben Venuto was again returningfrom the fishing grounds. A strong S. windwas blowing, with a heavy swell. The life-boat left her moorings, met the fishing boatand escorted her safely over the bar. Shereturned to her station at 3.20 P.M.- Rewards,£3 10s. 6d., and £2 12s. 6d.

DEC . 9TH . - FLAMBOROUGH, YORK-SHIRE. At 8.15 P.M. a message was receivedthat distress signals had been seen E.N.E. ofthe life-boat station. A strong S. wind wasblowing, and there was a moderate groundswell. At 9 P.M. the motor life-boat Elizabethand Albina Whit ley was launched. It wasdead low water with heavy spring tides, andthe launch was difficult. Many of’ the helpershad to go into the water up to their waists.The life-boat found the S.S. Middlesbro’, ofNewcastle-on-Tyne, N.E. by N. of Flam-borough Light, with her after part awash.The life-boat cruised round her, hailing herall the time, but got no answer. She thensaw a faint light to the N.E., and on goingin this direction for about a mile and a halfshe found another steamer, hove to, whichsignalled her to come alongside. She was

SERVICES 1939 83

the S.S. Phaeasian and had picked up thecrew of the Middlesbro’, fifteen in number,from their ship’s boats. The life-boat tookthem all on board. All were exhausted, andwhen the life-boat landed them they wereput in the care of the Shipwrecked Mariners’Society. The life-boat returned to her stationat 11.30 P.M. Meanwhile the master of theMiddlesbro’ had realised that his wreckedsteamer, in her present position in the fair-way of traffic, was a danger to shipping, andasked to be taken out to her again The life-boat crew changed into dry clothing andput out for the second time at 1.30 A.M. Notrace of the steamer could then be found andit was concluded that she had foundered.The life-boat then returned to her station at3.40 A.M. - Rewards, £37 16s.

DEC. 10TH. - HOLY ISLAND, NORTH-UMBERLAND. At 10.48 P .M . on the 9tha message was received from the coast-guard tha t f la res had been seen in thedirection of’ the Caves. The life-boat crewwere assembled and later dismissed as it hadbeen found that no vessel was ashore, Lateranother message was received that a. vessel wasstranded at Cheswick A moderate S. to S.E.breeze was blowing. with a choppy sea, andthere was slight fog. At 12.48 A.M. the motorlife-boat Milburn was launched and found theNorwegian steamer Jotun, of Stavanger. Thecrew of thirteen had taken to the ship's boatsjust as the life-boat arrived The sea wasvery choppy and dangerous. The men weretaken on board the life-boat and their boatswere taken in tow. As it was too dark toreturn safely to Holy Island Harbour, therescued men were landed a t Berwick a t3.45 A.M. The life-boat remained at Berwickuntil 10.30 A.M. on account of the low tide,and returned to her station at 12.30 P.M. on10th December. - Rewards, £19 2s. 6d.

DEC. 10TH. - RAMSEY, ISLE OF MAN.At 8.30 A.M. a message was received from thecoastguard that the S.S. Duke of Lancaster, ofBarrow, anchored about three miles N.E. ofRamsey, required a doctor to attend to aninjured man A strong S.W. wind was blow-ing, with a slight sea. At 9.30 A.M. the motorlife-boat Lady Harrison was launched. Shefound that the steamer had been in collisionwith the cargo steamer Fire King, of Liver-pool, which had been sunk The crew oftwelve of the Fire King had managed to jumpon board the Duke of Lancaster, one of thembeing injured They were transferred to thelife-boat and landed. The Duke of Lancasterherself had been damaged by the collisionand could not go on her way without furtherhelp. She had two hundred passengers onboard, and food was urgently required as thesteamer’s stocks had run short owing todelays. The life-boat took out stores, andreturned to her station at 1 P.M. - Rewards,£12 9s.

DEC. 10TH. - GREAT YARMOUTH ANDGORLESTON, NORFOLK, CAISTER,NORFOLK, AND LOWESTOFT, SUF-FOLK. At 8.20 P.M. the coastguard reportedthat the steamer Willowpool, of Hartlepool,

was sending out S.O.S. signals fourteen milesN.E. of Yarmouth. A S. by E. breeze wasblowing, with a heavy ground swell, and thenight was very dark. The Great Yarmouthand Gorleston motor life-boat Louise Stephenswas launched at 8.45 P.M. and she saw signalsfrom the Newarp Light-vessel, went to her,and found that she had on board thirty-sixsurvivors of the Willowpool, which had beense t on f i re by enemy ac t ion . Three wereinjured ; fourteen had very little clothing.All thirty-six were taken aboard the life-boat.On her way home she saw signals from theCockle Light-vessel, so she informed theCaister life-boat station, and then went on tol a n d t h e t h i r t y - s i x m e n . S h e r e a c h e dGorleston at about 2.45 in the morning. TheCaister pulling and sailing life-boat CharlesBurton was launched at one in the morningand made for the Cockle Light-vessel. Thereshe was told that the Newarp Light-vesselwas signalling, but she could not reach theNewarp owing to the state of the tide and,as the Lowestoft motor life-boat had arrived,she re tu rned to her s ta t ion , a r r iv ing a t5 . 1 0 A . M . Lowestof t had heard f rom thecoastguard at midnight that the Cockle Light-vessel was firing distress rockets and them o t o r l i f e - b o a t M i c h a e l S t e p h e n s w a slaunched a t 1 .15 A . M . She spoke to theSt . Nicholas , Cockle and Newarp l igh t -vessels, and the last-named reported a vesselburning flares two miles to the eastward,but the l i fe -boa t found only the burn ingWillowpool. Returning to the Newarp thelife-boat remained alongside until 7 A.M. asthere was a thick fog, and then resumed hersearch in daylight. She could find nothing,and returned to her station at 9.47 A.M .-Rewards : Great Yarmouth and Gorleston,£19 16s. 6d. ; Caister, £43 7s. 6d. ; andLowestoft, £33 1s.

D E C . 1 1 T H . - DUN LAOGHAIRE, CO.DUBLIN, AND WICKLOW, CO. WICK-LOW. At 5.5 P . M . messages were receivedat Dun Laoghaire that a large vessel wasaground on the Kish Bank , and tha t twotugs were being sent from Dublin to her help.A strong S.E. breeze was blowing, with arough sea. At 8.25 P .M. the motor life-boatDunleary II was launched. Mr. J. V. Steele,honorary secretary of the station, was onboard. At 9.45 P .M. the life-boat spoke theDublin pilot vessel, which said that she hadsearched all the way south to the CodlingLightship, but had found nothing. An hourlater the life-boat found the S.S. Eumaeus, ofLiverpool, badly aground from the bridgeforward, near No. 3 Kish Buoy. The steamerformed part of a convoy, from Liverpool,which had been attacked that morning, andshe had run on to the bank at full speed.Efforts had been made to refloat her, buthad failed. While waiting for the tugs thelife-boat made soundings round the steameras without them the steamer might easilybe towed off one bank on to another. Thetugs had not arrived at 11.20 P .M., and thelife-boat was asked to stand by until theycame. She stood by all night. At. 7 A.M. thenext day she went alongside, and was toldthat a tug or other relief would arrive within

84 SERVICES 1939

the next few hours. At 11.15 A.M. the BritishAdmiralty tug Stalwart arrived, and the life-boat passed a cable from her to the steamer.She then stood by while the tug made readyto haul the steamer off, and when, shortlyafterwards, the Dublin pilot vessel arrivedwith a message from the steamer’s owners,she took it to the captain of the Eumaeus,as i t would be imposs ib le to re f loa t thesteamer as the tide then was, and as the life-boat’s crew had been at sea eighteen hours,without food, in very cold and trying weather,t h e l i f e - b o a t r e t u r n e d t o h e r s t a t i o n a t3.30 P .M. to get food and to refuel. Mean-while the motor life-boat Lady Kylsant, atWicklow, had been launched at 12.45 P.M. tore l ieve the Dun Laoghai re l i fe -boa t , anda r r i v e d a t 3 . 3 0 P . M . S h e s t o o d b y t h esteamer until 11.15 P .M . and then, on thereturn of the Dun Laoghaire life-boat, sheput back to her station, arriving at 1.30 A.M.on 13th December. The Dun Laoghaire life-boat continued to stand by the steamer whilefurther unsuccessful attempts were made toref loa t her . These a t tempts were f ina l lyabandoned at 1 A.M. on the 13th December,and the life-boat returned to her station at3 A.M. She was kept in readiness for imme-diate service, however, as there were somehundred people on board the steamer. Theowners, A. Holt & Co., gave £100 to the crewof the Dun Laoghaire life-boat. - Rewards:D u n L a o g h a i r e , £ 3 8 1 5 s . ; W i c k l o w ,£23 18s. 6d.

DEC . 12TH . - CROMER, NORFOLK. At7.15 A.M. a message was received from thecoastguard that a vessel had gone ashore twomiles south-eas t of Mundes ley look-out .A strong easterly breeze was blowing, andthere was a heavy ground swell. At 7.30 A.M.the No. 1 motor life-boat H. F. Bailey waslaunched and found the S.S. Corbrook, ofLondon. The captain decided to remain onboard and await the help of a tug. He askedthe life-boat to stand by. A destroyer arrivedon the scene, and the life-boat went as nearas possible to the steamer, got a rope fromher to take to the destroyer, but no con-nexion could be made. The life-boat con-tinued to stand by, and at high water thecaptain of the Corbrook tried again to refloather, but failed. During the night the weatherbecame much finer, and at daybreak the life-boat again went alongside the steamer andlearnt from her that another vessel had beenmaking distress signals about four miles tothe nor th-eas t . She went to th is pos i t ionand found an empty ship’s life-boat and as u n k e n w r e c k . L a t e r s h e l e a r n e d t h a tanother vessel had struck this wreck, buthad gone on her way. The life-boat returnedto the Corbrook and remained standing by.At 3 P .M . on the 13th December, the tugGeorge Jewson arrived. The life-boat got at o w r o p e f r o m h e r t o t h e s t e a m e r , a n danother a t tempt was made to re f loa t thesteamer, but again it failed. As the sea hadnow become smooth. it was decided that theNo. 1 life-boat should return to her stationin case her services were needed elsewhere.She reached Cromer at 1 A.M. on the 14thDecember. At 6.15 A.M . the No. 2 motor

life-boat Harriot Dixon was launched andstood by the Corbrook. At 8.30 A.M. the Hulltug Prizeman arrived, and further attemptswere made by the tugs to refloat the steamer,but failed. The life-boat and tugs continuedto stand by, and at the next high tide theywere at last successful in refloating the Cor-brook. The life-boat returned to her station,arriving at 2 A.M. on the 15th December.-Property salvage case.

DEC. 12TH. - GREAT YARMOUTH ANDGORLESTON, NORFOLK. At 12.20 P . M .a message was received from the coastguardthat an Estonian steamer in the roadsteadhad picked up a shipwrecked crew and hadasked that the life-boat should land them.A strong N.E. by E. wind was blowing, witha rough sea. At 12.27 P .M. the motor life-boat Louise Stephens was launched, and foundon the steamer thirty-one survivors of thecrew of the motor vessel King Egbert, and apilot. The King Egbert had struck a mineearlier in the morning. and had sunk ; one manof her crew was missing. The life-boat tookthe men on board, landed them, and returnedt o h e r s t a t i o n a t 2 . 1 5 P . M . - R e w a r d s ,£10 0S. 6d.

D E C . 1 3 T H . - KIRKCUDBRIGHT. At1.30 P.M. a message was received from RossLighthouse that a ship’s life-boat had beenseen drifting a mile and a half south of thelighthouse. A S.W. breeze was blowing, witha slight sea. At 2.15 P.M. the motor life-boatMorison Watson was launched. She foundthe boat but no one was on board, and shetowed it back, arriving at 5.30 P.M. - Rewards,£11 16s. 9d.

D E C . 1 4 T H . - DUNMORE EAST, CO.WATERFORD. The motor ship Cairngorm,of Glasgow, shor t ly a f te r t ak ing a p i lo taboard, went aground on the west side ofWaterford Harbour, one and a half miles fromDunmore East. Distress signals were madeand these were seen from the pilot’s cutter,which came ashore and told the life-boatmotor mechanic. A moderate S.S.E. galewas blowing, with a rough sea. At 1.40 A.M.the motor life-boat C. and S. was launched,with four of the pilots on board, in case extrahelp was needed. The life-boat also took intow the pilot’s boarding boat. The steamerwas found to be on the rocks, but her crewof seven had managed to reach the shore.The l i fe -boa t re tu rned to her s ta t ion a t3.10 A.M., and a motor car was sent to bringthe steamer’s crew to Dunmore East. At6.30 A.M. the life-boat was again launchedto help to salve the ship, and took her crewback to her. A wire rope was run out to thelife-boat and, with the help of the rising tideand the heavy seas, which kept lifting theCairngorm clear of the rocks, the life-boatpulled her off and towed her to a safe anchor-age. As the Cairngorm was making waterthe life-boat stood by. Later she was towedto Waterford by the port dredger, with thelife-boat escorting her. The Cairngorm’ssteering gear had broken down, and a linewas passed over her stern to the life-boatin order to steer her. She broke adrift while

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being towed, but the life-boat held her inpos i t ion unt i l she was made fas t to thedredger again. The life-boat returned to herstation at 8.50 A.M. - Rewards, £19 19s., andproperty salvage case

D E C . 1 6 T H . - T H E L I Z A R D C O R N -WALL. The S.S. Rubaan, of Glasgow, struckthe rocks a mile S.W. of The Lizard. Astrong E.N.E. breeze was blowing, with amoderate sea. At 1.45 A.M. the motor life-boa t D u k e o f Y o r k was launched . Thesteamer was on her beam ends and sinkingfast. Her crew of eight took to their ownboat and were picked up by the life-boat,which returned to her station at 2.50 A.M.-Rewards, £21 18s. 6d.

SILVER MEDAL SERVICEAT TORBAY

DEC. 16TH. - TORBAY, AND SAL-COMBE, DEVON. In the early after-noon the schooner Henrietta, of Truro,with a crew of seven men, was carriedby the strong spring tides and a galefrom the east-north-east to the edge ofthe dangerous reef the Skerries, south ofDartmouth There she succeeded ingetting one anchor down. The coast-guard saw her signals of distress andpassed the news to the Torbay life-boatstation at 1.30. Ten minutes laterthe motor life-boat George Shee waslaunched. She reached the Henriettaabout 3.15. A Dartmouth tug and aBrixham steam trawler were standingby , bu t they were power less toh e l p .

A heavy, confused sea was breakingover the Skerries. The tide, which wasone hour short of high water, wasrunning s t rongly . The l igh t wasfailing. The schooner was rolling gun-wale under . She was ro l l ing soviolently that the yard on the fore-mast would make it very difficult toget alongside. To add to the difficultythe starboard anchor, which had fouledthe hawser, was hanging over the side.The safer method of rescue was toanchor, fire a line to the schooner,and rig a breeches buoy, but the cox-swain would not use this method, forhe was certain that he could never dragthe schooner’s crew through that surfalive. Instead he went in at onceclose to the starboard side of theschooner to see how she lay. Then he

s h e e r e d o f f . T h e c a p t a i n o f t h eschooner, watching the life-boat as shemanoeuvred, thought it impossible forher to come alongside. He reckonedwithout the skill and daring of thecoxswain. A second time the life-boatwent straight in and the coxswain puther right along the starboard side ofthe schooner, cleverly avoiding theanchor. Then he moored her fore andaft. In three minutes the Henrietta’screw had jumped aboard. They werethree very dangerous minutes for thelife-boat. Once the fore yard, stabbingdown towards her, as the schoonerrolled, only just missed her radio tele-phony mast. Then the schooner’sbulwark crashed down on the life-boat’s wale, and split twelve feet of it.That the life-boat was not severelydamaged was due to the splendid sea-manship of the coxswain.

The seven men were rescued, themooring ropes were chopped away, andthe life-boat drew clear of the schoonerand made aga in for Torbay . Shearrived at 5.40 that evening.

The Torbay coxswain had made noattempt to salve the schooner owing tothe very heavy seas. At 5.20 the Sal-combe station received a message fromthe Prawle Signal Station that she wasadrift a mile and a half off Prawle.At six o’clock the motor life-boatSamuel and Marie Parkhouse put outto tow her out of the shipping track,but she could not find her. Aftersearching unsuccessfully for two hoursshe returned to her station.

The Institution made the followingawards to the Torbay crew :

To COXSWAIN WILLIAM H. H. MOG-RIDGE, a clasp to his silver medal forgallantry, and a copy of the voteinscribed on vellum ;

To SECOND COXSWAIN W ILLIAMP ILLAR , F. C. SANDERS , bowman,a n d R I C H A R D T . H A R R I S , m o t o rmechanic, bronze medals for gallantry,with copies of the vote inscribed onvellum ;

To each of the other members of thecrew, E. LAMSWOOD, assistant motormechanic, A. DISNEY, W. ROGERS, W.COLEMAN and E. CRONIN, the thanks ofthe Institution inscribed on vellum ;

To the coxswain and each of theeight members of his crew, a reward

86 SERVICES 1939

of £2 in addition to the scale reward of£1 8s. 6d. Standard rewards to crewand launchers, £12 8s. 3d. ; additionalrewards to crew, £18 ; total rewards,£30 8s. 3d.

Standard rewards to Salcombe,£13 2s. 6d.

To ta l r ewards fo r the se rv ice ,£43 10s. 9d.

DEC. 19TH. - PORT ST. MARY, ISLE OFMAN. At 12.25 A.M. news was received fromthe Castletown coastguard that a vessel wasashore at Langness Point. An E.N.E. windwas blowing, with a heavy ground swell.The motor life-boat Sir Heath Harrison waslaunched at 12.50 A.M. She found the steamtrawler Junco, of London, with a crew of ten,ashore in a dangerous position. The life-boatran out a kedge anchor, and the Junco wasrefloated at 3.15 A.M. After standing by untilthe captain reported all in order the life-boatreturned at 4.45 A.M. - Rewards, £23 18s.

DEC. 19TH. - GREAT YARMOUTH ANDG O R L E S T O N , N O R F O L K . A t 3 . 5 A . M .news was received by wireless from the CrossSand Light-vessel, through the coastguard,that an explosion had occurred, followed byred flares, about two miles south by east ofthe light-vessel. A N.E. breeze was blowing,with a rough sea, and the night was verydark. The motor life-boat Louise Stephenswas launched at 3.40 A.M. and went to thelight-vessel. Here she learned that a trawlerhad gone in the direction of the flares, butthat nothing had been seen since 3 A.M. Athorough search over a large area was madeand eventually four boats from the S.S. Cityof Kobe, of Liverpool, were found. No onewas on board them, but they had evidentlybeen manned, and it was assumed the menhad been taken off by another vessel. Thelife-boat took two of the boats in tow andreturned to her station at 11 A.M. - Rewards,£22 17s.

DEC . 19TH . -GIRVAN, AYRSHIRE. At11 A.M . a message was received from theBallantrae Coastguard that the S.S. Dublin,of Belfast, had stranded on the Breast Rocksnear Turnberry, about five miles north ofGirvan. A light easterly breeze was blowingand the sea was smooth. The motor life-boatLily Glen - Glasgow was launched, in charge ofthe second-coxswain, and stood by the steameruntil 6.45 P.M. Then, as the steamer appearedin no immediate danger. the life-boat returnedt o h e r s t a t i o n a t 7 . 1 5 P . M . - R e w a r d s ,£19 15s. 6d.

DEC . 20TH . - FLAMBOROUGH, YORK-S H I R E . D u r i n g t h e m o r n i n g a s t r o n gE.N.E. wind was blowing, increasing at timesto gale force. A heavy sea was running. Thelocal fishing coble Britannia was at sea, andanxiety was felt for her. The motor life-boatElizabeth and Albina Whitley was launched at11.30 A.M. and met the coble about two milesaway. The life-boat escorted her throughthe heavy broken seas. - Rewards, £14 10s. 6d.

D E C . 2 0 T H . - B L Y T H , A N D T Y N E -MOUTH, NORTHUMBERLAND. At about3 P.M. information was received through thecoastguard that a steamer had been blown upabout two miles south of Blyth. A lightE.N.E. wind was blowing, with a slight sea.The Blyth motor life-boat Joseph Adlam was,launched at 3.15 P.M. and found a tug and aR.A.F. boat, which had picked up fifteensurvivors . They were f rom the Swedishs teamer Mars , of S tockholm, bound forLondon with wood pulp, and carrying a crewof twenty-two. The life-boat searched forother survivors, and found none, but shepicked up the ship’s boat, took it in tow,returning to her station at 5.30 P.M.

Information had also been sent to theTynemonth station, and the motor life-boatJohn Pyemont put out at 3.30 P .M . Shes e a r c h e d , b u t f o u n d n o s u r v i v o r s a n dr e t u r n e d t o h e r s t a t i o n a t 5 . 1 0 P . M . -Rewards : Blyth, £8 2s. 9d. ; Tynemouth,£12 10s.

DEC. 21ST. - CROMER, NORFOLK. In-formation was received shortly before 2 A.M.from the coastguard that a vessel had strucka mine near the Haisborough Light-vessel.A light southerly wind was blowing, with asmooth sea, and the weather was clear andcold. The motor life-boat H. F. Bailey waslaunched at 2.10 A.M. and found the tankerDosinia, with a crew of fifty-one. She hada heavy list to starboard and her four life-boats were lying two on each side. Fortymembers of her crew - thirty-eight of themChinese - were taken into the life-boat, whichthen stood by. The captain and officersremained aboard to see if it was possible tosave the vessel. They dropped the anchorand the life-boat remained close by. Whenthe daylight came a mine was seen driftingabout half a mile away in the path of anoncoming convoy. The life-boat went to-wards the mine, signalled the leading shipsof the convoy to alter course, and returnedto the Dosinia, to be told that her back wasbroken. First the captain thought of beach-ing her. Then he decided to try and reachthe Humber, and asked the life-boat to gowith him, as all the ship’s boats had brokenadrift. This the life-boat did, and at about6.30 P.M., when they were off the Humber,the Dosinia was taken in tow by a tug. Thelife-boat then put the Dosinia’s crew onboard her again. At the captain’s requestshe continued to stand by until 9.15 A.M. thefollowing morning. She then returned to herstation, arriving at 5 P .M. But for the pre-sence and help of the life-boat it is probablethat the vessel and her crew would not havereached safety. - Property salvage case.

DEC. 21ST. - LOWESTOFT, SUFFOLK.the coastguard telephoned the coxswainshortly after 5 P.M., reporting that distresssound signals could be heard. A light S.E.wind was blowing, with a heavy swell, andthe weather was foggy. Then rockets wereseen above the fog, and at 5.40 P.M. the motorlife-boat Michael Stephens was launched. Shefound H.M. trawler Saxonia aground on thenorth-western edge of the Newcombe Sands.

SERVICES 1939 87

The trawler was in a dangerous position,rolling heavily, and the life-boat stood by.A tug then came out and made fast to theSaxonia, while the life-boat took soundings.At high water at 6.35 P.M. the trawler wasrefloated. The life-boat stood by until shewas safely in harbour, and returned to hermoorings at 7.10 P.m. - Rewards, £24 10s.

D E C . 2 1 S T . P E T E R H E A D , A N DF R A S E R B U R G H A B E R D E E N S H I R E .At 5.55 P.M . the coastguard reported thatflares had been seen two miles south of Rat-tray Head. A light N.W. wind was blowing,with a ground swell. The motor life-boat.Julia Park Barry of Glasgow was launchedat 6.10 P.M., and found the motor fishing boatTrustful, of Banff, with a crew of three. Herpropeller had been severely damaged andshe was leaking badly at the stern tube,which made it necessary to pump all the time.The life-boat, took the Trustful in tow andbrought her into harbour at 7.30 P .M. TheFraserburgh motor life-boat John and CharlesKennedy had also been launched at 5 P .M.She had been told by the coastguard thatflares had been seen north of Rattray Head.She had searched but had found nothing,except a light, moving south, which she hadnot been able to overtake. She returned toher station at 7 P.M. - Rewards Peterhead,£12 19s. ; Fraserburgh, £10 19s. 9d.

D E C . 2 1 S T . - D O N A G H A D E E C ODOWN. At 8.20 P .M. the coastguard tele-phoned that the naval authorities had re-ported a vessel ashore at the South Briggs.A light N.W. wind was blowing. There werepatches of fog, and the sea was smooth. Themotor life-boat Civil Service No. 5 waslaunched a t 8 .40 P . M . and found H.M.t rawle r S i r J o h n L i s t e r . The coxswainboarded the trawler, and at the captain’srequest the life-boat ran out an anchor withabout two hundred fathoms of wire cable tohold the trawler secure. The captain did notwish the life-boat to stand by, but arrangedto recall her by signal if he needed furtherhelp. The life-boat returned to her station,arriving at 10.25 P.M. Later the Sir JohnLister was got off the rocks by tugs. TheFlag Officer-in-charge at Belfast expressedhis thanks for the services of the life-boat.-Rewards, £13 7s. 6d.

DEC. 22ND. - ST. MARY’S, SCILLYISLES. At about 4 A.M. the coastguard re-ported a vessel ashore on the Seven Stones andin need of immedia te he lp . A modera teE.N.E breeze was blowing, with a moderates e a . T h e m o t o r l i f e - b o a t C u n a r d w a slaunched at 4.40 A.M. She found the S.S.Longships, of Glasgow, on a voyage fromBelfast to Plymouth with a general cargo.She had a crew of twenty-seven. She hadbroken her back and was a total wreck. Thelife-boat rescued her crew and landed themat St. Mary’s at 9.20 A.M. The officers of theLongships made a donation. - Rewards,£25 19s. 6d

DEC. 22ND. - TYNEMOUTH, NORTH-UMBERLAND At 1.40 P.M. the coastguard

telephoned that a vessel had struck a minenorth of the Tyne. The sea was slight, witha westerly wind blowing. The motor life-boat John Pyemont was launched at 2.20 P.M.and found the S.S. Gryfevale, of Glasgow, ladenwith cotton seed, severely damaged and downby the head . She s tood by unt i l the tugsarrived and took the steamer in tow and thenescorted her to a safe anchorage. She re-turned to her station at 3.40 P.M. - Rewards,£ 7 1 3 s

D E C . 2 3 R D . - WELLS, NORFOLK. At1 P.M. it was reported that three fishing boatshad gone to sea at 5 A.M . Two had comeback at about 11 A.M. but the third, Malvina,with a crew of three, was missing. A lightN.W. wind was blowing with a heavy groundswell, and the weather was foggy. The motorlife-boat Royal Silver Jubilee, 1910-1935, waslaunched at 3.30 P.M., searched to the east-ward of Wells Harbour, found the Malvina,which had lost her bearings, and escorted herinto harbour, arriving at 4.30 P.M. - Rewards,£11 5s. 3d.

DEC . 23RD . - LOWESTOFT, SUFFOLK.At 7 P .M. the coastguard reported the motortrawler Purple Heather, of Lowestoft, ashoreat Corton. The weather was very cold andfoggy, with a heavy ground swell and a south-westerly breeze. Putting out at 7.30 P .M .the motor life-boat Michael Stephens foundthe trawler stranded on the mainland in adangerous position surrounded by old brokeniron piles and sea defence works. She gotalongside her, and took off two of her crew.Then she stood by all night. It was so coldt h a t i c e f o r m e d o n t h e l i f e - b o a t . N e x tmorning she tried to refloat the trawler, butfound that a tug would be needed. As thet rawler was in no immedia te danger shereturned to her station at 9.35 A.M . afterfour teen hours a t sea . La te r , the Purp leHeather was refloated by a tug. - Rewards,£33 1s.

D E C . 2 5 T H . - RAMSGATE, KENT. At5.45 P . M . the coastguard telephoned that amotor boat was ashore off Montifiore. Theweather was foggy with a light N.W. wind.Putting out at 6.25 P.M. the motor life-boatPrudential found the Ramsgate motor boatSalvor, in the employment of the Navy. Shehad refloated before the life-boat arrived,but was glad to follow the lead of the life-boat back to harbour, which was reached at7.25 P.M. - Rewards, £13 11s. 6d.

DEC . 26TH . - AMBLE, NORTHUMBER.LAND. During the morning a strong N.E.breeze was blowing with a rough sea, andanxiety was felt for the safety of three fishingcobles . There was a heavy swel l a t theharbour bar, and at 12.30 P.M. the motor life-boat Frederick and Emma was launched. Sheescorted the cobles to safety, and returned toher station at 1.15 P.M. - Rewards, £3

D E C . 2 7 T H . - R A M S G A T E , A N DWALMER, KENT. At 9 A . M . a messagewas received from the Ramsgate coastguardthat the S.S. Kentwood, of London, was sink-

88 SERVICES 1939

ing rapidly in the north Downs, and that hercaptain was trying to beach her. The Rams-gate motor life-boat Prudential was launchedat 9.9 A.M., but could not find the steamer,a n d r e t u r n e d t o h e r s t a t i o n a t 1 1 A . M .Meanwhile, at 9.30 A.M., a message had beenreceived at Walmer, from the Deal coast-guard, that the steamer was sinking a mileeast of the South Goodwin Light-vessel. Alight N. breeze was blowing, with a moderatesea. At 9.45 A.M. the motor life-boat CharlesDibdin (Civil Service No. 2) was launched,and found that the Kentwood had been rundown by a Polish steamer. Her crew hadabandoned her and were partly on board at r a w l e r a n d p a r t l y i n t h e i r o w n b o a t s .Twelve men of the crew of eighteen weret a k e n o n b o a r d t h e l i f e - b o a t f r o m t h etrawler and boats. Tugs then arrived andtook the Ken twood in tow. By now herengine-room, stokehold and No. 2 hold wereflooded but, with the life-boat escorting them,the tugs succeeded in getting the steamer toSandown Bay and in beaching her there .The l i fe -boa t then put the c rew back onboard her and re tu rned to her s ta t ion a t2.30 P.M. - Rewards : Ramsgate, £8 15s. 6d ;Walmer, property salvage case.

DEC . 28TH . - BLYTH, NORTHUMBER-LAND. At 9.45 A.M. the coastguard reportedan explosion, and five minutes later a messagewas received that, a vessel was making distresssignals on her siren, east of the piers, at nodistance away. A fresh N. breeze was blow-ing, with a calm sea. At 10.15 A.M. the motorlife-boat Joseph Adlam was launched, accom-panied by an R.A.F. speed-boat. They foundwreckage a quarter of a mile away and twomen in an exhausted condition. They werepicked up by the speed-boat, which returnedat once to harbour, where the rescued menwere taken straight to hospital. The life-boat continued the search for an hour, pickedup one man, who was found to be dead afterhe was got on board , and saw two badlymutilated bodies among the wreckage. Shereturned to her station at 11.15 A.M . Thesteamer was found to be the S.S. Hanne, ofCopenhagen, and fifteen of her crew weremissing. - Rewards, £6 7s. 6d.

DEC . 29T H . - FLAMBOROUGH, YORK-S H I R E . D u r i n g t h e e v e n i n g t h e s i g n a lstation reported rockets east of Filey Brigg.A N.N.W. wind was blowing, of gale forceat times, with a very heavy sea. The motorlife-boat Elizabeth and Albina Whitley waslaunched at 9.30 P.M., and for an hour foundnothing. Then she saw a rocket to the N.E.,a n d f o u r t e e n m i l e s N . N . E . f r o m F l a m -borough Head the l i fe -boa t , found H.Mtrawler Rutlandshire with her engine brokendown. At the master’s request the life-boatfetched another trawler to tow him clear ofthe minefields, and passed a line betweenthe two trawlers, but in the heavy seas it,parted twice. Another trawler came up, andwith the help of the life-boat got the Rutland-shire in tow. After escorting the vessels forsome mi les the l i fe -boat re turned to herstation, arriving at 9.15 A.M. The captain ofthe Rutlandshire expressed his appreciation

of the “brave and gallant efforts” of thelife-boat crew - Property salvage case.

The following life-boats were launched, butno services were rendered for the reasonsgiven :

DEC. 1ST. - TROON, AYRSHIRE. Flareshad been repor ted but no th ing could beFound. - Rewards, £11 5s.

DEC . 1ST . - ALDEBURGH, SUFFOLK.The life-boat had put out at the request ofthe naval authorities to see if a vessel atanchor about five miles off was in distress,but her help was not needed. - Rewards,£33 11s. 6d.

D E C . 1 S T . - M A R G A T E , K E N T . Aschooner had been sunk by enemy actionfour miles away and the life-boat found onlythe masthead of the vessel and no sign ofthe crew. It was learned later that the crewh a d b e e n r e s c u e d b y a n o t h e r v e s s e l . -Rewards, £9 8s.

DEC. 1ST. - PETERHEAD, ABERDEEN-SHIRE. A ship’s boat had landed at Bod-dam, with twelve men on board, who reportedthat, their ship, the S.S. Mercator, of Helsinki,had been sunk by enemy action and thatanother of the ship‘s boats was missing. Thelife-boat found no trace of her. A fishingboat brought her in. - Rewards, £6 14s. 6d.

(See Peterhead “ Services by Shoreboats,”1940, page 142.)

D E C . 2 N D . - BRIDLINGTON, YORK-SHIRE. A steamer was thought to be indistress fifteen to twenty miles from Bridling-ton, but the life-boat found that a derelict,with a cargo of oil, had been sunk by theAdmiralty. and the oil was burning on thewater. - Rewards, £17 3s. 6d.

DEC. 2ND. - GOURDON, KINCARDINE-SHIRE. A trawler had run on to the rocks,but her crew were rescued by the coastguardlife-saving apparatus from the shore, with thelife-boat standing by. - Rewards, £30 16s.

D E C . 3 R D . - W A L M E R , K E N T . T h ecoastguard had reported flares, and the life-boat put out, in a southerly gale, with veryheavy seas and hail squalls. She found theGreek steamer Aghia Eirini . The steamerdid not need the life-boat‘s help but askedfor a pilot and a tug. The life-boat signalledthe information to the guard ship and thecoas tguard and re tu rned to her s ta t ion-Rewards, £29 0s. 6d.

D E C . 3 R D . - MONTROSE, ANGUS. Asteamer had been reported sunk by enemyaction twenty miles E.S.E. of Scurdyness,b u t n o t r a c e o f h e r c o u l d b e f o u n d -Rewards, £31 11s. 6d.

DEC. 3RD. - WALTON AND FRINTON.E S S E X . A b a r g e h a d b e e n r e p o r t e d i ndis t ress , bu t noth ing could be found. -Rewards £22 12s.

SERVICES 1939 89

DEC. 3RD. - RAMSGATE, KENT. Flareshad been reported by the coastguard, butnothing could he found. - Rewards, £7 16s. 6d.

D E C . 4 T H . - T H E H U M B E R , Y O R K -SHIRE. A British steamer had been sunkby enemy action ten miles east of Withern-sea, but when the life-boat arrived she foundno one on board, and it was thought that thecrew had been rescued by a passing steamer.- Permanent paid crew.

D E C . 4 T H . - B R O U G H T Y F E R R Y ,ANGUS. It had been reported that eightsurvivors of the Swedish steamer Rudolf ,which had been sunk by enemy action, hadbeen picked up by a trawler and that anotherof the Rudolf’s boats was adrift. Her positionwas unknown. A large area was searchedbut nothing was found - Rewards, £19 13s.

DEC . 4T H . - LOWESTOFT, SUFFOLK.An explosion had been seen five miles away,but the life-boat found no survivors, althoughshe picked up a quantity of wreckage whichshe landed at the Custom House. - Rewards,£20 9s.

DEC. 4TH. - RHYL, FLINTSHIRE, ANDHOYLAKE, CHESHIRE. - Flares had beenseen, but nothing could he found. - Rewards :Rhyl, £31. 6s. ; Hoylake, £9 9s. 6d.

DEC. 5TH. - WICKLOW, CO. WICKLOW.A flashing light had been reported from adrifting boat, but nothing could be found.- Rewards, £8 5s.

DEC. 6TH. - SHERINGHAM, NORFOLK.A German bombing seaplane had crashed intothe sea and no survivors could be found.Parts of the machine and a body of a Germanairman were washed ashore. - Rewards,£33 1s. 9d.

DEC. 5TH. - AITH, SHETLANDS. At rawler had been repor ted on f i re , bu tgot help from other trawlers. - Rewards,£6 17s. 6d.

DEC. 6TH. - GREAT YARMOUTH ANDGORLESTON, NORFOLK. An Admiraltytrawler had been mined, but nothing couldbe found although a trawler picked up onesurvivor. - Rewards, £10 0S. 6d.

D E C . 7 T H . - CROMER, NORFOLK. Asteamer had gone ashore, but declined helpas she hoped to refloat unaided as the tiderose. - Rewards, £26 9s. 6d.

D E C . 7 T H . - B R O U G H T Y F E R R Y ,ANGUS The Ice land ic t rawler S k a l l a -grimur had been reported to he in distressover twenty miles away, but nothing wasfound. - Rewards, £16 7s.

DEC. 7TH. - MARGATE, KENT. Gunfirehad been heard and an aeroplane reporteddown in the sea, but nothing was found. -Rewards, £8 9s.

D E C . 8 T H . - THURSO, CAITHNESS-SHIRE. An aeroplane had been reported

in difficulties, but she was only signalling asteamer by rocket. - Rewards, £7 7s. 6d.

DEC. 8TH. - WHITBY, YORKSHIRE. TheDanish steamer Ingertof t had gone ashore,but did not need the help of the life-boat. -Rewards, £12 2s.

DEC . 9TH . - SOUTHEND - ON - SEA,ESSEX. Rockets had been repor ted nearthe Mouse Light-vessel, but nothing could befound. - Rewards, £25 17s.

DEC . 10T H . - CROMER, NORFOLK. Aheavy explosion had been heard, but nothingwas found. - Rewards, £24 15s. 6d.

DEC . 11T H . - BLYTH, NORTHUMBER-LAND. The S.S. Storfjeld, of Bergen, hadgone ashore, but her crew were rescued fromthe shore by the coas tguard l i fe -savingapparatus. - Rewards, £16 7s.

DEC. 11TH. - GREAT YARMOUTH ANDGORLESTON, NORFOLK. An exp los ionh a d b e e n r e p o r t e d n e a r a s t e a m e r , b u tnothing could be found. - Rewards, £12 19s.

DEC. 11TH. - FISHGUARD, PEMBROKE-SHIRE. A steamer had anchored with herengine broken down, but was able to repairit and go on her way. - Rewards, £5 17s. 6d.

DEC. 11TH. - WHITBY, YORKSHIRE.Members of a salvage party on board thewrecked minesweeper Cape Comorin had beeninjured, but seas breaking over the vesselmade it impossible for the life-boat to takethem off and they were brought ashore laterwhen the tide fell. - Rewards, £10 11s. 3d.

(Medals were awarded for the rescue of thecrew of this vessel on 12th November, 1939.See page 61.)

DEC. 11TH . - CROMER, NORFOLK. Asteamer had stranded on the HaisboroughSands, but got off and went on her way.-Rewards, £33, and £19 5s.

DEC. 11TH. - WALMER, KENT. Thesteamer Spar, of Rotterdam, had been incollision, but the life-boat’s help was notneeded. - Rewards, £14 12s. 6d.

D E C . 1 2 T H . - W A L M E R , K E N T . A nexplosion had been heard, but nothing wasfound. - Rewards, £29 0S. 6d.

DEC. 12TH. - GREAT YARMOUTH ANDGORLESTON, AND CAISTER, NORFOLK.A steamer had been reported to be on firea f te r s t r ik ing a mine , bu t a t r awle r hadpicked up five survivors and nothing elsewas found but some wreckage. - Rewards :Great Yarmouth and Gorleston, £7 14s. 6d. ;Caister, £21 18s.

D E C . 1 3 T H . - B L Y T H , A N D T Y N E -M O U T H , N O R T H U M B E R L A N D , A N DSUNDERLAND, DURHAM. An Admiraltydrifter had been blown up by enemy action,but Blyth life-boat could find no survivors.She was then directed to a position where the

90 SERVICES 1939

Belgian steamer Rosa, of Bruges, had beenblown up, but found that other vessels hadr e s c u e d t h e s u r v i v o r s . T h e T y n e m o u t hl i f e - b o a t , w i t h t h e h o n o r a r y s e c r e t a r y ,M r . E . S e l b y D a v i d s o n , o n b o a r d , a l s osearched for survivors from the drifter, butfound none and so did the Sunderland life-boat. - Rewards : Blyth, £8 5s. 6d. ; Tyne-mouth, £7 11s. ; Sunderland, £11 13s. 3d.

DEC. 18TH. - CROMER, SHERINGHAM,AND WELLS, NORFOLK. An aeroplanehad been reported down in the sea, but shecould not be found. - Rewards : Cromer,£39 13s. 6d. ; Sheringham, £37 14s. Wells,£30 9s. 6d.

DEC. 18TH. - ABERDEEN, AND PETER-H E A D , A B E R D E E N S H I R E . A t r a w l e r

DEC. 13TH. - SUNDERLAND, DURHAM.had been reported to have been attacked byenemy aircraft eighty miles to the E.N.E.

A trawler had been reported to have beenmined, but nothing was found. - Rewards,

of Aberdeen, but nothing could be found. -Rewards : Aberdeen, £23 17s. 9d. ; Peter-

£7 15s. 6d. head, £19 6s. 6d.

DEC. 14TH. - CLACTON - ON - SEA, ANDWALTON AND FRINTON, ESSEX. Ship’s

DEC . 19T H . - BRIDLINGTON, YORK-

boats had been reported adrift, but nothingSHIRE. Flares had been reported, but it

was found except large trunks of timber. -was learned later that they had been dropped

Rewards : Clacton-on-Sea, £8 13s. 6d. ;by aeroplanes on night exercises, - Rewards,

Walton and Frinton, £16 4s.£20 12s. 6d.

D E C . 1 4 T H . - TYNEMOUTH, NORTH-UMBERLAND. An Admiralty trawler hadbeen mined, but the survivors of her crewwere rescued by other vessels. - Rewards,£7 3s.

DEC . 15TH . - BLYTH, NORTHUMBER-LAND. An explosion had been heard, butn o v e s s e l i n n e e d o f h e l p w a s f o u n d . -Rewards, £7 6s. 6d.

D E C . 1 5 T H . - TYNEMOUTH, NORTH-UMBERLAND. A Norwegian vesse l hadbeen mined, but five survivors of her crewwere rescued by another vessel. - Rewards,£8 10s.

D E C . 1 5 T H . - NEWBIGGIN, NORTH-U M B E R L A N D . A n , e x p l o s i o n h a d b e e nh e a r d , b u t n o t h i n g c o u l d b e f o u n d . -Rewards , £41 10s .

D E C . 1 7 T H . - W H I T B Y , A N D S C A R -B O R O U G H , Y O R K S H I R E . A m o t o rvessel had been sunk by German aeroplanes,but a boat containing eight survivors wasr e s c u e d b y a f i s h i n g b o a t . - R e w a r d s :W h i t b y , £ 9 1 1 s . 3 d . ; S c a r b o r o u g h ,£36 10s. 6d.

DEC . 17TH . - HYTHE, KENT. A vesselhad been reported attacked by enemy air-craft, but nothing was found. - Rewards,£45 5s. 6d.

D E C . 1 7 T H . - M A R G A T E , K E N T . A nexplosion had been seen, but nothing wasfound except a pa tch of o i l . - Rewards ,£12 8s.

D E C . 1 7 T H . - H A S T I N G S S U S S E XSignals had been repor ted by the coas t :g u a r d , b u t n o t h i n g c o u l d b e f o u n d . -Rewards, £40 2s. 6d.

D E C . 1 7 T H . - P O O L E A N D B O U R N E -MOUTH, AND SWANAGE, DORSET. Theschooner Maud Mary, flying the Polish flag,had gone ashore west of the Old Harry Rocks,but the crew got away in their own boat.- R e w a r d s : P o o l e a n d B o u r n e m o u t h ,£7 6s. 6d. ; Swanage, £9 4s.

DEC. 19TH. - SOUTHWOLD, SUFFOLK.A parachute flare had been seen, but nothingcould be found. - Rewards, £26 16s.

DEC. 20TH. - GREAT YARMOUTH ANDG O R L E S T O N , N O R F O L K . T h e C r o s sSand Light-vessel had made signals, but itwas found that she was calling a trawler tosink mines which were floating dangerouslyclose to her. - Rewards, £8 13s. 6d.

DEC. 20TH. - LOWESTOFT, SUFFOLK.Flares had been reported, but nothing couldbe found.-Rewards, £24 10s.

DEC. 20TH. - GREAT YARMOUTH ANDGORLESTON, NORFOLK. S t . N icho lasLight-vessel had signalled as flares had beendropped by aeroplanes, but the life-boatfound nothing. - Rewards, £19 16s. 6d.

D E C . 2 0 T H . - W A L M E R , K E N T . A nexplosion had been heard, but nothing couldbe found. - Rewards, £29 0S. 6d.

DEC. 20TH. - CROMER, AND SHERING-HAM, NORFOLK. F la res had been re -ported, but they had probably been droppedby aeroplanes as nothing could be found. -Rewards : Cromer, £26 7s. ; Sheringham,£29 9s. 6d.

DEC. 20TH. - BLYTH, NORTHUMBER-LAND. An explosion had been heard, butnothing could be found and it may have beencaused by two mines colliding and exploding.- Rewards, £6 7s. 6d.

DEC. 22ND. - BLYTH, NORTHUMBER-LAND. A minesweeper had been blown up,but her crew were rescued by a pilot cutter.- Rewards, £5 8s. 6d.

DEC . 23RD . - TYNEMOUTH, NORTH-UMBERLAND. A heavy explos ion hadbeen heard, but nothing could be found. -Rewards, £8 15s. 6d.

DEC. 23RD. - SEAHAM, DURHAM. Anexplosion had been heard, but nothing couldbe found. - Rewards, £11 6s. 6d.

SERVICES 1939 91

DEC . 24TH . - BEMBRIDGE, ISLE OF DEC. 25TH. - SELSEY, SUSSEX. VesselsWIGHT. A vessel had been reported to be had been in collision, but a naval vesselashore, but she was found to be anchored off went to their help. - Rewards, £18 13s. 6d.shore. - Rewards. £11 15s. 6d.

DEC. 25TH. - GREAT YARMOUTH ANDG O R L E S T O N , N O R F O L K . F l a r e s h a d

D E C . 2 4 T H . - R A M S G A T E , A N D been reported, but nothing could be found.W A L M E R , K E N T . T h r e e m e n i n a - Rewards, £19 16s. 6d.

motor boat left Ramsgate to go and seethe Mahratta wreck and had not returned

D E C . 2 8 T H . - BRIDLINGTON, YORK-

The Ramsgate life-boat searched throughoutSHIRE. A t rawler had p icked up a mine

the night and again on Christmas morningin her nets and it exploded when it struckthe trawler, but her crew were rescued by

and the Walmer l i fe -boa t on Chr i s tmas another vessel. - Rewards, £20 12s. 6d.morning, but they found nothing as the menhad been towed into Sheerness. - Rewards : DEC . 30T H . - BLYTH, NORTHUMBER-Ramsgate, £17 6s. 6d. and £8 15s. 6d. ; LAND. An explosion had been reported, butWalmer, £14 12s. 6d. nothing could be found. - Rewards, £6 7s. 6d.

Services by Shore-boats

JANUARY MEETING.

DRUMMORE , W IGTOWNSHIRE . During theafternoon of the 14th November, 1938, thesteamer Ben May sprang a leak and sank inEas t Tarber t Bay . Her c rew of l ive tookto the ship’s boat, and at the request of thecoastguard, three men put out in a motorfishing boat and towed them into DrummoreHarbour. - Rewards, £1 10s., and 3s. for fuelused.

ARKLOW , CO . WICKLOW. On the 28thNovember, 1938, five men while out in theirfishing boat rendered help to the trawlerRoaming, of Arklow. - Rewards, £2 10s., with£5 for loss of fishing, and 3s. 4d. for fuel used.

(For a full account, see Arklow “ Servicesof the Life-boats of the Institution during1938,” Arklow, page 92 in Annual Reportfor 1938.)

FEBRUARY MEETING.B A L L Y C O T T O N , C O . C O R K . On the 2nd

January, 1939, the crew of four of the motortrawler Yankee Girl were rescued by anotherfishing boat. - Rewards, £2 10s., with £3 forloss of fishing, and 2s. 6d. for fuel used,together with a letter of thanks to the ownerof the boat.

(A full account of this service appearsunder Ballycotton in “ Accounts of Servicesby Life-boats,” page 15.)

D U N G E N E S S , K E N T T h e m o t o r f i s h i n gboat Little Dick, of Dungeness, had troublewith her engine at 1 P.M. on the 8th January,1939, when about a mile off Lade coastguardstation. A strong S.W. wind was blowing,with a moderate sea. Two men who werefishing near by went to her help and towedher to safety at moderate risk. They broketheir bowsprit on landing. - Rewards, £1,with a grant of 7s. 6d. towards repairs to thebowsprit, and 1s. 6d. for fuel used.

T E N B Y , P E M B R O K E S H I R E . D u r i n g t h eafternoon of the 18th January, 1939, themotor boa t S t e p h e n H a r d i n g , of Caldy ,belonging to Caldy monastery, with threemen on board, lost her propeller and shaftwhen about two and a half miles S.S.E. ofTenby, and drifted towards Quarry Point.A light N.W. breeze was blowing, with aheavy swell. At the request of the stationhonorary secretary a fisherman put out in hismotor boat and towed the Stephen Hardinginto harbour. - Rewards, 10s. and 3s. for fuelused.

MARCH MEETING.W A L M E R , KE N T . On the 18 th January ,

1939, the motor boat Rose Marie helped thel i fe -boat to save the yacht Le igh Ha l l . -

Rewards, £3 10s., 12s. for fuel used and 12s.for damage to tow-rope.

(For a full account, see “ Accounts ofServices by Life-boats,” Walmer, page 16.)

PU R T O N , G L O U C E S T E R S H I R E . A t abou t7.30 P.M. on the 4th February, 1939, threemotor vessels were swept up the River Severnby a very strong tide. Soon afterwards theywere seen drifting helplessly, but no helpcould be given to them. About 10 P.M. oneof them drifted down towards Sharpness onthe ebb tide. A tug went, out to her butthere was no one on board. The other twogrounded on sandbanks - one bottom up-wards and the other with a heavy list. AS.W. wind was blowing, and the water waschoppy. The vessel with the heavy list wasthe Severn Travel ler and shouts could beheard coming from her. No tug could getalongside as the water was too shallow, andthree men put off in a 16-foot rowing boat.They had first to drag her about 400 feetover the mud. They succeeded in takingtwo men off the Severn Traveller. These werethe only two rescued from the three vessels.Six others were drowned. The three rescuersran great risk owing to the state of the river,the darkness, and the danger of groundingon sandbanks. - Rewards, £2 and a framedletter of thanks to each of the men, Mr. L.Keedwell, Mr. G. Cook, and Mr. E. Robins,and £10 10s. sickness allowance to one of therescuers who, as a result of the service, wastaken ill with pneumonia.

THE HUMBER, YORKSHIRE. On the morn-ing of the 11th February, 1939, some menworking at Haile Fort went to the Lincoln-shire coast in a small rowing boat. Oneman tried to row the boat back to the Fortbut failed to make it, and was driven by winda n d t i d e t o w a r d s S p u r n H e a d . H e w a sreported by the signal station and, as he wasthen too close in for the life-boat to go to him,Coxswain Cross and his men directed himwhere to land. He was, however, too ex-hausted and as he neared the beach a seaswamped the boat and threw him into thewater. Coxswain Cross and his crew wentinto the sea and pulled him to safety. -Reward, a letter of thanks to Coxswain Crossand his crew.

APRIL MEETING.

BURRA ISLE, SHETLANDS. While out had-dock fishing in a small open boat from Skeldthree men were thrown into the sea when theirboat was capsized by a squall. The accidenthappened at about 7.30 A.M . on the 18thMarch, 1939, when the boat was five milesfrom Scalloway. A strong northerly windwas blowing and the sea was rough. Thecapsize was seen from the 16-ton motor fishing

SERVICES 1939 93

boat Budding Rose, which at once made forthe spot. With slight risk to themselves hercrew of four rescued the endangered men whowere clinging to their upturned boat andlanded them near to the i r homes . Therescuers then made for Scalloway, picking upthe small boat on the way. - Rewards, £2 10s.,and 8s. 6d. for fuel used.

MAY MEETING.F R A S E R B U R G H , A B E R D E E N S H I R E . A t

about 8 P.M. on the 19th April, 1939, a smallyawl with a party of five boys on board gotinto difficulties and could not make Fraser-burgh Harbour. The sea was choppy with asqua l ly increas ing S .S .W. breeze . Thehonorary secretary of the life-boat stationdid not consider it necessary to launch thelife-boat, and sent out the motor boat Lilymanned by four men, including the permanentmotor mechanic of the life-boat. She pickedup the yawl about half a mile east of Cairn-bulg Beacon and brought her in. - Rewards,£1 10S., also 2s. for fuel used.

SE L S E Y , S U S S E X . On the 22nd Apr i l1939, four men put out in a motor boat andlanded the crew of three of a yacht . -Rewards, £2 10s., and 3s. for fuel used.

(For a full account, see “Accounts ofServices by Life-boats,” Selsey, page 28.)

JUNE MEETING.S IDMOUTH , DEVONSHIRE . At about 8.40

P.M. on the 22nd March, 1939, an aeroplanecame down in the sea of f S idmouth . Awesterly wind was blowing with gusts atthirty miles an hour and sleet showers. Thesea was choppy. The Exmouth life-boat,Catherine Harriet Eaton, was launched at9.25 P.M., but in the meantime four men hadput out from Sidmouth in a 14-foot rowingboat. They found the crew of the aeroplane,four in number, on the fuselage, and rescuedthem. They could not row back to Sid-mouth owing to the strong wind and madeinstead for Salcombe Regis. The life-boatlearning at Beer Head that the men had beenrescued returned to her station, arriving at2.15 A.M. - Rewards : Shoreboat, a framedletter of thanks to each of the four rescuers,Messrs. W. J. Smith, N. Rickwood, J. Dag-worthy, T. Parrot ; Life-boat, £26 15s.

FIRTH OF FORTH. At about 6.30 P.M onthe 16th April, 1939, two men of the R.A.F.left Inverkeithing for Aberdour in a motorboat. The tide was ebbing and the sea wasrough, with a fresh westerly gale blowing.The boat’s engine failed and she was dashedagainst the Firth of Forth Boom and sank,leaving the two men clinging to the Boom.Information of the accident was passed fromAberdour, through the police, to the pilots ta t ion a t Nor th Queensfe r ry . P i lo t C .Donald and a boatman put out in the motorboat Lion and rescued the two men from theBoom. - Rewards , l e t te rs of thanks toPilot C. Donald and to Motorman A. Muir.

BACTON , NEAR CROMER , NORFOLK. Onthe 17th April, 1939, a canoe capsized off

B a c t o n . T h e w e a t h e r w a s f i n e , w i t h astrong N.W. by W. wind and a slight sea.The coastguard informed the Cromer life-boat, but before she could be launched newswas rece ived tha t the boy who had beenalone in the canoe had swum ashore. Thecoastguard had also signalled by whistle toa motor fishing boat, with two men on board,off Mundesley, to go to the rescue ; their help,too, was not needed. - Rewards, 15s.

MABLETHORPE , L INCOLNSHIRE . At about11.15 A.M. on the 9th May, 1939, a R.A.F.machine crashed into the sea live miles tothe east of Theddlethorpe Bombing Range.The weather was fine and sea smooth. TheHumber motor life-boat was sent for, and twomotor boats also put out at the coastguard’srequest. Oil and wreckage were found buta prolonged search failed to find the sunkenplane . Her crew of two were drowned. -Rewards : To the crew of one boat £1 toeach of the two men and 15s. for petrol used ;to the crew of the other a letter of thanks toeach of the two men, Mr. C. Mountam andMr. H. West. Total rewards, £2 15s.

LITTLEHAMPTON, SUSSEX. At about sevenin the evening of the 11th May, 1939, a canoe,with a boy of 16 and a girl of 17 on board,capsized about half a mile off Rustington. Alight N.E. breeze was blowing and the seawas calm. Three men put out in a motorboat from Littlehampton. They found theboy and girl holding on to the canoe andrescued them. The boy was unconsc iousw h e n l a n d e d , a n d d i e d . T h e g i r l w a srevived. - Rewards, £1 10s., also 10s. forboat used and 5s. for fuel.

PORTHCAWL , GLAMORGANSHIRE . On themorning of the 18th May, 1939, the motorboat Albatross, which had been engaged onnight work connected with a new drainagescheme, was seen to hoist a distress signal -a pa i r o f t rousers waved on an oar . Thewind was light, and the sea slight. At thecoas tguard’s reques t two men pu t ou t a t9 .10 A.M . in the motor boat Joyce. Theyfound the A l b a t r o s s about a mi le to theW.S.W., with her engine broken down andher anchor dragging. She had three men onboard. They towed her in. - Rewards, 15s.and 5s. for fuel used.

PADSTOW, CORNWALL.. At 10 A.M. on the23rd May, 1939, two men put out in a 26-footmotor fishing boat to go fishing in Port IsaacBay. The weather was fine, with a smoothsea and a l ight wes ter ly wind. When of fKelland Head they saw the fishing boat SweetBriar, of Padstow, on fire two miles awayand at once went to her. After taking offher crew of two, they got the burning boatin tow, but she sank after they had towed herfor about four miles. - Rewards, £1 5s.

PE N L E E , C O R N W A L L . A t 1 .45 A . M . onthe 25th May, 1939, the police reported dis-tress flares between Penlee and Newlyn. Afresh N.N.E. wind was blowing and the seawas choppy. Two men put out in a motorboa t and found the motor p leasure boa tJubilee, of Penzance, with a party of two men

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and three women on board, only twenty yardsfrom the rocks with her engine broken down.Af te r a l i t t l e manoeuvr ing they took theJubilee in tow and brought her safely intoPenzance Harbour. - Rewards, £1 10s., inaddition to a local gift of 9s.

MA R G A T E , KE N T . A t 1 .15 P . M . on the27th May, 1939, the coastguard reported thata boat had turned over about one mile to theN.N.E. of the watchhouse, and that thereappeared to be someone clinging to it. Theweather was fine and the sea calm, with aslight S.W. breeze. On the life-boat cox-swain’s instructions the motor boat Fearlessput out, manned by six men. They foundthat the boat was, in fact, a piece of wreckagewith something flapping about on the top. -Rewards, £1 10s. and 3s. 6d. for fuel used.

TEIGNMOUTH, DEVON. At 11 A.M. on the29th May, 1939, signals for help were madefrom a small rowing boat about 500 yardsE.N.E. of Teignmouth Pier. A fresh windhad sprung up from the S.E. quickly makinga short, steep sea. A fisherman put off in his30-foot motor boat and found on board theboat an old man who was a cripple, veryexhausted by hard rowing, and two smallboys. They had been lobster fishing. Theirboat was in danger of being carried intobroken water and swamped. The fishermantook her in tow and brought her safely intoTeignmouth Harbour. - Rewards, 10s., with3s. for fuel used.

WORTHING , SUSSEX . On the 30th May asailing boat capsized off Goring. Severalboats went to her aid and the crew of two wererescued. - Rewards : A letter of thanks ;£1 5s., with 5s. for fuel used.

(For a full account, see " Accounts ofServices by Life-boats,” Shoreham Harbour,and Worthing, page 30.)

JULY MEETING.

FRASERBURGH, ABERDEENSHIRE. At about11.30 P . M on the 27th May, 1939, i t wasreported that the motor boat Peggy Lynn, ofPeterhead, was lying one mile east of Cairn-bulg, apparently-in need of help. The life-boat’s motor mechanic and a fisherman wentout to her help in the motor boat Jem. Theyfound that the Peggy Lynn had anchored,owing to the strong flood tide and lack of fueland towed her to Fraserburgh. - Rewards15s., also 3s. for fuel used.

HASTINGS, SUSSEX . At about 4 P .M . onthe 2nd June, 1939, the police told the coast-guard that an oar was being waved from thesmall boat Anne which was about two milesout. A moderate N.E. breeze was blowing,with a choppy sea, and the tide was ebbing.Two men put out in the motor pleasure boatBrittanica. They found that the small boathad a pleasure party of three on board andtha t the engine had broken down. Theytowed her to safety. - Rewards, 15s., also1s. 6d. for fuel used.

W O R T H I N G , S U S S E X . On the 3 rd June ,1939, a small sailing dinghy capsized about

one and a half miles out. A northerly off-shore wind was blowing with a moderatelyrough sea. Mr. George Bashford, a boatman.put off in a rowing boat and rescued the manfrom the dinghy. - Reward, letter of thanksfrom the Institution in addition to £5 fromthe rescued man.

NORTH SUNDERLAND, NORTHUMBERL.AND.At 9.45 A.M. on the 8th June, 1939, threemen, who were at sea in a 35-foot motor fish-ing boat, went to the help of the motor fishingboat Blessing, of Seahouses, which had beendisabled by a rope fouling her propeller,between the Knavestone and the Longstone,and towed her in. The sea was rough, witha southerly wind blowing. - Rewards, £2 5s..also 4s. for fuel used.

SKINNINGROVE, YORKSHIRE. Between sixand seven in the evening of the 9th June.1939, a youth who was bathing off the westside of the jetty was caught by currents andcarried out to sea. Herbert Hart, a localboatman, put off in a rowing boat, breakingan oar and losing a rowlock in his hurry,rescued the now unconscious youth andbrought him ashore. Artificial respirationwas applied by the police, but he did notrevive. - Rewards, 5s. and 12s. 6d. for thebroken oar and lost rowlock.

NEW BRIGHTON, CHESHIRE. At 2.30 P .M.on Sunday the 11th June, 1939, the coast-guard informed the life-boat station that asmal l boa t had been repor ted to h im indifficulties off No. R.6 buoy. The weatherwas fine with a choppy sea, fresh W.N.W.breeze, and rising tide. Nothing could beseen of the small boat although there wereyachts off the Burho Bank, but the life-boat’s motor boarding boat put out, mannedby Mr. W. W. Harris, the honorary secretary,the coxswain and the motor mechanic .Nothing was found, or learned from theyachts, and the boarding boat returned afterover an hour’s search. - Rewards, letter ofthanks to Mr. W. W. Harris, and 7s. 6d. tothe coxswain.

MARGATE, KENT . At about 12.15 P .M .on the 15th June, 1939, with a fresh breezeblowing and a choppy sea, the crew of themotor pilot boat Naylands, while at sea, sawthe motor fishing boat O.K. of Margate, witha crew of two, showing distress signals. Shewas about ha l f a mi le S .W. of the S .E .Margate Buoy ; her trawl had fouled herpropeller ; she was being blown away tosea. The Naylands towed her in. - Rewards,£2 5s., also 5s. for fuel used.

MABLETHORPE , L INCOLNSHIRE . Duringthe afternoon of the 15th June, 1939, awoman lying on an inflated bed floated outto sea. A strong S.W. wind was blowing,with a rough sea. Two men put out in amotor boat and rescued her when she was amile out. - Rewards, £1, also 4s. for fuelused and £2 towards the cost of engine repairsand loss of business.

L L A N D U D N O , C A E R N A R V O N S H I R E . Jus tbefore midnight on the 17th June, 1939,

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the police reported that cries for help hadbeen heard in Llandudno Bay. The sea wassmooth , wi th a wes ter ly wind, and theweather was fine. The coxswain went atonce to the beach and found that two life-boa tmen had pu t ou t in a rowing boa t .They found that the cries came from twomen in a small boat. They had no knowledgeof boats and had put off, without permission,in a boat that was unseaworthy. She wasbeing swamped and they were in danger ofdrowning. The life-boatmen brought themashore. - Rewards, £1, also 10s. for damageto clothing and 2s. 6d. to the coxswain.

DONAGHADEE, Co. DOWN. At about 5.30P.M. on the 18th June, 1939, a small yachtwith one man on board was seen to be indanger of being blown out to sea. The manwas trying .with oars to keep inshore. Astrong N.W. wind was blowing, with a heavysea. A fisherman put out in his motor boatand towed the yacht to harbour. - Rewards,10s

ARRANMORE, Co. DONEGAL. On the 27thJune, 1939, five of the crew of the steamerBen Vooar came ashore for provisions. Asoutherly gale sprang up with a rough sea,and when they attempted to return they wereblown towards the rocks and were in danger.Four men - three of them life-boatmen - putout at 9 P.M. in a 28-foot motor boat, rescuedthe men and put them aboard their own ship.- Rewards, £3, also 5s. for fuel used.

SHOREHAM, SUSSEX. At 11.13 A.M. on the27th June, 1939, the aeroplane G-ABBWcame down in the sea about one and a halfmiles S.W. of Shoreham beach. A lightwesterly breeze was blowing, with a slightsea. Two of the regular life-boat crew, whowere about to go fishing, saw the accident,and immediately launched their small rowingboat. They found the pilot badly injuredand unconscious. They landed him and anambulance took him to hospital, where hedied. The Shoreham Harbour life-boat waslaunched and arrived just as the pilot wasbeing picked up. The life-boat towed theaeroplane to the shore. - Rewards, £1 5s.

ANSTRUTHER, FIFESHIRE. At about 4 P .M.on the afternoon of Sunday, the 9th July,1939, a canoe with two youths on boardcapsized when about three hundred yards offCellardyke Harbour. A light northerly windwas blowing, with a smooth sea. The motoryawl Day Dawn, manned by six men, putoff and rescued them. - Rewards, £1 10s.,with 1s. for fuel used and 5s. for damagedclothes.

SEPTEMBER MEETING.TORBAY, DEVON. At about 6 P .M. on the

12th June, 1939, a sailing dinghy capsized inFishcombe Bay. The weather was fine witha N.W. breeze and an almost smooth sea.The crew of three were seen clinging to thekeel. The call for help was given bymotorists from the Torbay Chalets Camp.Two motor boats put out from Brixham InnerHarbour, and the Torbay life-boat also put

out. The motor boat Lady Mildred, mannedby two men, rescued one, and the motor boatWinsome, manned by one man, rescued theother two. The rescued men had been in thewater near ly for ty minutes and were ex-hausted. - Rewards, £1 2s. 6d.

RINGSTEAD, WEYMOUTH, DORSET. On the29th June, 1939, two young naval seamen,brothers, hired a rowing boat from Portlandand, accompanied by two girls, rowed toRings tead . When they were prepar ing toreturn about 6.30 P .M., they were stronglyadvised by a London police sergeant, whowas on holiday, not to attempt to row backbut to re tu rn by bus . They ignored h i sadvice and soon got into difficulties in a freshw e s t e r l y w i n d , w i t h a c h o p p y s e a . T h esergeant (whose hobby is boating with theRingstead fishermen when on holiday) hadkept the boat under close observation. Whenhe saw that she was in danger he raised thealarm, and himself put out with a local fisher-man and another visitor in a motor boat.When they reached the rowing boat theyfound the sailors nearly exhausted and thegirls crying. They brought them ashore. -Rewards, 25s. to the fisherman for the use ofhis boat, and a letter to the MetropolitanCommissioner of Police strongly commendingthe initiative and action of Sergeant King,B.63.

WHITBY, YORKSHIRE. At 1.45 P .M. on theafternoon of Sunday the 16th July, 1939, thecoastguard reported that a small vessel wasashore off North Cheek, Robin Hood’s Bay.The sea was smooth with no wind, although itwas foggy, and it was decided that a life-boatlaunch was unnecessary, but as a precautionthe life-boat coxswain, Mr. J. Murfield, putout in his own motor boat. He arrived tofind that the vessel had got off and gone onher way. - Rewards, £1 for loss of businessand fuel used.

SOUTHWOLD, SUFFOLK. On the 19th July,1939, a small motor boat was wrecked on as u b m e r g e d p i l e i n S o u t h w o l d H a r b o u r ,throwing the four people on board into thesea. The tide was ebbing strongly with aheavy swell. Two Dutchmen, employed onharbour reconstruction work, immediatelyput out in a small rowing boat and picked upthe people in the water as they were beingcarried out to sea. - Rewards : letters ofappreciation to the two Dutchmen, Mr. M.Sperling and Mr. A. voor den Dag.

BARROW , LANCASHIRE . A pilot who hadbeen on the look-out reported to the life-boat coxswain at 1.45 PM. on the afternoonof Sunday the 23rd of July, that a sailingboat appeared to be in difficulties in More-cambe Bay, with something flying at half-mast. A strong N.W. breeze was blowing,with a choppy sea. A motor boat went outwith a crew of four. They found five sea-sick men on board the sailing boat, but theyrefused all help. - Rewards, £1 10s., and 3s.for fuel used.

BURNMOUTH (EYEMOUTH), BERWICKSHIRE.At about six o’clock on the evening of Sunday

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the 23rd July, 1939, two boy scouts driftedto sea on a raft from a position about twomi les sou th of Burnmouth . The sea wassmooth , wi th a l igh t wes ter ly wind . Themotor boats Braw Lads and White Heatherput out from Burnmouth manned by sevenfishermen and a visitor. Before they reachedthe raft the boys attempted to swim to theshore . One succeeded ; the o ther fa i led .His body was picked up by the White Heather,b u t i t w a s i m p o s s i b l e t o r e v i v e h i m . -Rewards, £1 15s.

HASTINGS, SUSSEX . On the afternoon ofthe 24th July, 1939, information was receivedthrough the police that an aeroplane hadcome down in the sea off Ecclesbourne Glen,near Fairlight. The sea was slight, with aS .W. breeze b lowing. The l i fe -boat waslaunched and, at the request of the police, aspeed-boat also put off from the pier, withoutwaiting to disembark two passengers. Not race of the aeroplane could be found. -Rewards, £1.

HERNE BAY , KENT . On the night of the25th July, 1939, a boy on license from Borstaltook a boa t be longing to the Whi t s tab leCouncil, at Tankerton, and put off withoutoars. A fresh southerly breeze was blowing,the sea was choppy, and the boy got intodifficulties. He was seen and heard by twoboys, shouting for help, but the informationdid not reach the coastguard until 11.30.The Margate life-boat put out, and Mr. APressley, a Herne Bay fisherman, also put outin a motor boat, and joined in the search.An aeroplane dropped Very lights to helpthem, but it was not until dawn that theboy was found by Mr. Pressley. He was thene x h a u s t e d . A f t e r g i v i n g h i m w a t e r a n dchocolate from the life-boat’s stores Mr.Press ley then took the boy ashore . Mr .Pressley was out for about four hours andcovered over thirty miles. - Rewards, £1 5s.,and 7s. for fuel used.

SH O R E H A M H A R B O U R , S U S S E X . On the26th July, 1939, i t was reported that anaeroplane had come down in the sea of fShoreham. A speed-boat pu t ou t on theinstructions of the honorary secretary of thelife-boat station and the coastguard. Shefound nothing. - Rewards, £1.

W H I T B Y , Y O R K S H I R E . A t 9 .30 P . M . onthe 27th July, 1939, a fisherman came ashoreand reported to the life-boat coxswain thathe had seen flares about four miles to thenorth. The sea was calm, with a light S.W.wind. The coxswain and three other menput out in the motor coble Brighter Hope andfound that the flares came from the motorcoble S i l v e r L i n e which had a p leasuref i sh ing par ty on board . Her engine hadbroken down. The Brighter Hope towed herinto Whitby Harbour. - Rewards, £2, and2s. 6d. for fuel used.

HARWICH, Essex. - On the afternoon of the4th August, 1939, four men,, who were sailingin Harwich Harbour in a dinghy, capsized ina squally N.E. wind. The sea was rough andthe tide was ebbing strongly. A local water-

guard that someone was in difficulties on TorrCliffs between Ilfracombe and Lee. The life-boat’s honorary secretary sent off themechanic in his speed-boat, followed by thesecond-coxswain in his motor boat. Twopeople were in difficulties, a man and awoman. The man was hauled up the cliffsby the coastguard, the woman was taken onboard his boat by the second-coxswain. -Rewards, 15s.

SWANAGE, DORSET . At about 4.15 P .M .on the afternoon of Sunday, the 20th August,1939, three small boats got into the tide-ripoff Peveril Point in a strongly ebbing springtide. One of the boats upset. At the requestof the coastguard a boatman put out in his20-feet open motor boat. He was on thespot in about ten minutes and searched foran hour, but could find neither the boat northe man who had been on board. He wasable, however, to help the other two boats.One of them had lost a rowlock, and the othercould make no headway. - Rewards, £1.

WALMER, KENT. At 6.30 P.M. on the 26thAugust, 1939, information was received thattwo boys who had put out in a home-madecanoe a t two in the a f te rnoon, had notreturned. The life-boat coxswain and sixother men put off in a motor boat and foundthe boys about three miles away near Kings-d o w n . T h e y w e r e i n n o d a n g e r . T h emotor boat returned with them. - Rewards,£2 12s. 6d., and 5s. for fuel used.

L L A N D U D N O , C A E R N A R V O N S H I R E . A tabout 6 P.M. on the 29th August, 1939, thecoastguard reported to the life-boat coxswainthat a man had fallen off Orme’s Head. Theweather was misty, with a north-easterlywind and a moderate sea. Four life-boatmenput out in a motor boat. They found thatthe police had already arrived, but stoodby in case it was necessary to take the manon board the i r boa t . He was , however ,hauled up the cliffs. - Rewards, £1 10s., and3s. for fuel used.

OCTOBER MEETING.

ILFRACOMBE , DEVON . At about 11 A.Mon the 12th June, 1939, information wasreceived that a girl had fallen down the cliffsat Haggington Beach, Hele Bay. A strong

SERVICES 1939 97

N.N.W. inshore wind was blowing, with achoppy sea. A rowing boat put out mannedby Mr. N. J. Lewis, a cafe proprietor, Mr.P. G. Burgess, beach attendant, and Mr.W. H. Ga l l ive r . They found the g i r l , aseventeen-year-old visitor, unconscious at thefoot of the cliffs, and another girl about ahundred and twenty feet up.

The men then entered the sea, got theunconscious girl aboard and returned to Hele.Putting off again they went to the help of thegirl on the cliffs, where Mr. Burgess and Mr.Galliver landed, Mr. Lewis remaining in theboa t . Even tua l ly coas tguardsman Beerhelped the girl to the cliff top. Mr. Lewis,Mr. Burgess and Mr. Galliver then returnedto Hele at 12.40 P.M. wet through.

At about 8 P.M. on the 1st July, Mr. Lewisand Mr. Galliver again put out in a rowingboat on learning that two visitors had beenmarooned on a rock, at Hele Bay, by thetide. A moderate W.S.W. wind was blowing,with a choppy sea. They took their boatclose in and the two people were able to jumpinto it. A few minutes later the tide roseover the rock.

Coastguardsman Beer and Mr. Burgess, thebeach attendant, have received testimonialsfrom the Royal Humane Society. Mr. Lewishas rendered s imi lar serv ices on manyprevious occasions. - Rewards, A framedletter of thanks to Mr. N. J. Lewis and 15s. toMr. W. H. Galliver.

ARKLOW , Co. W ICKLOW . About 7 P . M .on the night of the 12th July, 1939, a localseaman noticed that a boat appeared to beon Arklow Bank, several miles east fromArklow Harbour, for she did not move. Thesea was rough, with a strong S.W. wind blow-ing. The motor boat Willie Wag with a crewof six put out at 8 P.M. and reached the dis-tressed boat two hours later. She found herto be the French f i sh ing boat J a v a , ofCamaret. Her crew of six had taken to thesh ip’s boa t . From th is the motor boa trescued them. Half an hour later the Java,which was full of water, slipped off the bankand sank. - Rewards, £7 10s., and 7s. forfuel used ; also 7s. to the man who gave thefirst information.

LITTLEHAMPTON, SUSSEX. At about noonon the 22nd July, 1939, information wasreceived that the sailing boat Idiot’s Delighthad capsized off Rustington. The sea waschoppy, with a fresh S.W. breeze. Mannedby a crew of two the motor speed-boat MissLit t lehampton put off, but found the twopeople from the sailing boat swimming ashore.As they did not need help the speed-boat tookthe sailing boat in tow and brought her toLittlehampton. - Rewards, 15s., £1 for loss ofbusiness, and 7s. for fuel used ; also a letterof thanks to Mrs. Reed Peebles, who gavefirst information of the accident.

BROUGHTY FERRY, ANGUS. While a partyof three were boarding the dinghy belongingto the yacht Black Dragon at about 6 P.M.on the 1st August, 1939, the dinghy capsized.A fresh westerly wind was blowing, with achoppy sea . The t ide was ebbing . Twomen put off in a motor boat. The dinghy

was about 200 yards away. They rescuedt w o o f t h e t h r e e p e o p l e - a f a t h e r a n ddaughter - but the son was missing. Theysearched for him. Meanwhile, the life-boatcoxswain and motor mechanic, who were onthe shore, saw a body in the water. Theywent out in a rowing boat, brought it in anda p p l i e d a r t i f i c i a l r e s p i r a t i o n , b u t , u n -fortunately, without result. - Rewards, 15s.between the two rescuers, and 2s. 6d. for fuelused.

PORTHDINLLAEN , CAERNARVONSHIRE . Atabout 3.30 P.M. on the 15th August, 1939, aboatman, while out in his motor boat, sawthe sailing boat Snark, of Nevin, capsizewhen about two miles from Nevin Bay. Theweather was fine and the sea smooth. Theboatman hurried to the capsized boat, pickedup the three men who had been on board,v is i to rs f rom Manches te r , and took the i rboat in tow. - Rewards, 10s., and 3s. for fuelused.

BLACKPOOL, LANCASHIRE . At 4.30 P . M .on the 22nd August, 1939, a boy who wasbathing and was about 150 yards out, nearthe South Pier, got into difficulties. It washigh water, with a S.W. breeze and a slightsea . Mr . Edwin Smi th , a member of theBlackpool Town Council, who was out in hismotor launch with a boatman and passengers,hurried to the boy, took him on board andapplied artificial respiration. After beinglanded the boy recovered . - Rewards , Aframed letter of thanks to Councillor EdwinSmith, and 5s. to the boatman.

War Declared at 11 a.m. on the 3rdof September.

H A S T I N G S , S U S S E X . M r . R . C o o k e ,Volunteer-in-Charge of the Life-saving Corpsat Pett, and three other men, rescued thecrew of four of an aeroplane on the 9 thSeptember, 1939. The Hastings and Dun-geness life-boats also went out. - Rewards,£2, and 5s. for use of boat.

(For a fu l l account see “ Accounts ofServices by Life-boats,” Hastings, Sussex,and Dungeness, Kent, page 39.)

H E R N E B A Y , KE N T . A t abou t 11 .30 onthe n igh t o f the 9 th Sep tember , 1939 , aB r i t i s h a i r c r a f t c r a s h e d i n t h e s e a o f fSeasalter, and a number of boats, includingthe Margate and Southend life-boats, put out.The weather was ca lm. The c rew of theaeroplane were safe, but one of the boatswhich had gone to her help with two boysaboard , d id no t re tu rn , and ea r ly in themorning of the 10th September, Mr. Pressley,a boa tman , pu t ou t a t the reques t o f thecoastguard. He did not find the boat, butshe got back safely, unaided. - Reward, £1.

BROUGHTY FERRY , ANGUS. Two boys ina sailing boat were seen to be in difficultiesabout a mi le wes t o f the Tay Br idge a t12.30 P .M . on the 11th September, 1939.The coxswain, motor mechanic and bowman,put off in a motor boat, picked up the boys,and towed their boat to Broughty Ferry. A

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boat was bor rowed for the job , and theIns t i tu t ion’s pe t ro l was used . - Rewards ,7s. 6d. to the bowman, and 10s. for the use ofthe boat.

TENBY, PEMBROKESHIRE. While out fish-ing in the motor trawler Two Brothers, in theafternoon of 15th September, 1939, two mensaw a sailing boat in difficulties, about twomiles off. She had a party of five youngpeople on board. They did not know how tohandle the boat. The sails had been blownaway, and she was being carried out to sea.A fresh northerly wind was blowing, and thesea was choppy with a very strong tide run-ning. Heaving up their gear the two menwent to her help, rescued the five persons onboard, and towed the boat into Tenby Road-stead. - Rewards, £1 5s.

R E D C A R , Y O R K S H I R E . Whi le homewardb o u n d f o r G r i m s b y t h e s t e a m t r a w l e rOswaldian ran ashore on the Salt Scar Rocksat about 8.30 P .M. on the 25th September,1939. The weather was hazy, with a heavyswell. The Redcar life-boat put out and alsothe motor fishing boat Mayflower, with acrew of four. Four of the Oswaldian’s crewof eleven were landed by the fishing boat andremained ashore . The o thers a f te r be ingtaken on board the life-boat returned to thetrawler which refloated later. - Rewards,£3, and 1s. 6d. for fuel used.

NOVEMBER MEETING.

CAPE CLEAR, Co. CORK. On 24thSeptember, 1939, explosions were heard atsea about two o’c lock in the a f te rnoon .They came from the S.S. Hazelside, of New-castle, a timber-laden steamer which was indistress through enemy action about elevenmiles south of Cape Clear. An easterly breezewas blowing and the sea was rough. Ninemen manned a fifty-feet motor fishing boat,St. Ultan, and put out at 3 P .M. Guided byaircraft they reached the Hazelside as shewas sinking. They saw two rafts with men onboard, and three of the St. Ultan’s crew putoff from her in a small boat to go to theirhe lp . Wi th grea t d i f f i cu l ty , and a t g rea trisk owing to the wreckage, the heavy seaand the possibility of attack, they rescuedtwo men from one of the rafts, and three fromthe o ther . Al l f ive men were exhaus ted .The St. Ultan then saw a boat about twelvemiles to the west and reached her about sevenin the evening. She found on board eighteenof the Hazelside’s crew and rescued them.The S t . U l tan then made for Schul l andarrived there at 10.30 P.M., having travelledabout forty miles. At Schull the rescuersentertained the rescued, and the St. Ultanleft for Cape Clear at three next morning.The motor life-boat at Courtmacsherry, fortymiles away, also put out to the help of theHazelside, but by the time she arrived themen had already been rescued by the St.Ultan. - Rewards to the St. Ultan, £22 10s.,and £5 for fuel, damage to the small boat,torn sail, etc.

HOYLAKE, CHESHIRE. At about 8.25 A.M.on the 8th October, 1939, the wife of the

owner of the yacht Mischief told the coast-guard that the yacht was inside the entranceto Hoyle Lake, with her husband and twosons on board, and they appeared to be wav-ing for help.

A moderate to strong W.N.W. breeze wasb lowing , wi th a ra ther rough sea . Thecoastguard informed the life-boat coxswain,who put out with his son in a rowing boat.They helped to bring in the yacht and tomoor her in a safe position. - Rewards, £1.

FLEETWOOD , LANCASHIRE . On the 13thOctober, 1939, two men belonging to Black-pool put out to fish from a home-made boatwi th an ou t -board motor . The i r eng inebroke down ; they were unable to return ;an ebbing tide and easterly wind carriedthem out to sea. They waved a towel on anoar as a distress signal. This was seen atabout 4.30 P.M. by two Fleetwood fishermenwho were returning home, in a half deckedmotor fishing boat, from the fishing groundoff Blackpool. With great difficulty, owingto the frail construction of the disabled boat,they succeeded in towing her to the shore,a distance of three miles. - Rewards, 15s.,and 5s. for fuel used, etc.

ABERYSTWYTH, CARDIGANSHIRE. At 11.45A.M. on the 30 th Oc tober : 1939 , i t wasreported that the small fishing boat Gloria,of Aberystwyth, with one man on board,was out. A heavy easterly breeze was blow-ing, with a lumpy sea. The man was unableto row against the wind and although hisanchor was down his boat was being blownout to sea. The life-boat coxswain, motormechanic and shore signalman put out in amotor boat and brought in the fishermanand his boat. - Rewards, £1 2s. 6d., and2s. 6d. for the use of the boat.

BARROW , LANCASHIRE . At 1.30 P . M . onthe 8th October, 1939, the life-boat motormechanic, while on duty, saw a small sailingboat capsize between Roa Island and Pie1Island. The sea was rough, with a strongS.E. wind blowing. The mechanic at onceput out, with the assistant mechanic, in amotor boat, rescued the man who had beenon board the small boat and towed in theboat. - Rewards, 5s. to the assistant mechanic.

DECEMBER MEETING.

BURRAFIRTH , LERWICK , SHETLANDS. At1.52 P . M . on the 20th October, 1939, thecoas tguard asked the Ligh thouse ShoreStation at Burrafirth to send its boat to pickup the crew of the S.S. Sea Venture, of London,which had been sunk by enemy action fifteento twenty miles east of Flugga. A light S.W.wind was blowing with a smooth sea. At3 P .M. the motor boat was launched with acrew of seven, and searched unsuccessfullyfor several hours and returned when theLerwick motor life-boat took up the search.In the end the life-boat found the crew of theS.S. Sea Venture, who had landed on thebeach at the Island of Skaw. (The life-boat’sservice was reported in the issue of The Life-boat for April, 1939.) - Rewards, £4 7s. 6d.

SERVICES 1939 99

WICKLOW. At 8 A.M. on the 31st October,1939, the look-out at Wicklow Head informedthe Wicklow life-boat station that a raft,believed to have three men on board, wasabout two miles N.E. of the Head, drifting.As the life-boat was under survey, five menput out in a 24-feet rowing boat. A strongE.N.E. wind was blowing with a rough sea.The men found that the raft was, in fact,a fisherman’s "dan," three buoys with amast and light attached. They took it intow and brought it into harbour. - Rewards,£3 15s.

L L A N D U D N O , C A E R N A R V O N S H I R E . A tabout 5 P .M. on the 5th November, 1939,three small rowing boats, which had been outfishing, were in difficulties about a mile offthe pier. A hard S.S.E. wind was blowing,with a moderate sea. Three men who hadjust returned in their motor fishing boatSwallow watched two of the rowing boatsreach the pier, and then put out again in thegrowing darkness to help the remaining boat.They found her in danger of being carriedon to a rocky precipitous lee shore and towedher in. - Rewards, £2 5s., and 5s. for fuelused.

SOUTHWOLD, SUFFOLK. At 11 A.M. on the6th November, 1939, the motor fishing boatBoy Dinks, with a crew of three, was indifficulties two miles north of Southwold.The exhaust pipe was flooded and the enginecould not be started. There was a moderatesea running with a W.S.W. breeze. The mensignalled for help and another motor fishingboat took them in tow, but, after she hadtowed them about half a mile, the tow ropebroke and the Boy Dinks sank. Her crewwere taken into the rescuers’ boat. - Rewards,£1 12s. 6d., and 2s. for fuel used.

LOWESTOFT , SUFFOLK . When returninghome at about 11 A.M. on the 6th November,1939, two fishermen, on board the motorsprat boat Mica, saw a hand above the waternear the Newcombe Bank . They tu rnedtheir boat and found two men clinging tothe corks of their floating nets with theirheads jus t above water . They were thecrew of the motor fishing boat Harvest Moon,of Yarmouth, a new boat, on her first trip.She had taken aboard nets from another boatin addition to her own, become overloaded,and sank. Four attempts had to be madebefore the men could be picked up, for astrong S.S.W. wind was blowing, the sea wasrough, and the rescuers were in danger fromthe risk of their propeller being fouled byfloating nets. - Rewards, £1 18s., and 2s. forfuel used.

C U L L E N , B A N F F S H I R E . A t abou t 7 .30P .M. on the 6th November, 1939, distresssignals were seen from a R.A.F. bomber anda few minutes later the bomber was forced tocome down in Cullen Bay. Four men atonce put out to the rescue in the motor boatQuest . A light S.W. wind was blowing,with a slight swell, but the bomber was nearthe rocks and the rescuers ran great risk ofhaving their boat washed on to them. Thework of rescue was made still more dangerousby the fact that the bomber was carrying live

bombs, but the four men were successful inrescuing the bomber’s crew of four withoutmishap. - Rewards, £5 5s., and 3s. for fuelused.

N O R T H R O N A L D S H A Y , O R K N E Y S . Soonafter 8 A.M. on the 7th November, 1939, theS.S. Hansi, of Bergen, stranded on Reef Dyke,and her crew of sixteen left her in two ship’slife-boats. A local boat with a crew of fivewent out and piloted the boats for two milest o a s a f e l a n d i n g . W i n d a n d s e a w e r emoderate.

The coastguard life-saving apparatus hadbeen called out and helped the crew ashore.The St romness motor l i fe -boa t had a l sobeen launched , bu t the men had a l readybeen landed when she arrived. - Rewards,£2 10s.

MARGATE, KENT . About 9 A . M . on the13th November, 1939, the destroyer HMS.Blanche, which had been damaged by enemyact ion , was be ing towed by a Ramsgatetug. The weather was clear with a N.N.W.w i n d b l o w i n g , a n d t h e s e a c h o p p y . A tthe request of another destroyer, the motorboa t G o l d e n S p r a y , with a c rew of two,which was trawling, went to stand by theBlanche. She was then one mile E. of theNor th-Eas t Marga te Buoy . Shor t ly a f te r -wards the Blanche turned over on her side,throwing those on board into the sea, and thetwo men on the Golden Spray picked up 70 ofthem and transferred them to a tug. It wasa fine rescue and the two men ran a great risk,for the men of the destroyer were coveredwith oil ; it was very difficult to get themaboard the boat, and their weight nearly sankher. - Rewards, £10, with £5 for damagedclothes and 16s. 8d. for fuel used.

MARGATE, KENT. On the 20th November1939, the motor boat Golden Spray followedthe motor life-boat when she went out to thehelp of the minesweeper Mastiff which hadbeen sunk by enemy action.

(For a full account, see Margate “ Accountsof Services by Life-boats,” page 66.) - Re-wards, £1 18s., and 16s. 8d. for fuel used.

F ILEY , YORKSHIRE . On the afternoon ofthe 24th November, 1939, the local fishingboat Joan and Mary, with a crew of three,broke down off F i ley . A S .E. wind wasfreshening with a moderate sea and an ebbingtide. The life-boat coxswain launched his

motor coble, and with another man towed theJoan and Mary to shore. - Rewards, 15s.with 7s. 6d. for use of boat and fuel.

AR K L O W , Co . W I C K L O W . A t 6 P . M . onthe 29th November, 1939, the life-boat cox-swain and three other men were out in theArklow motor fishing boat Noamh Fiacra.The weather was rough with a westerly gale,bad sea and rain. When in Courtown Baythe men saw flares about two miles away andfound a small open fishing boat from Cour-town drifting with her engine broken down.she was about six miles east of CourtownHarbour into which she was towed at 8 P.M.-Rewards. £4, with 10s. for use of boat and10s. for fuel.