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THE LIFE-BOATThe Journal of the Royal National Life-boat Institution

VOL. XXXII JULY, 1948

THE LIFE-BOAT FLEETMotor Life-boats, 154 :: Pulling and Sailing Life-boats, 2

LIVES RESCUEDfrom the foundation of the Life-boat Service in

1824 to June 24th, 1948 - - - 75,932

The Duchess of Kent at Bridlington and TynemouthTHE DUCHESS OF KENT, President ofthe Institution, took part for the firsttime in naming ceremonies of life-boatswhen she Avent on March 8th to Brid-lington and on March 10th to Tyne-mouth and named their new life-boats,the Tittle Morrison, Sheffield, and theTynesider. Both are old stations andhave distinguished records, and at bothstations the ceremonies were held inthe presence of thousands of spectators.Among them were life-boat workersfrom all over Yorkshire, Northumber-land and Durham.

BRIDLINGTON

The Bridlington station was estab-lished in 1824, the year in which theInstitution itself was founded, and itslife-boats have rescued 239 lives.

The new boat is a gift to the Institu-tion from Mr. James Morrison, and thelate Mr. David Morrison, of Sheffield,and has been named in memory of theirsister. She is a boat of the light self-righting type, 35 feet 6 inches long, forlaunching off the open beach, with two18 h.p. engines. She is the first of thistype to have twin engines and twoscrews. She went to her station inOctober, 1947.

Lord Middleton, M.C., the Lord-Lieutenant of the East Riding of York-shire, presided at the ceremony. After

Commander P. E. Vaux, D.S.C., R.N.,chief inspector of life-boats, had de-scribed the life-boat, she Avas formallypresented to the Institution by Mr.James Morrison, nephew of the twodonors, and received by Sir GodfreyBaring, Bt., chairman of the Institu-tion, who in turn presented her to Mr.J. M. Deheer, chairman of the Brid-lington branch.

The Archbishop of York (the RightHon. and Most Rev. C. F. Garbett,P.C., D.D.) dedicated' the life-boat,assisted by the RCA% Canon J. W.Lamb, and the RCA*. H. R. Hinley,President of the Bridlington FreeChurch Council. The hymns wereaccompanied by the band of the firstbattalion of the Duke of Wellington'sRegiment.

The Duchess's SpeechThe Duchess of Kent then named the

life-boat. She said:"Your Avarm Yorkshire welcome has

touched me deeply, and I appreciate itvery much.

" I am always glad to assist the RoyalNational Life-boat Institution, of whichI am very proud to be President, inany way I can, and when I heard thatBridlington was to haAre a new boat,thanks to the interest and generosityof Mr. Morrison and his family, I

162 THE LIFE-BOAT [JULY, 1948

By courtesy of] l\mcaj,lle Chronicle and Journal Lid.

THE DUCHESS OF KENT NAMING THE TYNESIDER

By courtesy of] [Newcastle Chronicle and Journal Ltd.

TYNEMOUTH NAMING CEREMONY

JULY, 1948] THE LIFE-BOAT 163

By courtesy of} [The Yorkshire Post.

THE ARCHBISHOP OF YORK AND THE BRIDLINGTON CREW

By courtesy of] [H. Hoggarth, Bridlington

BRIDLINGTON NAMING CEREMONY

164 THE LIFE-BOAT [JULY. 194&

made a point of coming here for theceremony.

"Though I have visited severalstations throughout the country, thisis the first time that I have named alife-boat, and I am particularly pleasedthat it should be at Bridlington, aboutwhich I have heard so much, and wherethe Institution receives such splendidsupport from the inhabitants, and alsofrom the Ladies' Life-boat Guild of theEast Riding of Yorkshire.

"I would like to thank you for allyour hard work, appreciating, as youdo, the perils which the gallant men ofthe life-boats face each year, as theygo out on their errands of mercy.

"And now I have great pleasure innaming this life-boat, Tillie Morrison,Sheffield. I wish her and her crewGod-speed in their work of rescue."

A vote of thanks to the Duchess wasproposed bv the Mayor of Bridlington(Councillor * F.. F. Millner, J.P.) "andseconded by Colonel A. D. BurnettBrown, M.C., T.D., M.A., secretary ofthe Institution. After the ceremonythe Duchess had tea with the Brid-lington Ladies' Life-boat Guild.

TYNEMOUTH

The Tynemouth station was estab-lished in 1862, and its life-boats haverescued 325 lives. The station and anew life-boat, John Pyemont, whichhad arrived eighteen months before,were completely destroyed by directhits from two bombs in April, 1941.The station was closed for six monthsand was then re-opened with the motorlife-boat Henry Frederick Swan, builtin 1917, which the John Pyemont hadreplaced in October, 1939. As therewas no boathouse she lay in the openat the head of the trolley-way, whichhad not been destroyed, and continuedto serve until the new station was builtand the new boat arrived there inNovember, 1947. The new boat is46 feet 9 inches long, of the Watsoncabin type, with two 40 h.p. engines.

At the station there was a guard ofhonour of sea scouts and sea rangers,

'and before the ceremony started theDuchess opened the new boathouse andwatch house. The ceremony was heldat the Fish Quay Gut and the Duke ofNorthumberland presided. After Com-

mander P. E. Vaux, D.S.C., R.N., chiefinspector of life-boats, had describedthe new boat, Sir Godfrey Baring, Bt.,chairman of the Institution, presentedher to the Tynemouth branch. Shewas received by Mr. E. Selby Davidson,honorary secretary of the branch, whothen presented to the Duchess of Kenta cheque for £7,109 5s. Id., which thepeople of the Tyneside towns had sub-scribed towards the cost of the new-boat and station.

The Bishop of Newcastle (The RightRev. Noel Baring Hudson, D.S.O..M.C.. D.D.) dedicated the life-boat,assisted by the Rev. L. B. Tirrell, vicarof Tynemouth Priory, and the Rev.George Barclay, of the PresbyterianChurch. The singing of the hymns wa&led by the choir from the Church of theHoly Saviour, Tynemouth, and accom-panied by the Sunderland ConstabularyBand.

The Duchess's Speech

The Duchess of Kent then named thelife-boat. She said:

';Wheii I heard that your new life-boat station, as well as the new life-boat, was completed, I was particularlyanxious, as President of the RoyalNational Life-boat Institution, to comehere to help in to-day's ceremony.

''This fine station and boat are themost up-to-date anywhere on the coastand worthy, I think, of the gallant menwho form the crew.

" It is the policy of the Institution tosee that every advantage is taken ofmodern inventions to build the bestand safest boats for those who have toface all kinds of danger, and, thanks to-the generosity of Tynesiders, yon havehere the very latest form of equipment,and your boat will serve the many ships•which use the Tyne, and the fishing-fleets whose welfare means so much to-the prosperity of you all.

" I have great pleasure in naming thisnew life-boat Tynesider, and wish herand her crew God-speed in their work ofrescue.1'

The Duchess of Kent presented toMr. E. Selby Davidson, the honorarysecretary of the station, and ex-Coxswain George Lisle, the bronzemedals awarded to them by the Insti-tution for the rescue of 21 men from the2().GOO-ton Norwegian motor vessel


Oslo Fjord, in December, 1940, whenshe struck a mine or torpedo and hercaptain ran her ashore a mile south ofTyne Breakwater.

The Mayor of Tynemouth (CouncillorW. R. Forster) proposed, and ColonelA. D. Burnett Brown, M.C., T.D., M.A.,

secretary of the Institution, seconded,a vote of thanks to the Duchess ofKent.

The Duchess and representatives ofthe Institution were entertained bythe Mayor of Tynemouth to lunch beforethe ceremony and to tea afterwards.

The Duchess of Kent at Ramsgate and Broadstairs

THE DUCHESS OF KENT, President ofthe Institution, visited Ramsgate andBroadstairs .on the 19th of May. AtRamsgate she opened and named thenew landing stage and laid the founda-tion stone of the extension of the out-

the Yarrow Home, which is part ofWestminster Hospital and afterwards,on the steps of the Home, presented toMr. A. J. Pay, the harbourmaster, andMr, E. J. M. Croom and Mr. B. C.Wood, boatmen, the vellums which

By courtesy of] [Sunbeam Photo, Ltd., Thanet

THE DUCHESS OF KENT AND THE RAMSGATE COXSWAIN

patient department of the hospital.After opening the landing stage, theDuchess had presented to her CoxswainDouglas Kirkaldie, and the life-boatcrew, and Mr. Howard Knight, D.S.M..the late coxswain and other formermembers of the crew.

At Broadstairs the Duchess visited

the Institution awarded them fortheir gallant attempt, on the 19thof November, 1947, at great risk tothemselves, to rescue in heavy seasa boy who had been washed off thepier.*

*A full account of their attempt was published, inthe last issue of The life-boat.


A Gallant BoyON the 26th of March, three Armyofficers from Dover, members of theRoyal Artillery Yacht Club, set sail ina yacht for Margate. Just after fourin the afternoon they were seen by theshore attendant attempting to enterRamsgate harbour. He kept theyacht under observation, as she ap-peared to be in difficulties. Then hesaw her attempt to jibe, in the freshfollowing easterly breeze, and capsize,throwing the three men into thesea. There were several rowing boats,in the harbour. He called to them.A seventeen-year-old boy, KennethGilbert, an engineering apprentice, wassailing a 15-feet boat. He had littleexperience of sailing, but he answeredthe call, and left the safety of the har-bour. There were frequent, heavysqualls, and outside the harbour a

choppy broken sea. In spite of hisinexperience, Mr. Gilbert must havehandled his boat with remarkable skill,and judgment, or had extraordinarygood fortune, for he reached the threemen in time and succeeded in gettingthem all on board. In doing so heran very great risk of being capsizedhimself. He had to return againstthe tide, which was running down thecoast. In that wind and tide he couldnot manage his boat, but a passingspeed-boat gave him a short pull, andwith that help he brought his boat andthe rescued men safely into the har-bour. The capsized yacht was towedin later by a motor boat.

In recognition of his gallantry theInstitution has awarded Mr. Gilbertits thanks inscribed on vellum and twopounds.

Twenty-five Years as ChairmanIN May of this year Sir GodfreyBaring, Bt., completed twenty-fiveyears as chairman of the Committeeof Management of the Institution.There have been, including him, eightchairmen in the 124 years since theInstitution was founded in 1824. Thefirst, Mr. Thomas Wilson, M.P., servedfor 28 years. Sir Edward Birkbeck,Bt., M.P., served for 25 years (1883-1908), and Mr. Thomas Baring, M.P.,who was also chairman of Lloyds,served for 19 years (1855-1873). SirGodfrey Baring was deputy chairmanfor seven years, and the only otherchairman who had also been deputychairman was Sir Edward Birkbeck,

for two years. Sir Godfrey Baring hasnow been deputy chairman and chair-man for 33 years, as compared withMr. Thomas Wilson's 28 years and SirEdward Birkbeck's 27 years. He hasalso been a vice-president of the Isleof Wight Life-boat Board for 48 years.

At the May meeting of the Committeeof Management, Captain Charles Cavethe senior member (he was appointedto the Committee in 1905) made apresentation to Sir Godfrey Baring,"from his colleagues on the Committeeof Management of the Royal NationalLife-boat Institution, to mark theirappreciation of his 25 years as theirchairman."

Scholarships for Sons of Life-boatmenTHE Outward Bound Sea School, atAberdovey, which runs four-weeklycourses in seamanship and some otherout-of-door subjects for boys from fif-teen to eighteen and a half years old,offered the Institution in March of thisyear six King George's Jubilee Scholar-ships to sons of past or present members

of life-boat crews. These scholarshipsmean that those holding them can takethe four-week's course without expenseexcept their fares to and from Aber-dovey. Six boys have been chosen,after consultations with the honorarysecretaries of stations, and will attendcourses this year.


Life-boat Services in March, April and MayDURING March, 1948, life-boats wentout on service 30 times and rescued10 lives.

AGROUND IN FOG

Troon, Ayrshire.—There was a fogin the morning of the 4th of March,1948, and at 10.30 a fisherman of Ayrtelephoned that a motor fishing boatwas ashore off Ayr harbour. At eleveno'clock the motor life-boat Sir DavidRichmond of Glasgow was launched, ina light southerly breeze, with a smooth

Dungeness, Kent.—There was fogin the morning of the 2nd of March,1948, and at 8.20 distress signals wereheard. At 8.45 the motor life-boatCharles Cooper Henderson was launchedin a moderate north-easterly breeze,with a choppy sea, and found theFrench naval vessel Victorieuse strandedon Newcome Bank. At the captain'srequest the life-boat stood by, and latershe and a local motor boat laid out ananchor. The Victorieuse refloated un-damaged and the life-boat .returned to

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THE RHYL CREW AND HONORARY OFFICIALS

sea, and found the motor fishing boatNan McMarrar, of Campbeltown, onBlackburn Rocks, and leaking. Thelife-boat could get no nearer to her thanone hundred feet, owing to the shallowwater, so she made for Ayr and tookon board a pump and three firemen.After waiting for over an hour for thetide to rise she was just able to putthem on board the Nan McMarrar.She then returned ashore, and her crew'had a meal. She got back to the NanMcMarrar and this time was able tomake fast alongside. With the helpof the fishing boat Lead Me, of Camp-beltown, she towed the Nan McMarraroff the rocks and beached her in Ayrharbour. She returned to her stationat 7 o'clock in the evening.—PropertySalvage Case.

her station at 2.45 that afternoon.—Property Salvage Case.

DRIFTING TOWARDS THE ROCKSTynemouth, Northumberland. — At

10.50 in the morning of the 14th ofMarch, 1948, the motor life-boat Tyne-sider was launched, with the honorarysecretary, Mr. E. Selby Davidson, onboard, to carry out trials with her radio-telephony, and at 12.30 the fishing boatHannah attracted her attention withS.O.S. blasts on her whistle. A lightsoutherly wind was blowing with amoderate sea. The fishing boat washalf a mile east of St. Mary's Islandand in danger of being carried on tothe rocks. The life-boat found hercrew of three very exhausted, rescuedthem and, with the Hannah in tow,


made for South Shields. There shelanded the men and arrived back ather station at 1.20 in the afternoon.—Rewards, £12 7*.

A SEARCH BY NIGHTDunmore East, Co. Waterford. — At

7.30 on the night of the 15th of March,1948, local pilots reported that thereflection of flares could be seen offCreadon Head and at eight o'clock,with Mr. A. Westcott Pitt, the honorarysecretary, on board, the motor life-boatDuke of Connaugkt, on temporaryduty at this station, was launchedin a moderate south-westerly breeze,with a moderate sea. With the helpof her searchlight she found the localfishing boat Maggie, with a crew of two,four miles to the north-east. She hadbeen drifting for four hours with herengine broken down. The life-boattowed her in, arriving back at herstation at 9.10.-—Rewards, £5.

UNABLE TO MAKE HARBOUR

Newhaven, Sussex.—At 8.10 in theevening of the 17th of March, 1948,information was received from the har-bour watch-house that a vessel wasburning red flares, south of NewhavenBreakwater, and at 8.25 the motorlife-boat Cecil and Lilian Philpott waslaunched. A strong south-westerlywind was blowing, with a rough sea.The life-boat found the motor vesselGoldeve, of London, a converted barge,loaded with maize and bound forLondon, four miles south-west of thebreakwater. She had a crew of four,and though she was in no immediatedanger, she needed help to enter theharbour. The life-boat stood by heruntil the tide was flowing and thenescorted her to the harbour entrance.There she put a life-boatman on boardthe Goldeve and he helped to bring herin. The life-boat arrived back at herstation at 11.15 that night.—Rewards,£15 6s. 6d.

TO HELP OF THE SICK IN A GALEAith, Shetland*. — At 6.15 in the

evening of the 22nd of March, 1948, atelephone message was received from adoctor that a man was seriously ill onthe island of Papa Stour. A north-north-west gale was blowing with a

very heavy sea, and as it was impossiblefor any other boat to leave the harbourthe motor life-boat The Rankin waslaunched at 9.30 with a doctor onboard. The patient was found to beseriously ill, and though the doctorwould have liked to move him at onceto the mainland, he did not dare exposehim to the long sea journey in a gale.The life-boat brought the doctorback, arriving at her station at 2.30the following morning. •— Rewards,£14 15s. Repaid to the Institution.

FRENCH FISHING-VESSEL ASHORE

Barmouth, Merionethshire.—At 6.30in the morning of the 25th of March,1948, information was received fromDyffryn that two men had landed in adinghy from the French fishing vesselVa-Sans-Peur, of Concarneau, boundfor Liverpool, and had asked for thehelp of the life-boat as their vesselwas aground. The motor life-boatLawrence Ardern, Stockport, waslaunched at 7.40 in a light easterlybreeze, with a slight sea, and found thefishing vessel three miles away on St.Patrick's Causeway. The second cox-swain went on board her and the life-boat returned ashore, brought out thetwo Frenchmen and their dinghy, andput them on board the Va-Sans-Peur.The life-boat stood by until the tiderose and the vessel refloated. Thecoxswain then set the skipper on hiscourse, and the life-boat returned toher station, arriving at 1 o'clock in theafternoon.—Rewards, £21 17*. 6d.

BUMPING ON THE SANDS

Margate, Kent. — At 12.14 in themorning of the 29th of March, 1948,.the coastguard reported red flares oneand a half miles to the north-north-west, and at 12.30 the motor life-boatThe Lord Southborough—Civil ServiceNo. -1 was launched. A moderate'south-south-east breeze was blowingwith a moderate sea. The life-boatfound the tug Beacon, of Gillingham,bound for Grangemouth, aground onthe sands four miles to the north-north-west. She was bumping heavily on thesands, and her crew of four asked tobe towed in. The life-boat reached herstation again at 2.50.—Rewards,£15 3*.


TWO BOYS DROWNEDMargate, Kent.—At 1.10 in the after-

noon of the 29th of March, 1948, thecoastguard reported that a sailingdinghy, had capsized between one andtwo miles east of the life-boat station,and the motor life-boat The LordSouthborough—Civil Service No. 1 waslaunched at 1.25 in a moderate south-westerly breeze with a moderate sea.She found the dinghy, upturned, onemile to the north-east, and an exhaustedman. He said that his two sons weremissing. The life-boat took himashore, and then put out again, withother boats, to search for the two boys,but could not find them. She arrivedback at her station at 3.45.—Rewards.£12 19*. 6d.

A MAN AND TWO WOMEN IN PERILSt. Mary's, Isles of Scilly.—Just before

four o'clock in the afternoon of the29th of March, 1948, the coastguardreported a motor boat that appeared tobe in difficulties off Lizard Point,Tresco. The wind was rising. Byfive o'clock a south-south-east gale wasblowing with a rough sea, and at 5.15the motor life-boat Cunard waslaunched. She found the fishing boatPeaceful, of Scilly, anchored off Dia-mond Ledges, Tresco. with a man andtwo women aboard. .Her engine hadbroken down. The life-boat put a man011 board her and towed her to ananchorage. She returned to her stationat 0.20 that evening—Rewards, £8 125.

FALMOUTH'S THREE SERVICES INFIFTEEN HOURS

Falmouth, Cornwall.—-At 4.45 in theafternoon of the 29th of March, 1948,the dock police- reported a yacht indifficulties off Castle Head. A southerlygale was blowing, with a heavy sea andshe was in danger of being swamped.At 5.30 the motor life-boat Crawfordand Constance Conybeare was launchedand found a fourteen-feet yacht closeinshore and making for the harbour.The life-boat rescued her crew of two,towed the yacht in, and arrived backat her station at 7 o'clock that evening.—Rewards, £7 8s.

Faltnouth, Cornwall.—At ten o'clockon the same night a vessel in Falmouth

Harbour signalled for help by whistleand rocket, and the motor life-boatCrawford and Constance Conybeare putout. A whole southerly gale was thenblowing, with a very heavy sea. Shefound that the s.s. Dicky, of Liverpool,with a crew of ten aboard, had draggedher anchors and had gone ashore nearKiln Quay. At the request of themaster the life-boat returned ashore,arranged for a tug to go out, and wentback to the Dicky to warn her to beready when the tug arrived. Earlynext morning the tug refloated her, butjust before midnight signals of distresswere seen from another steamer ashoreon Mullonan Point, Falmouth Harbour,and at 12.15 the life-boat went to herhelp. She was the s.s. Leeds City, ofBideford, bound in ballast from Londonto Falmouth, and had a crew of aboutforty on board. The life-boat stood byuntil two o'clock in the morning. Themaster then asked for tugs and thelife-boat went to fetch them, returnedwith them and passed their hawsersto the Leeds City. The gale was nowvery severe, and the tow parted, butthe life-boat fixed another tow andstood by until the steamer had beenrefloated. She accompanied her to theFalmouth Docks and arrived back ather station at ten o'clock in the morningof the 30th of March.—-Property SalvageCases.

STEAMER UNMANAGEABLE

Holyhead, Anglesey.—At 1.5 in theafternoon of the 31st of March, 1948,the coastguard reported that a smallsteamer in New Harbour had signalledon her whistle for help. The motorlife-boat A.E.D. left her moorings at1.20 in a southerly gale, with a veryrough sea. Five minutes later shereached the s.s. Vic 67, of Liverpool, andfound her light and unmanageable.The second coxswain of the life-boatwent on board her and two ropes werepassed from her to the life-boat. Withthese ropes to help the steamer to steer,the life-boat and steamer made for theinner harbour, but when they were offSalt Island the ropes had to be cast off,as the steamer was sheering too badly forthe life-boat to hold her. The secondcoxswain remained on board thesteamer and, with great difficulty, took


her into the inner harbour. The life-boat got back to her moorings at halfpast three.—Property Salvage Case.

BRINGING IN SIX FISHING BOATSArbroath, Angus.-—At three o'clock in

the afternoon of the 31st of March,1948, the coastguard reported that sixlocal fishing boats were approachingharbour. A south-southywest gale wasblowing with a very rough sea, makingthe harbour bar dangerous, and themotor life-boat John and WilliamMudie was launched at 3.15. Shestood by until all the boats had got insafely and returned to her station at4.15.—Rewards, £11 105. 6d.

ANOTHER FISHING BOAT BROUGHT INBridlington, Yorkshire.—On the after-

noon of the 31st of March, 1948,the motor life-boat Tillie Morrison,Sheffield, was launched at 5.35, to standby the local motor fishing boat MayLily, during a south-easterly gale witha very heavy sea. The life-boat foundher two miles south of Bridlington, andshe made for home accompanied by thelife-boat, which spread oil on the sea andescorted her safely into harbour. Thelife-boat then returned to her station,arriving at 7.35.—Rewards, £9 135.

The following life-boats could find noship in distress, were not needed orcould do nothing:

LOST ON THE BARFerryside, Carmarthenshire.—At about

1.30 in the afternoon of the 8th ofMarch, 1948, the Tenby coastguardtelephoned that a bod'y had beenwashed ashore at Ferryside that morn-ing, and the motor fishing vessel MaryAnne, of Swansea, bound for Tenby,was reported to be missing with hercrew of two. At 1.45 the motor life-boat William Maynard was launched ina fresh south-westerly breeze with aheavy ground sea. She made an exten-sive search, but found only the wreck-age of the Mary Anne. There was notrace of the second man. The life-boatarrived back at her station at 4.30.—•Rewards, £17 195.

A FALSE ALARMCampbeltown, Argyllshire. — At 7.10

in the evening of the 9th of March,

1948, the Southend coastguard reporteda vessel in the Sound of Sanda burning ared light or flare, and the motor life-boat City of Glasgow was launched at7.20 in a moderate westerly breeze witha moderate sea. She found the s.s.Pibroch, of Glasgow, bound from Mayfor the Clyde with a cargo of whisky.Flames were coming out of her funnel,but they were due to heavy stoking,and she did not need help. The life-boat made a search, but no other vesselwas found to be in need of help and shearrived back at her station at 10.30.—•Rewards, £12 155. 6d.

Selsey, Sussex.—March I4th. — Re-wards, £23 125.

Wey mouth, Dorset.1—March 20th.—Rewards, £8.

CANOEIST LOST IN A GALEMallaig, Inner Hebrides.—The motor

life-boat Sir Arthur Rose left her moor-ings at 6.30 in the evening of the 21stof March, 1948, in a south-west galewith a rough sea, to the help of a canoe.She found her on the beach. Of thetwo men who had been in her, one hadswum ashore, the other was drowned.The life-boat reached her station againat 8.5 in the evening.—Rewards, £7.

Dover, Kent.—March 23rd. —Re-wards, £7 55.

Walmer, Kent. —March 24th. —Re-wards, £17 25.

Lytham St. Annes,' Lancashire.—March25th.—Rewards, £17 155.

New Brighton No. 2, Cheshire.—March25th.—Rewards, £9 55.

Wells, Norfolk.—March 26th. —Re-wards, £24 55.

Wells, Norfolk."—March 27th. —Re-wards, £21 17s.

St. Helier, Jersey.—March 27th.-—Re-wards, £5.

The Mumbles, Glamorganshire.—March29th.—Rewards, £11 Is.

Margate, Kent.—March 30th.—Re-wards, £27 05. Qd.

APRILDuring April life-boats went out on

service 36 times and rescued 31 lives.

STRANDED ON THE BREAKWATERHolyhead, Anglesey.—A minute be-

fore midnight on the night of the 31st


of March, 1948, the coastguard reportedthat the s.s. St. Kenneth, of Dublin,anchored off the breakwater, was drag-ging her anchors and had signalled forhelp. The motor life-boat A.E.D. waslaunched at 12.25 in a strong south-westerly gale, with a very rough sea,and found the steamer stranded on thebreakwater. The life-boat put a life-boatman on board to help get her off.She refloated three hours later andanchored. The life-boat returned toher station at 4.45.—Property SalvageCase.

A SPEED BOAT SUNKCromer, Norfolk.—On receipt of a

message from the coastguard that avessel was at anchor off Cromer, andwanted to land survivors of a sunkenboat, the No. 2 motor life-boat HarriotDixon was launched at 1.10 in themorning of the 1st of April, 1948, in asouth-westerly breeze with a moderateswell. About four miles away in a north-easterly direction she found the s.s.Dynamo and on board her the crew ofthe speed boat Day II, which had sunknear the Kentish Knock. The life-boatbrought them ashore and returned toher station at 2.15.—Rewards, £14 12s.

UNCONSCIOUS ON AN ISLANDSt. David's, Pembrokeshire.—At 8.55

on the night of the 2nd of April, 1948,the St. Ann's Head coastguard tele-phoned that a message had been re-ceived from a resident of WooltackPoint, that his brother, Mr. Codd, hadleft for Skemer Island in his motor boatthat afternoon and that a bonfirehad been lit on the island and a lampcould be seen being moved to and fvo.A later message said that S.O.S. signalswere being made with the lamp, andat 9.45 the motor life-boat Civil ServiceNo. 6 was launched. A fresh north-north-west gale was blowing, with arough sea. The life-boat found thatMr. Codd's daughter had injured herhead and was unconscious. The life-boat took Mr. Codd and two friends onboard and .towed the motor boat toMartin's Haven. There the three menlanded and got a doctor. The life-boattook him out to Skomer. He treatedthe patient and restored her to con-sciousness. The life-boat brought him

to the mainland-again and towed themotor boat with Mr. Codd and theother two men back to Skomer, arrivingat 3.45 in the morning. She stayed atthe island until 5.30 and arrived backat her station at 6.45 that morning.—Rewards, £18 4s.

SAILS GONE; HALF-FULL OF WATER

Dunmore East, Co. Waterford. — At3.15 in the afternoon of the 2nd ofApril, 1948, the Duncannon police tele-phoned that a small boat was in distress,and the motor life-boat Duke of Con-naught, on temporary duty at thestation, was launched at 3.45 in a west-north-west gale with a choppy sea.She found an open salmon yawl nearthe Bar Buoy, Waterford Harbour, halffull of water, her sails blown away, andher crew of two exhausted. The life-boat rescued the men, and brought themand their boat to Ballyhack Harbour.She arrived back at her station atsix o'clock.—Rewards, £6 ISs.

SUICIDE ON A LIGHTSHIP

The Mumbles, Glamorganshire.—-Onthe afternoon of the 3rd of April, 1948, amessage came from the ScarweatherLightship that a man had committedsuicide on board, and as the TrinityHouse vessel was under repair, the life-boat, William Gammon—Manchester andDistrict XXX, went out at 3 o'clock, ina strong breeze, with a rough searunning, and brought the body ashore,arriving back at 6.45 that evening.—Rewards, £6 18*.

TAKING OUT THE PILOT

Apple dor e, Devon.—At 4.38 in theafternoon of the 4th of April, 1948, thecoastguard reported that the s.s. Sea*silver, of Newcastle, bound for Amster-dam, appeared to have her enginebroken down, off the Bar Buoy, andneeded a pilot. A north-west gale wasblowing with a very rough sea. It wastoo rough for any other boat to put outand the motor life-boat Violet Armstrongwas launched at 4.55 with the pilot-She put him on board the Seasilver andthen escorted her into harbour, arrivingback at her station at 5.45.—Rewards,£78*.


TAKING OUT A DOCTOR IN A GALE

Great Yarmouth and Gorleston, Norfolk.—At 12.42 in the afternoon of the 4th ofApril, 1948, the Gorleston coastguardreported that the Dutch motor vesselEvertsen, which was off the harbour,had signalled for a doctor. Six minuteslater the motor life-boat Louise Stephenswas launched with a doctor. A freshsoutherly gale was blowing with a roughsea. After the doctor had attendedto the sick man the life-boat broughthim ashore, and arrived back at herstation at 1.39.—Rewards, £11 8*. 6d.

CUT OFF COLLECTING BIRDS' EGGS

Weymouth, Dorset.—At 4.50 ill theafternoon of the 7th of April, 1948, afisherman of Lulworth Cove cameashore and reported that a yacht andits dinghy appeared to be in difficultiesoff Whitenose. Ten minutes later themotor life-boat William and ClaraRyland was launched. A fresheningsouth-westerly breeze was blowing witha rough sea. The life-boat found thelocal yacht Glebe anchored about a mileoff shore. She had had a man and awoman on board. They had landed intheir dinghy to collect sea birds' eggson the cliffs, but the dinghy had floatedaway on the rising tide, leaving themstranded. They were on a narrow stripof beach under sheer cliffs, rising severalhundred feet; they could get awayneither by land nor sea; the tide wascoming in fast; the wind was freshening.

The dinghy was adrift in heavybreakers. The life-boat went as nearto it as she could and with her line-throwing gun was able to get a lineover it and haul it alongside. At con-siderable risk, for the dinghy was verysmall, three life-boatmen got into itand took it through the breakers.There it was thrown up on the shore.Again at great risk, the life-boatmenrowed it out through the surf with therescued man and woman on board.Several times it was nearly swamped,and always it was in danger of beingflung on the rocks. The man andwoman were much exhausted, wet

• through and chilled, and the coxswaingave them rum. With the yacht andthe dinghy in tow the life-boat made forher station, arriving at 8 o'clock. TheInstitution sent a letter of thanks to the

fisherman who had brought the news.—Rewards, £8 19*.

ENGINE FAILED

Runswick, Yorkshire.—At 5.55 in theafternoon of the 7th of April, 1948. aSkinningrove fisherman telephonedthat a fishing coble had anchored offSkinningrove with her engine brokendown and the motor life-boat BobertPatton — The Always Ready waslaunched at 6.25. A very strong west-south-west breeze was blowing with arough sea. The life-boat found themotor fishing coble Three Brothers, ofMiddlesbrough, with a crew of two,two and a half miles from the shore.The weather was getting worse and thelife-boat towed the coble to Staithes.She arrived back at her station at 8.30.—Rewards, £17 16*. Qd.

SEVEN FRENCH FISHERMEN RESCUED

A b e r y s t w y t h , Cardiganshire.—Atabout 7 o'clock in the evening of the7th of April, 1948, a French fishingvessel was seen off Aberystwyth, butwas lost to sight and anxiety was feltfor her safety. At 9.30 the Borthpolice were rung up and it was learntfrom them that the fishing vessel wasthen lying about a mile off shore inBorth Bay in heavy breaking seas.She had made no distress signals, but itwas thought advisable that the life-boat should put out, and at 2.15 onthe morning of the 8th the motor life-boat Frederick Angus was launched.A strong westerly breeze was blowingwith a rough sea. The life-boat foundthe motor fishing vessel Claude, ofLorient, anchored half a mile north-west of Borth Head. She had a crewof seven but they did not want thelife-boat's help. Her coxswain warnedthe skipper of his dangerous position,and the life-boat returned to her sta-tion, arriving at 2.50. The weatherbecame worse during the morning, thewind veered to the westward, and at10 o'clock the Borth police reportedthat the Claude was now flying distresssignals. The life-boat again put out,at 10.15, and the skipper asked forher help to reach Aberdovey, but thelife-boat could not take her in tow insuch bad weather. One of the Claude'scables parted and the skipper then


decided to abandon ship. The life-boat rescued the seven men and leavingthe Claude on one anchor made for herstation, arriving at 12.30.—Rewards.First Service, £29 18*. 6d.; SecondService, £37 10*.

NINE MEN RESCUED FROM WATER-LOGGED BOAT

Ramsgate, Kent.—At 2.24 in themorning of the 10th of April, 1948, thecoastguard telephoned that the EastGoodwin Lightvessel had reported aboat drifting to the north-east, and at•2.40 the motor life-boat Prudential waslaunched in a light north-westerlybreeze, with a slight sea. She foundan open boat, fifteen feet long, withnine men on board. They were menfrom the steam trawler Plough, ofKirkcaldy, which had sunk near thelightvessel after striking submergedwreckage. In getting their boat awaythey had damaged it and lost its gear.The boat was waterlogged and driftingover the sands. The life-boat rescuedthe men and, with the boat in tow,made for her station, arriving at 5.30.—Rewards, £12 17*. 6d.

FISHING BOATS ADRIFT

Valentia, Co. Kerry.—At nine in themorning of the 10th of April, 1948,information was received from the CivicGuards that a fishing boat, which hadleft Cahirciveen the previous afternoon,had not returned. Enquiries weremade, but without success, and, at10 o'clock the motor life-boat City ofBradford I, on temporary duty at thestation, put out to search. The hono-rary secretary, Mr. T. R. Stewart,accompanied the crew. The life-boatspoke a fishing boat, learnt thatanother boat had been seen headingfor Dingle, and altered course. At11.30 she found the open fishing boatNaom Seaghan, of Cahirciveen, drift-ing with her engine broken down. Shehad a crew of four. The life-boatpassed biscuits to them, and thentowed them to Cahirciveen. She ar-rived back at her station at two in theafternoon.—Rewards, £8 2*.

Margate, Kent.—At 7.25 in the even-ing of the 10th April, 1948, informationwas received from the Broadstairs police

through the coastguard that a fishingboat was in difficulties about a mile offKingsgate. The motor life-boat TheLord Souihborough—-Civil Service No. 1,was launched at half-past seven, in alight easterly wind with a moderatesea, and found the lona, of Margate.In her were two men and a woman allcold and exhausted. The life-boat tookthem on board, and, with the lona intow, reached Margate again at nineo'clock.—Rewards, £10 11*. 6d.

ANOTHER ENGINE BROKEN DOWNCourtmacsherry, Co. Cork.—On the

night of the 14th of April, 1948, theCivic Guard telephoned that a boat wasin distress in the bay, and at 11 o'clockthe motor life-boat Sarah Ward andWilliam David Crosvueller was launched.She found a motor launch with fourmen and a woman on board, at Garrets-town Strand. Her engine had brokendown. A northerly breeze was blowing,and the sea was calm, but she was in adangerous position. A life-boatmanwent aboard her and the life-boattowed her in, arriving back at her sta-tion at 1.45 the next morning.—Rewards, £8 9*.

SICK OFFICER BROUGHT ASHORESouthend-on-Sea, Essex. — At 10.30

on the night of the 15th of April, 1948.the coastguard reported that the motorvessel Kingfisher, of London, needed adoctor to attend to her chief officer.As no other boat was available, themotor life-boat Greater London—CivilService No. 3 was launched at 11.15with a doctor on board. A fresh north-easterly breeze was blowing with achoppy sea. The doctor found thatthe chief officer was seriously ill. Hewas lowered into the life-boat and shebrought him and the doctor ashore,'arriving back at. 12.5 the next morn-ing.—Rewards, £7 16*.

PILOTING A DAMAGED STEAMER

St. Mary's, Isles of Scilly. — About11.40 in the morning of the 19th ofApril, 1948, the coastguard reportedthat the s.s. Duke of Sparta had wire-lessed that she was on the Seven StonesRocks. A later message said that shewas making water and needed a tug.The motor life-boat Cunard was


launched at 11.56 in a light east-north-east breeze with a smooth sea, and foundthe steamer, bound for London inballast with a crew of thirty-nine, atanchor south of the North Rock. Shetook soundings around her, and founda channel. She then put the secondcoxswain on board the steamer and hepiloted her clear of the rocks. Herpumps were able to keep the waterdown and she made for Falmouthunder her own power. Before leaving,the life-boat took mail on board fromthe Seven Stones Lightvessel andarrived back at her station at 6.30 inthe evening.—Property Salvage Case.

CRAB-BOAT BROKEN DOWN

Whitby, Yorkshire.—At 9.50 on thenight of the 20th of April, 1948, thelocal motor fishing boat Provider,which had put out earlier to attend tocrab pots, wirelessed for the life-boat.The No. 2. pulling and sailing life-boatRobert and Ellen Robson was launched atonce. A light easterly breeze wasblowing, but there was a heavy groundswell. The life-boat found the fishingboat with a governor spring on herengine broken. She escorted her intoharbour, arriving back at her stationat 11.45.—Rewards, £10 18s.

STRANDED, BUT REFLOATED

Rosslare Harbour, Co. Wexford—At11.45 in the morning of the 21st ofApril, 1948, the steamer lerne, of theIrish Lights Commissioners, wirelessedthat a vessel was stranded on the eastside of the Blackwatcr Bank. Thesame message was received from theCoast Life-Saving Service at MorrisCastle, and at noon the motor life-boatMabel Marion Thompson was launchedin a moderate north-easterly breeze,with a choppy sea. She found the s.s.Clezebay, of Belfast, bound for Corkladen with coal, hard aground andleaking. Her captain refused to leaveher, but four of his crew of eleven hadalready manned a boat and made forthe shore. At the captain's request thelife-boat searched for the boat andfound her close inshore, but with noone on board. The men had got ashore.The life-boat returned to the Clewbayand stood by her until high water. Asher services were no longer needed she

returned to her station, arriving at10.30 that night.—Rewards, £14 8$.

TOWING IN A MOTOR LAUNCH

Cromer, Norfolk. — At 2.33 in theafternoon of the 23rd of April, 1948, thecoastguard telephoned that a vessel atanchor one mile north by west fromCromer Lookout had hoisted a signalfor help, and the No. 1 motor life-boatHenry Blogg was launched at threeo'clock, in a light south-east wind witha slight swell. She found the motorlaunch Sivitha, of Inverness, with a crewof four on board, and her engine brokendown. At her owner's request, thelife-boat took her in tow. She made forWells, asking by wireless for the cox-swain of the Wells life-boat to stand byat the harbour entrance to pilot her in.She arrived about 6 o'clock, and in hisown motor boat the Wells coxswainguided her and the Switha into the har-bour. The life-boat remained at Wellsuntil 7.35 and reached her station againat 9.30 that night. •— Rewards,£24 16*. 6d.

SWEPT BY TIDE UNDER PIER

Weston - super - Mare, Somerset. —• At4.20 in the afternoon of the 24th ofApril, 1918, the police reported a sailingboat in difficulties in the bay. She hadtwo boys on board. A westerly breezewas blowing, with a slight sea. Theboat had been carried by wind and tidetowards Birnbeck Island and the hono-rary secretary of the life-boat stationand the coxswain hurried there. Theboat came within hailing distance, butthe boys were unable to carry out theinstructions which the coxswainshouted to them, and their boat wasswept under the pier. They succeededin making fast to one of its supports,but they were in danger of beingswept into the fishing stakes and thetumble of sea on the shingle banksome 300 yards away. No other boatwas afloat, and at 5.15 the motor life-boat Fiji and Charles was launched.A few minutes later the line which theboys had fastened to the pier had parted,but the life-boat reached her just intime to prevent her from being carriedon to the bank of shingle. She tookher in tow and beached her in the RiverAxe at seven that evening. She re-


turned to her station next day, arrivingthere at 11 o'clock in the morning.—Rewards, £11 3s.

FISHING BOAT BROKEN DOWN

Berwick-on-Tweed, Northumberland.—•At about 12.45 in the morning of the27th of April, 1948, it was reported tothe coastguard that the local motorfishing boat Largo Bay, which hadgone out during the evening of theprevious day had not returned, and themotor life-boat J. and W. put out atfive minutes to one, in a moderatenorth-west breeze with a slight sea.Two miles south of Berwick Pier shefound the fishing-boat with her enginebroken down. She had four men onboard. The life-boat towed her backto Berwick, arriving at half-past two.—Rewards. £7 4s.

The following life-boats could findno ships in distress, were not needed,or could do nothing:

Donaghadee, Co. Down.—April 1st.—Rewards, £10 3s.

Eastbourne, Sussex.—April 2nd.—Re-wards, £15 8s.

Dover, Kent.—April 4th.—Rewards,£5 10s.

Holyhead, Anglesey.—April 5th.—Re-wards, £11 lls.

Hartlepool, Durham.—-April 5th.—Rewards, £13 16s. 6d.

LIFE-BOAT ON THE ROCKS

Whitehills, Banffshire.—At 10.4 onthe night of the 8th of April, 1948, thecoastguard telephoned that distresssignals could be seen to the west ofMacduff, and at 10.13 the motor life-boat, Civil Service No. 4, was launched.A strong north-westerly breeze wasblowing, with a rough sea. At 10.48the life-boat found the s.s. Lindean, ofLeith, which had gone ashore whilecoming out of Macduff Harbour. Hercrew were being taken off by the life-saving rocket apparatus from the shore,and the district officer of coastguardasked the life-boat to come into theharbour and stand by. This she did untilthe whole of the Lindean's crew had beenrescued. She then returned to White-hills, which she reached about midnight.The seas were heavy, and the entranceto the harbour is narrow, but the cox-

swain did not think the seas heavyenough to make the entry dangerous.The life-boat was just abreast of thelighthouse at the end of the pier, goingat full speed, when a big sea caught herunawares, . breaking over the portquarter. She was carried forward onthe crest and would not steer. The seatook her diagonally across the harbourentrance, and she struck the rocks closeto a small concrete parapet on the oppo-site side of the channel to the pier.For a moment she lay right alongsidethis parapet and one of the men wasable to jump on it with a line. Inten minutes the whole crew of sevenwere on the parapet, but the seas thencaught the life-boat again and carriedher over some high rocks into a littlegulley where she was almost afloat.The crew were able to work her up thegulley, and got out fenders and linesto keep her from being carried any.further on the rocks.

The accident was reported at onceto head office, and at 1.45 next morninghead office instructed the northerndistrict inspector, who was 160 milesaway from Whitehills, to go there. Hearrived at eight in the morning. Thehull surveyor and the district engineerwere also sent. By running out theboat's anchor and getting a wire fromthe boat to the lighthouse pier, whereit was passed through a block and takenback to the winch on the slipway of thelife-boathouse, the district inspectorwas able to haul her off at high water,but he had first to get the help of sixmen and a compressor, which was de-molishing a military strong point in theharbour. This compressor removedabout a ton of rock between the life-boat and the channel. The boat wasafloat just after one o'clock in theafternoon.

It was then found that her sternpostwas broken, about 14 feet of her bottomon either side of the keel torn away,her bilge keels damaged, her ruddersplit. Her machinery was unhurt.The repairs would be very costly, andwould take a very long time. It wasdecided that it was not worth while todo them. The boat, built in 1932, wasa 35 feet 6 inches boat of the self-righting type. She has been replacedby another boat of the same type.—Rewards, £19 13s. 6d.


Newhaven, Sussex.—April llth.—Re-wards, £15 2*. 6d.

Peel, Isle of Man.—April 16th.—Re-wards, £24 12s.

WRECKAGE OF AEROPLANE FOUND

Barry Dock, Glamorganshire. — At11.20 in the morning of the 17th ofApril, 1948, the Royal Naval SignalStation at Nells Point telephoned thatan aeroplane had crashed about one anda half miles south-east of the point.The motor life-boat Rachel and MaryEvans was launched at 11.40, in a fresheasterly breeze with a choppy sea, andcarried out a wide search in which aR.A.F. rescue launch and the Cardiffpilot cutter also took part. All thatthe life-boat found was clothing andwreckage. With these on board shereturned to her station, arriving at 2.10in the afternoon.—Rewards, £8 9s.

Hastings, Sussex.—April 21st.—Re-wards, £34 Is. 9rf.

Yarmouth, Isle of Wight.—April 21st.—Rewards, £4 18s.

The Mumbles, Glamorganshire.—On the23rd of April. 1948, the s.s. Albion Star,of London, was anchored off shore.Her crew had run out of food, whiletaking the steamer to a yard to bebroken up. A south-westerly breezewas blowing with a moderate sea. Theowners of the steamer asked if the life-boat could take out supplies to her, andat noon the motor life-boat WilliamGammon — Manchester and DistrictXXX, was launched. She put thefood on board the steamer and arrivedback at her station at 1.30 in the after-noon.—Rewards, £2 5s., which werepaid by the owners.

BUSHES MISTAKEN FOR MEN

Lowestoft, Suffolk.—At 5.23 in themorning of the 29th of April, 1948, thecoastguard reported that a rubberdinghy, believed to have two people onboard, could be seen two miles to thenorth-east. The motor life-boatMichael Stephens was launched at 5.50,in a light north-east breeze with asmooth sea, and found a dinghy inwhich someone had put two bushes.She picked it up and returned to her

station, arriving at 7.20.—Rewards.£5 5s.

Newhaven, Sussex.—April 27th.—Re-wards, £9 7s. 6d.

MAY

During May life-boats went out onservice 41 times, and rescued 46 lives.

SEAL-HUNTERS RESCUEDCaister, Norfolk.—About 11 o'clock in

the morning of the 2nd of May, 1948,four men could be seen standing by aboat on Scroby Sands two and a halfmiles to the south-east, and at 11.30the motor life-boat Jose Neville was,launched. A strong north-easterlybreeze was blowing with a rough seaand driving rain. She found that thefour men, from Great Yarmouth, hadbeen seal hunting. She rescued themand, with their boat in tow, took themto Great Yarmouth. There she landedthem at one o'clock in the afternoon,and when the weather had moder-ated she returned to her station,arriving at 7.30 that evening.—Re-wards, £17 15s. 6d.

TWENTY.-FOUR SEA CADETS RESCUED

Troon, Ayrshire. — At 6.30 in theevening of the 2nd of May, 1948, thepilot house telephoned that the steampinnace of the Sea Cadets appeared tohave broken down and was driftingtowards the Black Rocks. The motorlife-boat Sir David Richmond of Glasgowwas launched at 7.10, in a fresh north-westerly breeze with a choppy sea. andfound the pinnace half a mile off shorewith twenty-four officers and cadetson board. The life-boat towed herto the harbour, arriving back at herstation at 8.20.—Rewards, £5 16s.

FRENCH TRAWLERS HELPEDDunmore East, Co. Waterford. — At

7.45 in the evening of the 3rd of May,1948. the Civic Guard reported thata French trawler, the Croix du Sud,had struck a bank and had four feet ofwater in her hold. She was makingfor harbour and had asked for the life-boat. The motor life-boat Duke ofConnaught. on temporary duty at thestation, was launched at 8.30, in astrong south-south-east breeze with a

JULY, 1948] THE LIFE-BOAT

rough sea, and found the Croix du Sudoff Helvick Head. She had a crew ofeight and three Helvick men on boardacting as pilots. The life-boat escortedher to Dunmore East and arrived backat her station at 10 o'clock that night.—Rewards, £5 13*. Od.

Torbay, Devon.—At 9.7 in the even-ing of the 3rd of May, 1948, the coast-guard telephoned that a vessel hadsignalled for help eight miles east-north-east from Berry Head. The motorlife-boat Hearts of Oak, on temporaryduty at the station, was launched at9.20 in a south-south-west breeze witha moderate swell. About an hourlater she found the French motortrawler Janock, of St. Malo, with herengine giving trouble, and escorted herto Brixham Harbour, arriving at 11.40.The Janock carried out repairs and lefton the following morning.—Rewards,£6 0*. 6d.

INJURED MAN FROM A MERSEY FORT

New Brighton, Cheshire.—At 12.15 inthe afternoon of the 7th of May, 1948,the Admiralty Salvage Officer tele-phoned that a man on the Queen's Fort,in the river Mersey, had been seriouslyinjured. He asked for the life-boat anda doctor. The No. 2 motor life-boatEdmund and Mary Robinson waslaunched at 12.30 with a doctor, in alight north-westerly breeze with aslight sea. She took the injured manon board and landed him where anambulance was waiting. She arrivedback at her station at 5.15.—Rewards,£11 6*.

SINKING IN A CALM SEABlackpool, Lancashire.—At 11.20 on

the night of the 8th of May, 1948, thepolice telephoned that flares had beenseen. At 11.45 what appeared to beoil burning on the water could be seen,and at 12.13 the motor life-boat SarahAnn Austin was launched in a lightsouth-easterly breeze with a calm sea.She found the fishing boat Ltuma, ofFleetwood, about one mile south-westof Central pier. She was sinking.The life-boat rescued her crew of twoand towed her to shallow water.There she was left at anchor and thelife-boat arrived back at her station

at 1.35 in the morning.—Rewards,£8 8*.

YACHT CAPSIZEDHastings, Sussex.—At 12.28 in the

afternoon of the 9th of May, 1948, theFairlight coastguard reported that ayacht had capsized three miles offGlynde Gap, and the motor life-boatCyril and Lilian Bishop was launchedat 12.43, in a moderate east-north-eastbreeze with a slight sea.. She found thatthe crew of a motor boat and the crew ofanother yacht, the Wendy, had rightedthe yacht. The motor boat had thentaken her in tow, but was unable tomake -any headway, so the life-boattook motor boat and yacht in tow andarrived back at her station at 2.33.—Rewards, £37 19s. 6d.

MAN OF EIGHTY RESCUEDWeymouth, Dorset.—At 9.30 in the

morning of the 14th of May, 1948, thepolice reported that at seven the pre-vious evening a man eighty years oldhad put oiit alone in the motor boatMallard to fish, and had not been heardof since. The life-beat crew stood ready.At 11.25 a message came from theShambles Lightship that a motor boatwas two miles south of it, and fiveminutes later the motor life-boatWilliam and Clara Ryland left in alight north-easterly wind with a slightsea. About 1.30 in the afternoon shefound the boat with her engine brokendown. The old man was tired andhungry but otherwise all right. Sherescued him, took the boat in tow andarrived back at her station at 2.50 thatafternoon.—Rewards, £8 Is.

ELEVEN PEOPLE IN BROKEN-DOWNBOAT

Clovelly, Devon.—At 11.20 on thenight of the 15th cf May, 1948, the Rev.H. C. A. S. Muller, of Appledore. landedin a small boat from the motor pleasureboat Kingsley, of Barnstaple, andreported that the boat's engine hadbroken down and that she had anchoredtwo and a half miles to the north.There were eleven persons aboard. Heasked for the help of the life-boat and_at 11.35 the motor life-boat City ofNottingham was launched in a moderateeast-south-east breeze with a moderate


sea. She put two life-boatmen on boardthe Kingsley and towed her to Clovelly,arriving at 12.35 the next morning.—•Rewards, £16 11s.

LIGHTHOUSE ON FIRE

Fleetwood, Lancashire. —During theafternoon of Whit Sunday, the 16th ofMay, 1948, a yacht could he seen onBlack Scar Bank apparently in diffi-culties. She made no distress signals,but at 5.15 in the evening, the coast-guard reported that a yacht was missingfrom Lancaster. At 7.55 the Hoylakecoastguard asked for a search to bemade, and at 8.7 the motor life-boatAnn Letitia Russell was launched. Amoderate easterly breeze was blowing,with a choppy sea. Shortly after thelife-boat put out the coastguard learntthat the yacht had reached safety androckets were fired to recall the life-boat. On her way back the crew sawflames coming from the top of the WyreLighthouse, which was of wood, and thelife-boat made for it at once. Threemembers of the crew climbed up withfire extinguishers and axes and joinedthe three lighthouse keepers in trying toput out the flames, but it was useless.The lighthouse was ablaze. The life-boat took oft the three keepers, whowould have lost their lives but for herhelp. She arrived ashore just beforeten o'clock. The lighthouse was burntout. The dock, harbour and dredgingmaster at Fleetwood sent his thanks tothe coxswain of the life-boat, and tothe three men of the crew who at-tempted to put out the fire "for theirfearless and magnificent efforts."They went on, the letter said, "untilthe position was absolutely hopeless.In fact they had carried on almost toolong, and only left the lighthouse justin time."—Rewards, £15.

THROUGH FOG AT TOP SEED

Wicklow.—At 5.50 in the afternoonof the 8th of May, 1948, the lightkeeperat Wicklow Head reported that a boyhad fallen from the nearby cliffs intothe sea, and the motor life-boat LadyKylsant was launched at 5.59. A lighteasterly breeze was blowing and thesea was smooth, but there was a densefog. In spite of this the life-boatmade for the cliffs at top speed. She

found the boy's body in ten feet ofwater and the crew tried artificialrespiration, but when they got back adoctor found that the boy's neck hadbeen broken by the fall. The life-boatreturned to her station, at 6.35—Rewards, £10 11*. 6d.

TOWING IN A STEAMERFraserburgh, Aberdeenshire.—At11.10

in the early morning of the 16th of May,1948, the coastguard telephoned thatsignal lights had been seen about sevenmiles north-west of Kinnaird Head,and the motor life-boat John and CharlesKennedy was launched at 1.30. The seawas calm with a light southerlv wind.The life-boat found the S.S. Rota, ofDundee, with her engine broken down,and her crew trying to repair it. Shetook the steamer in tow, reaching har-bour at about 6.30 that evening.—•Property Salvage Case.

LAUNCH DRIVEN ASHORE

Ramsgate, Kent. — At 1.10 in theafternoon -of the 16th of May, 1948,information was received that a vesselwas on the Brake Sands and at 1.28the motor life-boat Prudential left hermoorings. A moderate north-easterlygale was blowing, with a rough sea.The life-boat found a motor launch, No.490, hard aground off Quern Head withno one aboard. She had been in towof a tug, but the tow lines had partedand the tug had taken off her crew.With the help of a motor boat, the life-boat refloated the launch and towed herto the harbour, arriving back at herstation at 3.30.—Rewards, 13*. 6d.—•Property Salvage Case.

A SEARCH IN DENSE FOGFraserburgh, Aberdeenshire.—At 5.43

in the afternoon of the 18th of May,1948, the coastguard reported that anaeroplane had crashed into the seatwenty miles east of Kinnaird, and themotor life-boat John and Charles Ken-nedy was launched at 5.53. A lightsouth-easterly breeze was blowing andthe sea was calm, but there was a densefog. The life-boat made an extensivesearch. She found no trace of theaeroplane, a Seafire, and returned toher station at 12.45 the next morning.The fog was still thick and the crew


stood by until mid-day in readiness toresume their search if visibility im-proved. At 6.30 that evening, the19th, a wireless message was receivedthat the Aberdeen trawler Viking Starhad recovered the pilot's body and thatshe was asking for the life-boat. TheJohn and Charles Kennedy again putout, in a light southerly breezewith a calm sea, met the trawler atthe harbour entrance and took theairman's body on board She arrivedback at her station at 7.50.—Rewards,First Service, £22 Is 6d.; Second Ser-vice, £4 19s.

HEAVY SEAS AT WHITBY HARBOUR

Whitby, Yorkshire.—The local fishingboat Success, which had been out fishingall night, enquired by wireless at ninein the morning of the 20th cf May, 1948,what the condition was at the "harbourmouth. She was told that if she camein she would need an escort. Shereplied that she would be off Whitbyabout eleven o'clock. At ten o'clockthe No. 1 life-boat Mary Ann Ilepivorihwas launched. A strong north-north-west breeze was then blowing with aheavy sea. The life-boat met the Successtwo miles north of Whitby Rock Buoy,escorted her through the rough sea atthe harbour mouth, and returned toher station at 11.20.—Rewards, £6 9s.

ANOTHER SICK MAN LANDED

Great Yarmouth and Corleston, Norfolk.At 9.40 in the morning of the 20th ofMay, 1948, the S.S. Foreland., of Blyth,anchored off Great Yarmouth and sig-nalled for a doctor. At 9.57 themotor life-boat Louise Stephens waslaunched, in a fresh northerly breezeand a moderate sea, with a doctor onboard. She brought the sick manashore at 10.44.—Rewards, £10 11s.

WHITBY HARBOUR BAR AGAIN

Whitby, Yorkshire.—About eight inthe evening of the 20th of May, 1948,the local motor fishing vessel Galilee—which was out fishing and had in-tended staying at sea throughout thenight—wirelessed that she would bereturning to harbour. Reply was madethat it would not be possible for her toenter before eleven o'clock owing to the

state of tide and the rough sea. Amoderate north-east breeze was blowing,the sea was rough and visibility wasvery bad. When the Galilee wassighted, a rocket was fired to keep heroff until the No. 1 motor life-boat MaryAnn Hep-worth put out. The life-boatwas launched at 10.40, met the Galileeat the Rock Buoy, and escorted herinto harbour, returning to her stationat midnight.—Rewards, £6 17s.

YACHT COLLIDES WITH PIER

Ramsgate, Kent.—On the morning ofthe 21st of May, 1948, a fresh north-easterly breeze was blowing, with aheavy sea. At 10.30 the sailing yachtEsperanza, with a crew of two, went tosea. The weather got worse, and asthe yacht attempted to enter the har-bour she hit the west pier and carriedaway her fore-stay, bowsprit and lee-board. The motor life-boat Prudentialput out at 11.35, and towed the Esper-anza into harbour. She arrived backat her station at noon.—Rewards,£6 12s. 6d.

A BUSY AFTERNOON

Ramsgate, Kent.—At 2.12 in theafternoon of the 23rd of May, 1948, thecoastguard telephoned that a yacht,with two persons on board, had cap-sized off Dumpton Gap, and four min-utes later the motor life-boat Prudentialleft her moorings. A moderate south-south-west gale was blowing, with arough sea. Before the life-boat reachedthe yacht a Broadstairs motor boat hadgone to her help and rescued the twopersons. On her way back the life-boatsaw two open boats in difficulties inPegwell Bay, and altered course. Thelife-boat's second coxswain, who wasout in his own fishing boat, also went totheir help. The life-boat rescued thecrew of four of one of the two boats, theDora, and took her in tow. The second-coxswain rescued the crew of the otherboat and took her in tow. Then thelife-boat, and the secpnd coxswain inhis boat, made for harbour. Beforethey arrived they saw three motoryachts running for shelter, so the life-boat put about and escorted them in.She arrived back at her station at 4.15.—Rewards, £8 5s. 6d.


ADRIFT FOR TWENTY HOURS

Fishguard, Pembrokeshire.—At 2.55in the afternoon of the 26th of May,1948, the Strumble Head coastguardtelephoned that a small vessel appearedto be in distress six miles to the west-ward. Five minutes later he saw herflying distress signals, and at 3.30 themotor life-boat White Star was launched.A moderate north-north-east gale wasblowing, with a rough sea. The life-boat found pinnace No. 1349 at anchor.She was bound from Plymouth to Port-madoc, with a crew of four, for fittingout, but her rudder had been disabledand she had been drifting for nearlytwenty hours. Her skipper had lefther in a punt, but he had nearly cap-sized, and had been helped ashore bythe coastguard. Two life-boatmenwent on board the pinnace and the life-boat towed her to Fishguard, arrivingback at her station at 8.30 that evening.—Property Salvage Case'.

YACHT TOWED IN

Aldeburgh, Suffolk.—At 5.29 in theevening of the 30th of May, 1948, thecoastguard telephoned that a sailingyacht was burning a red flare threemiles to the east-south-east, and theNo. 1 motor life-boat Abdy Beauclerkwas launched at 5.40 in a moderatesoutherly breeze with a slight sea.She found the sailing yacht Emery, ofBrightlingsea, with a crew of three.The yacht had lost her dinghy in asquall, and in the rising sea and windshe had become unmanageable. Thelife-boat towed her to Lowestoft andarrived back at her station at 12.37the next morning.—Rewards, £49 Is. 6d.

The following life-boats went out onservice, but could find no ships in dis-tress, were not needed or could donothing:

Cromarly.—May 1st.—Rewards, £5 5s.

Wey mouth, Dorset.—May 3rd.—Re-wards, £11 7s. •

Buckle, BanffshJre.—May 4th.—Re-wards, £5 13s.

Torbay, Devon.—May 4th. Rewards,£9 12s. dd.

Port Ellen, Inner Hebrides.—May 5th.•—Rewards, £15 6s.

Howth, Co. Dublin.-—May 5th.—Re-wards; £6.

Fraserburgh, Aberdeensbire. — Mav7th.—Rewards, £6 9s.

Cromer, Norfolk. —May 9th. —Re-wards, £22 12s.

Salcombe, Devon.—May 10th.—Re-' wards, £8 19s.

Dover, Kent.—May 12th.—Rewards,£9. 14s.

Sunderland, Durham.—May 13th.—Rewards, £8 15s. 6d.

Berwick-on-Tweed, Northumberland.—May 15th.—Rewards, £7 2s. 6d.

Clacton-on-Sea, Essex.—May 16th.—Rewards, £22 3s.

Troon, Ayrshire. — May 16th. — Re-wards, £5 15s.

TWO BOYS DROWNEDTees mouth, and Redcar, Yorkshire.—

At 6.40 in the evening of the 23rd ofMay, 1948, the South Gare coastguardreported both to Teesmouth and Redcarthat a rowing boat, with three boys onboard, was in difficulties near brokenwater about half-way between Tees-mouth and Redcar. The Teesmouthmotor life-boat J. W. Archer waslaunched at 7.10 and the Redcar motorlife-boat Louise Polden at 7.40. Thenorth-easterly breeze was light, butthere was a heavy swell. Before thelife-boats reached the boat, the Roseof England, she had drifted into theheavy breakers and capsized. One ofthe three boys scrambled ashore. Thelife-boats searched for the other two,but could not find them, and returnee1

to their stations, Teesmouth arriving a\nine o'clock and Redcar at 9.25.—Rewards. Teesmouth, £11 13s.; Redcar,£8 17s.

Campbeltown, Argyllshire.—May 24th,1948.—Rewards, £5 18s. 6d.

Llandudno, Caernarvonshire. — Mav27th, 1948.—Rewards, £24 16s.

Hoylake, Cheshire.—May 31st, 1948.—Rewards, £14 16s.


A Night on the Goodwins[This article appeared in The Lancet for 29th, June 1946, in the feature

"In England Now," and is reproduced by kind permissionof the author and the editor of The Lancet.]

OCCASIONALLY we read in our dailypaper "The Life-boat Stood By AllNight" and we think, no doubt, of thegallant men of her crew, comfortablyclad in oilskins and well lushed up withrum, anchored in the lee of the ship,smoking cartons of duty-free cigarettespassed down from above. I did till oneday last winter when a trip in the life-boat to render medical assistance gotmerged in an urgent call to a second shipon the Goodwin Sands. As we wereabout to land, distress rockets flamedup to call the boat urgently to theouter edge of the South Sand Headwhere a 9,000-ton Victory ship hadgone aground on the top of highwater.

We made course due east straightacross the Sands, now covered withwater boiling like a cauldron andwhipped up by a N.W. gale. It wasabout ten o'clock on a pitch-darknight, and the ship with all her lightsblazing stood out like a beacon with therotating beams of the South and EastGoodwin light-vessels sweeping acrossher every half minute. Two red lightsslung vertically from her triatic stayshowed that she was "not undercommand." Very cautiously the cox-swain took the life-boat round the shipwith the crew holding on with handsand feet as the mountainous wavesrolled her in all directions. The wavesbreaking over the ship made it almostimpossible to come alongside; andfrom the high bridge came the warningby signal lamp "We Are Aground,"followed by the inevitable query:"What Ship?" We replied with-mypocket torch — " Life-boat StandingBy." It was obvious that no attempt atsalvage could be made till the next high-tide, about eleven hours later; mean-while there Avas a considerable risk ofthe ship, with her crew of fifty, rollingover with the falling tide or breaking inhalf if the sand washed away frombows and stern—the age-old danger toany vessel on these treacherousbanks.

Attempting to Anchor

This would mean immediate action ifany of her company were to be saved,so the coxswain made course for somedeeper water a few cables' length fromthe ship and dropped a light anchor.Even this meant a superhuman effortby five of the crew, who clawed theirway forward and managed to cast overthe necessary cable while the wind andwaves tried to tear them from theirhandholds. Meanwhile, the coxswain,astride the steering wheel, held the boathead on to the wind and tide on bothengines. After a dog-fight lastingtwenty minutes the bowman cam^ aftto report that the anchor would nothold, and the order was given to raiseit. Then we decided that our nearestsafe anchorage was on the west side ofthe Sands about six miles from theshore, where the coxswain said we couldlie snug for the night. It all dependswhat you mean by snug, and aftercrossing the boiling maelstrom of theSands again, the twelve-fathom deep,which the local men call Abraham'sBosom, was certainly a shade quieter,and enabled us to get down the heavyanchor with many yards of six-inchcable. At last came the order "StopEngines," and we swung head to theracing tide on the edge of Trinity Bayand settled down for the night. Theship, still with full lights, lay less thanhalf a mile away and we could see everysignal passing between her and the navalcontrol in the adjoining anchorage.

Biscuits, Chocolate and Rum

The life-boat, freed from the controlof her propellers, stood on her head andtail as the fancy took her, while theseas swept across her open deck atirregular intervals and drenched theunwary trying to move about. Ourcoxswain, pulling himself stiffly fromthe wheel, made sure that all was readyfor immediate casting off and posted awatch to give warning of any freshdanger to the ship. Then we broached


the rations. A tin of sweet biscuits,another of sweet plain chocolate, and apint bottle of rum appeared from theforward locker and were passed aft.It didn't seem very much among tenlarge men who had taken their last mealabout seven hours before; with thewarning that it might have to last fordays, half a dozen biscuits and squaresof chocolate were shared out by thesecond mechanic, who had wedged him-self between two lockers. We crawledpast him, one by one, and went awaymunching with one hand and holdingon with the other, the biscuits helpeddown by unexpected mouthfuls of saltwater appearing out of the surroundingdarkness. The rum, measured out intwo thick china mugs as opportunityoccurred, went down the same way.Most of us would have sold oursouls for a can of hot soup as thetemperature dropped to freezing andour* bodies stiffened in their crampedpositions.

In spite of oilskins the bitterN.W. wind found every chink in ourarmour, and rubber boots did notprevent a steady numbing of the feetand legs as the night wore on. Anyattempt to sleep, with relaxation ofhand or foothold, caused the victim tobe slung across the boat on to somesharp obstacle, and the constant slapof the rudder with breaking waves andhowling wind made conversation well-nigh impossible. After a few hours welapsed into a kind of torpor broken byan occasional buzz of speech when some-body inspected the crawling1 hands ofthe clock. All our lights had beenput out to save current, and theonly break in the, monotony was toread the signals frdm the ship. Thelast came at 1.30 A.M.: "Am ClosingDown Generators Please InformCoastguard."

Misery Before DawnThe hours till dawn seemed to me to

plumb the depths of human misery.One or two hardy souls tried to stampabout on deck and nearly got washedoverboard for their pains; the re-mainder of us stayed wedged in ourvarious crevices till cramp made achange of position inevitable. I heardan occasional grunt from the secondcoxswain, just convalescent from twomonths of sciatica; and one poor wightwith influenzal bronchitis, who hadcoiled himself up in the chain locker,had frequent bouts of coughing till awave broke inside and shut him up.But no word of complaint was utteredby any of the crew throughout that longnight, and to my amazement thepossibility of another night or moreunder these conditions was quietlyaccepted without comment. As dawnbroke about 6.30 A.M., we hauled upanchor and returned to the ship. Bynow two salvage tugs had come up andwe managed to carry their hawsersacross to the ship, to be followed bythick towing cables as the tide rose tohigh water. Any attempt to board theship was out of the question as thewaves swept round her in both direc-tions from bow to stern. No effortof the straining tugs at high water peakcould loosen the grip of the glutinousquicksands, and as the water fell thetugs cast off and moved away from thedoomed ship. At low tide, six hourslater, with a terrifying crack her backbroke and the order came: "AbandonShip"; in twos and threes her crewjumped for safety to the life-boat astime and again she came alongside.Packed like standing sardines and wetto the skin, they came ashore in safety.The life-boatmen? They just spentthe next hour getting the boat readyfor another launch.

£1,725 from Welsh Students

IN 1947 the students of the AberystwythUniversity College gave the Institution£325 from the proceeds of their annual"Rag-Week." This year the whole

week was held on behalf of the Life-boatService, and raised £1,400. These twogifts are to be used towards the costof the new boathouse at Aberystwyth.


The Mumbles Life-boat Disaster Fund

AT a final meeting of the committee andrepresentatives of the subscribers tothe Mayor of Swansea's 1947 MumblesLife-boat Disaster Fund, which washeld at the Guildhall, Swansea, on the4th of June, a scheme was approved forthe administration of the Fund and forthe payments to be made out of it to thewidows, children and other dependentrelatives of the eight men of the life-boatcrew at The Mumbles who lost theirlives on April 23rd, 1947. On June12th the final signatures were put tothe trust deed.

The total subscribed to the Fund was£94,804, and payments had then beenmade out of it to the dependentsamounting to £4,174. At the meetingon the 4th of June audited accountswere submitted giving full details ofall monies received, and of the pay-ments made by those who were re-sponsible for the administration of theFund until the final scheme had beenprepared and approved. No fee or

payment of any kind for its administra-tion had been made out of it since it wasopened thirteen months before. Allthe work had been voluntarily done bythe staffs of the Mayor and Treasurer ofSwansea, by actuaries, accountants andlawyers who had been concerned in thepreparation of the scheme, and by theoffices of the South Wales Evening Post,Swansea, and the Western Mail, Cardiff.

Under the trust deed the Fund, nowamounting to £90,574, Avill be adminis-tered by the Midland Bank Executorand Trustee Company, and paymentswill be made of £6 a week to eachwidow; £1 a week for each child up tothe age 'of 18 years; 10/— a week foreach child between 18 and 21; £300to each child on reaching the age of 21;and £2 a week to each dependentparent. These payments are based ona report by the honorary actuaries, whoestimated that if they are made, theFund will be exhausted by the timethere is none left dependent on it.

In Memory of the Men of The MumblesAPRIL the 23rd was the first anniver-sary of the loss of the life-boat at TheMumbles with all her crew, and on thatday the Vicar of Oystermouth dedi-

cated, and the Mayoress of Swanseaunveiled, a plaque which the Institu-tion has placed in the boat-house inmemory of the eight men.

Killed on Active ServiceIN "Obituary of the Years of War,1939-1945," "in the last issue of TheLife-boat, there should have appearedtwo other names, John Herbert Boltonand Thomas Valentine Bennett.

Mr. Bolton joined the staff of theInstitution in June, 1937. In January1941 he volunteered for service withthe Royal Air Force, did part of histraining in South Africa and Rhodesia,and returned to England with the rankof sergeant-gunner in the summer of1942. On the night of the 27th ofMay, 1943, the bomber in which he

was flying over Germany as rear-gunner did not return. Three monthslater the news came that he was buriedin Copenhagen. He was 21.

Mr. Bennett joined the staff of theInstitution's Depot as a fitter's boy inMarch, 1938. He was called up fornaval service in November, 1939. InJanuary, 1941, he went down with theair-craft carrier Illustrious. He was 22.These were the only two of the Institu-tion's staff, at its Head Office andDepot, serving in the forces, who werekilled in action.


THE PERIL OF THE GOODWINS

THE FIRM SANDS AT LOW TIDE

THE FOX HOLES

They are sometimes twelve feet deep



THE TIDE HAS TURNED

THE TIDE MAKING

As it makes it not only flows through the channels but soaks into the sands.



FIRM SANDS TURNED TO QUICK

TRAPPED!The steamer looks as if she were going on her way. In fact she is held fast by the sands.



TWO MONTHS LATER

RETURNING FROM THE SANDSThe Walmer life-boat and her crew

The 'last photograph is by Mr. Bert. Hardy, of Picture Post, and is reproduced by kind permission ofthat paper. The other photographs are by Mr. George Goldsmith Carter, author of Looming Lights,A True Story of the Lightships, and The Smacksman. They are to appear in a'book which he is

writing on the Goodwins, and they are reproduced by his kind permission and Picture Post's.


Adventures of an Old Life-boatFrom James Stevens No. 20 to Eternal Wave

IN" 1901 the Institution stationed atQueenstown, on the south coast ofIreland, a pulling and sailing life-boatof the Watson type, 43 feet long, 12feet 6 inches in beam, with a draught of37f inches. She was named JamesStevens No. 20, and was the last oftwenty life-boats built out of a legacyof £50,000 which the Institution hadreceived in 1894, under the will of Mr.James Stevens, of Birmingham.

The James Stevens No. 20 was atQueenstown until 1923, and was thentransferred to Fenit, Co. Kerry. Thereshe remained until 1928, when she wassold out of the service. Her twenty-seven years at these two Irish stationshad been very quiet. It was after sheleft the Life-boat Service that heradventures began.

On an African River

Old life-boats usually have a longlife before them when they leave thelife-boat fleet. Most of them becomepleasure cruisers, but not all. One ofthem, another boat from the Irishcoast, went into the coal business.Some go far afield. One became amotor launch on the Kowie River inSouth Africa. Another, the steamlife-boat Queen, became a tender forlanding passengers through the surfon the Gold Coast. But none canhave had more adventures than theJames Stevens No. 20.

In 1931 she was bought by Mr. TomNorman Dinwiddy, whom Motor Boatand Yachting described—when he diedthree years ago—as " one of the great-est yachtsmen that this or any othercountry has ever known." Mr. Din-•\viddy converted the James StevensNo. 20 into a motor cruiser, fitting herwith a 30 h.p. Kelvin Ricardo as hermain engine, and a 15 h.p. auxiliary.He renamed her the 'Eternal Wave, andunder that name she was—the samepaper said—"the motor boat thatdeserves to be the most renowned inall the history of yachting.

"To begin with," continues MotorBoat and Yachting, "Dinwiddy char-acteristically put her through Alderney

Race, in a very stiff breeze, blowingagainst a savage spring tide, to seehow she would behave." Evidentlyhe was satisfied, for that year he sailedher from Dartmouth to Dover and thento Holland, across the Zuider Zee, bythe Kiel Canal into the Baltic, and so toCopenhagen and Oslo. He returnedthrough the Kiel Canal to Cuxhavenand crossed the North Sea to Lowestoft.That was a journey of 1.800 miles.Two years later the Eternal Wave wentto Norway by way of the west coastof Great Britain and round the northof Scotland. Her longest passage onthat course was from Lerwick to SogneFjord. It was a passage of 225 milesand she did it in heavy weather. Shevisited many fjords and returned byway of Denmark. That was a cruiseof 2,735 miles, done in 51 days. Nextyear the Eternal Wave was in the Balticagain, all up its eastern shore, callingat Danzig, Memel and Riga. Helsingforsand Abo. From there she crossed theBaltic to Stockholm. By the time shearrived home she had done 3,288 mileson that cruise at an average of 50 milesa day.

In the following year the EternalWave was again in. the Baltic, andreached her "farthest north" at Hapar-anda, the most northerly port inSweden. That was another 3.600 miles.Such is the account of her cruises asgiven in the Motor Boat and Yachting.*

15,400 Miles

In October, 1935, on his return fromHaparanda, Mr. Dinwiddy wrote tothe chief inspector of life-boats:

"It may be of interest to you thatI took my Watson type Fenit boat thisyear to Haparanda at the top end ofthe Gulf of Bothnia—a 3,600 milescruise—with one hand, calling at variousports with longish passages between,and that wherever she goes, and thatnow embraces 14 different countries,she creates interest as an English life-boat type. In almost every foreignport that I have been in, and it is many,

* The number for June, 1945, in "The Skipper'sPage."


I have met with interested questionsas to the life-boat's characteristicsand type, and much favourable com-ment on the boat's seaworthy appear-ance. . . . Eternal Wave has cruisedsome 15,400 miles. I have experiencedsome crashes forward against badweather and bad water—one last earlysummer in the race off Start Point,when it broke the exhaust cross pipeof the engine, perhaps because I wasasking too much and- driving her toohard. But I have never had a dropof following water over the stern."

That was the Eternal Wave's lastcruise with Mr. Dinwiddy, for he thensold her. She was in her thirty-fifthyear; but she was still very far fromthe end of her career.

A Fire-float in the WarIt was not until eleven years later

that the Institution again heard of her.Her first six years after Mr. Dinwiddysold her are a blank, but in 1942, thethird year of war, the Ministry ofTransport bought her, and handed herover to the National Fire Service RiverThames Formation, which sent her

from London to Norwich. There shearrived on the 1st of December of thatyear. From Norwich she went toLowestoft and there Mr. Dinwiddy'saccommodation was taken out of herand she was converted into a fire-float,with two 700-gallons-per-minute pumps.She was ready for service in September.1948—that was the date of her com-mission—and as a fire-float she servedin Lowestoft harbour until the end ofthe war, in May, 1945. She was thensold out of the Fire Service and hernew owner took her to Chertsey. onthe Thames, where she was to be con-verted again into a motor cruiser. Fromthere he sailed her to Littlehampton.A friend who went with him wrote: "Itwas far from ideal weather but we foundher remarkably comfortable in a sea-way, with not a creak or a groan any-where, in spite of her 45 years of service.That speaks well for the excellence ofthe Institution's specifications."

So in her 46th year the old JamexStevens No. 20 underwent her thirdtransformation and entered on herfourth career. Her name is stillEternal Wave.

The Southern Africa BranchLAST year the Institution received fromits Southern Africa Branch £1,500.Since the branch was established at ameeting in Cape Town in February,1942, it has contributed £33,000. Thefirst of three motor life-boats to bebuilt out of the gifts, and to bearSouth African names, the Field-Marshaland Mrs. Smuts, went to her stationat Beaumaris, Anglesey, in September,1945. The second, Southern Africa, isnow being built, and is intended forDover. The third is to be namedDeneijs Reitz, but it has not yet beendecided at which station this boat willbe placed.

The branch was founded as the resultof appeals by Miss Pattie Price, theSouth African diseuse and singer.Early in 1940 Miss Price read in TheTimes a letter from the Institution'schairman giving the record of the Ser-vice during the first five months ofwar. She was so moved by this recordthat she wrote at once to the Institu-

tion offering it her help in SouthernAfrica, and in the two years before thebranch was formed her appeals broughtthe Institution £4,265.

Altogether, since 1940, the Institu-tion has received from Southern Africa,through Miss Price's appeals, throughthe branch, or direct from individuals,over £42,000, and also, during the war.big gifts of woollen comforts.

In June, 1941, the Institutionawarded Miss Price its gold badge "indeep gratitude for her generous andmost successful help." Since thebranch was formed she has from timeto time and for long periods, acted a.sits honorary secretary. The Institu-tion has now appointed her an honorarylife-governor, the highest award whichit can make to an honorary worker,and has awarded its gold badge,given only for distinguished honoraryservices, to Mrs. D. A. Hosking. thehonorary secretary and treasurer ofthe branch.


THE JAMES STEVENS No. 20 AT QUEENSTOWN

From a photograph by] [Mr. T. N. Dinwiddy

THE ETERNAL WAVE


From a photograph by] [Mr. T. K. Dinwiddy

THE ETERNAL WAVE AT SEA

By courtesy of] [D. A. Aldington

THE THIRD CONVERSIONRefitting at Littlehampton


Major Ernest CooperBY the death of Major Ernest ReadCooper, of Woodbridge, Suffolk, onthe llth of February, at the age of83, the Life-boat Service lost an oldand distinguished friend. Born atBlythburgh, Suffolk, in 1865,- he spentthe greater part of his life in Southwold,And was its town clerk and clerk tothe magistrates. He was a man whoheld many offices and had many inter-ests. He was an historian, an antiquary,a fellow of the Society of Antiquariesand a member of the Society forNautical Research. His deepest inter-est was the sea and probably therewas 110 one who knew so much of thelife and history of the Suffolk coast.He was the honorary secretary of thelife-boat station at Southwold from1900 to 1920 and was awarded theInstitution's binoculars, its thanks onvellum and its gold badge.

Major Cooper contributed frequentlyto the East Anglian Daily Times underthe name "Suffolk Coast," and to anumber of sea journals. In 1912 hepublished Seventy Years Work of the

Southwold Life-boats, and in 1917 hewrote for the Institution's journal "TheSouthwold Life-boats, 1890-1916."Besides these histories of the life-boatstation he wrote a number of charm-ing books on Suffolk, its history andpeople. His last book, published in1937, Storm Warriors of the SuffolkCoast, is one of the best life-boat booksever written. In a foreword to it thesecretary of the Institution said: "Ifthere could be found for every part ofthe coast of these islands an historianwith the knowledge which MajorCooper has of the coast of Suffolk,what a story could be written!"

Mrs. Cooper wrote to the Institu-tion after his death: "My husband wasindeed a lover of the Life-boat Service.Indeed, I think it was his greatestinterest. He was always talking ofit and thinking of it. His last wishwas that some of the life-boatmenfrom Southwold should carry himwhen he was buried. This theydid. They were all members of theold crew."

Portrait on the CoverTim portrait on the -cover is of Cox-swain Leonard Peddlesden, of New-haven, Sussex, who retired in Januaryafter serving for fifteen years as anofficer of the life-boat. He had beencoxswain for nearly six years. Hewon the silver medal for gallantry

in the war, when in November,1943, he carried on in a gale withhis life-boat almost cut in two,one of. his men washed overboardand ' drowned, injured himself, andwith three of his other six meninjured.

NoticeAll contributions for the Institution should be sent either to the honorary secretary

of the local branch or guild, or to Colonel A. D. Burnett Brown, M.C., T.D.. M.A.,the Secretary, Royal National Life-boat Institution, 42, Grosvenor Gardens, London,S.W.I.

All enquiries about the work of the Institution or about this journal should beaddressed to the Secretary.

The next number O/THE LIFE-BOAT to HI be published in October, 1948.

THE LIFE-BOAT...Church Council Th hymne. s were accompanied by th bane odf the first battalion of th...

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