DURING the last days of 1917 the Clacton-on-Sea and Walton-on-Naze Life-boats performed two splendid services, well worthy of the traditions of the Royal National Life-Boat Institution, and resulting in the rescue of no less than 115 lives, and this at considerable risk, as both the Life-boats were damaged.

Shortly before midnight on the 27th— 28th December the Coastguard at Clacton-on-Sea reported that he had received a message stating that a Swedish steamer was ashore on the Longsand, and asking that the Clacton Life-boat, Albert Edward, should be at once dispatched to her assistance. The crew were promptly summoned, and the boat, with her full complement of crew, cleared the pier punctually on the stroke of midnight. It was subsequently found that the Swedish steamer Iris, bound from Gothenburg to Rouen, had stranded on the Sands, and, when the Life-boat reached her, she had 11 ft. of water in her engine-room, and Coxswain Grigson realised that it would be hopeless to try to refloat her.

The weather was bitterly cold, with snow squalls and a very rough sea, and the wind was blowing a strong gale from the E. The Coxswain boarded the vessel and told the Master that he thought there would be no chance of saving her, and therefore suggested that the crew should be taken off without delay. The Master, however, declined to leave, stating that he had sent for a salvage-boat to pump the vessel out. The Life-boat therefore lay off near at hand. But during the day the weather gradually became worse and worse, and it was not until the seas were washing the vessel fore and aft that the Captain reluctantly deoided to leave the wreck. Signals were shown, and the Life-boat at once proceededalongside. The work of rescue was effected with great difficulty and danger, the crew of the vessel being obliged to jump into the boat as opportunity offered; and the Hon. Secretary, in reporting the case, stated that he considered the service a grand piece of work. The Life-boat arrived back at Clacton at about 11.30 P.M. on the 28th, both the rescuers and the rescued being numbed and well-nigh frozen from their long exposure of 24 hoars' in the icycold weather.

To mark their appreciation of the gallantry of the crew of the Clacton boat on this occasion, the Committee of Management granted the Third Silver Service Clasp to the Coxswain, George J. Grigson, and the Bronze Medal of the Institution to the Second Coxswain, Jesse Salmon. In addition they granted to these men, and to each of the men of the crew, an extra monetary reward.

In the case of the Walton rescue,.