THR Second Coxswain, who is also a harbour pilot, was put aboard with three men, and they tried to get the vessel* to the harbour, but the tide and wind set her into Dunwich Bight close to the shore ; at one time it looked like the barge going ashore, and the Life-boat stood by to take the people out. How- ever, the wind eastered a little and she was able to claw off the lee shore, weathering Thorpe Ness about a quarter of a mile; the captain then asked the men to take him to Harwich, and they proceeded through a heavy sea until about 2 A.M., when they sighted the Cork Light, the Life-boat running alongside under bare poles. At this juncture the wind flew off from the N.N.W., making it quite impossible to get the barge into Harwich, and the captain said they must go to Faversham, where the vessel was bound. Accordingly she was accompanied all the way to Faversham, in Kent, by the Life-boat, and anchored there in safety about 4 P.M. next day.

All hands had a good rest that night, and left about 2 P.M. the following day in a strong wind at south for the home- ward journey of about seventy miles.

The boat arrived safely in Southwold harbour about 2 A.M. on Christmas morn- ing, after an absence of fifty-five hours, and the waits went down to the harbour to give them a Christmas welcome, singing carols as the boat came in.

The Committee considered this an unusually good service and the Institu- tion endorsed this by awarding S. May a framed Certificate of Service and a handsome pair of Binoculars.

In the meantime, however, between the saving of the Beryl and the pre- sentation, occurred on the 17th January, 1912, a very heavy gale at S.E. by E., during the height of which, viz.,, at about 4 P.M., information was received from the Coastguard that a schooner was ashore at Misner with the crew in the rigging. The Alfred Carry was launched in record time, towed down to the pier head, and sailed out in a most * The barge Beryl, 22nd December, 1911.

splendid manner through a very heavy sea; in about an hour she was at the wreck, just after dark, and let go the | anchor to veer down. But the sea was tremendous, and no sooner did she come to her anchor than the cable snapped, and the Life-boat was in the greatest danger of being swept ashore ; but with incredible smartness sail was set again, and the boat sailed off to sea and round outside the vessel, finally letting go the second anchor inside the ship and taking out the crew of four men and the captain's wife from the lee quarter; the Life-boat was then sailed back and into the harbour by soon after 7.30 P.M., having been six miles out and six miles home in a very heavy gale, and taken out a crew, in little over three hours.

The Life-boat was thrown against the North Pier by a heavy sea when entering the harbour, but fortunately no very serious damage was sustained.

While the Alfred Carry was away tremendous excitement was aroused in the town by a large Norwegian barque coming ashore about 7 P.M., exactly opposite the lighthouse. The Life-boat gun was immediately fired, the Rescue quickly got out, and dragged by hand up the hill to the Grand Hotel, where she was got over the breakwater and afterwards launched from the carriage near the Steamboat Pier, a heavy sea breaking on the shoal at the time.

Contrary to orders the men put the boat's mast on shore, so that they could row better, and when, owing to an error of judgment, they missed the wreck, they were unable to fetch her again against tide and sea, and were obliged to anchor and wait. Had the mast 1 been on board they could have sailed back into position again. Meantime, ! the Rocket Brigade had fired several rockets over the vessel, and eventually getting communication, the whole crew ! of nine were saved by the apparatus, i and the Life-boat came ashore at the Gunhill about 10 P.M. This barque was the Idun of Christianssand, which be- came a total wreck.

The schooner whose crew were saved by the Alfred Garry was the Voorwaarts, of Groningen, in Holland, bound from Emden to Southampton. This rescue took place almost at the exact spot where, fifty-three years before, the Harriett rescued the crew and the captain's wife of the Prussian brig Lucinde.

The Netherlands Government, in recognition of this most meritorious service, awarded a Silver Medal to the Coxswain, and Bronze Medals to the remainder of the crew who risked their lives on that terrible night.

Early in the morning of the 18th January, 1912, snow came on, and during the worst of it a third vessel, the smack Olive, of Ramsgate, was driven ashore within a quarter-of-a-mile of the Voorwaarts. Owing to the snow- storm, however, she was nob observed, but the sea washed her up so high that very soon the crew were able to drop off the bowsprit on to the shore, where they were discovered in the morning.

Not since the Day star service in 1886 had three vessels been ashore in Sole Bay at one time, and the 17th-18th January, 1912, will long be remembered in the ancient Borough.

At about noon on the 11th September, 1912,a vessel was observed off Southwold with a considerable list, and a signal of distress in her rigging. As a N.N.E.

gale was blowing with a heavy swell, and the crew could be seen working hard at the pumps, it was decided to launch the No. 2 Life-boat Rescue. When the Life-boat reached the vessel the master stated that he required help as his ves- sel was making a lot of water, after encountering a gale in the North Sea.

Eight Life-boatmen were put on board to navigate the vessel and man the pumps, and with the boat in close atten- dance they succeeded in getting the vessel safely into harbour, where they pumped her dry. The vessel was the brigantine George Casson, of Carnarvon; she carried a crew of six men, and was bound from Fredrikstad to Menai Bridge with a cargo of timber.

On the 5th February, 1915, the ketch Zenobia, of London, whilst bound from Sunderland to London with a cargo of bottles, was overtaken by a S.S.E. gale when riding abreast Southwold Harbour.

At the time the master was alone on board, the two hands having landed earlier in the day and being unable to get back. As the sea was much too heavy for an ordinary boat to attempt to put to sea the Life-boat JKescue was launched and subsequently assisted the ketch into harbour.

Again on the 18th July, 1915, an explosion was observed at about 8 A.M., on a large steamer, and it was reported that she had been torpedoed. As some of the crew were observed leaving the vessel in the ship's boats, the Life-boat was not immediately launched, but the vessel was kept under observation.

Later, when it was seen that the vessel was lower in the water, the Life-boat was launched. Her services were en- gaged and, by the united efforts of the Life-boatmen and tugs, the ship was eventually refloated and towed into Sheerness, accompanied by a naval escort. The ship was the s.s. Batoum, of Swansea, carrying a crew of thirty- three men, and loaded with oil fuel.

Six men had been killed by the explosion.

And lastly, just after daybreak on the 12th November, 1915, a schooner- rigged vessel was observed coming in from the eastward in a strong S.E. by E. wind. From time to time she was lost sight of in the rain and squalls, and at about 10.30 A.M. she could no longer be seen from Southwold. As a result of enquiries by telephone it was found that she was in a dangerous position near the Sizewell Bank, and the Life-boat Alfred Carry was launched. When the Life- boat reached the ship, which proved to be the brigantine John, of Grimsby, the captain reported that he had been aground, but on letting go his anchor the vessel swung clear. The Life-boat- men were engaged, and eventually the vessel was saved.

From 1840 to the present time the Southwold Life-boats have saved 148 lives and 18 vessels, besides assisting others, and, although this may not compare with many Stations, it must be borne in mind that Southwold lies in a hollow of a wide open bay, so that the greater part of the traffic passes several miles out to sea and there is nothing in these days of steam to bring vessels into the bay. But on the other hand let it not be forgotten that many of the services have been performed miles from home, amidst dangerous sandbanks, after launching from a beach exposed in certain winds to the full force of a 300-mile fetch, and that for over seventy-five years the South-wold men have been ready and willing to hazard their lives with the object of saving and assisting fellow creatures in distress.

The Institution is considering' the question of placing a Motor Life-boat at Southwold in place of the Alfred, Carry.

Whatever may be done about this I am quite sure that, when the time comes, the Southwold men will part with their Alfred Corry with the sincerest regret, and in order that her name and design may be kept alive, I have had a model of her made, which is placed in Southwold Church as a permanent memento of the boat and a token of the gratitude of the men for their safe return from many perilous voyages, undertaken in this noble boat in response to the call of those in peril on the sea.* The Institution is represented by a * We warmly recommend Mr. Cooper's action to other Hon. Secretaries of Station Branches.—ED.

Local Committee, elected each year by the subscribers to the branch, and the committee appoints the secretary, cox- swains, and other officials, and has full control over the boats. Over all, the Headquarters' Staff in London watches with paternal care, and from that source the branches receive the most broad- minded, kindly, generous treatment, no reasonable request ever being refused, and no expense spared to keep the stations efficient and to remunerate the men liberally for their services, whether successful or unsuccessful, and to com- pensate them for injuries sustained while engaged on Life-boat work. No more worthy object for charitable support can be found than the Life-Boat Institution.

When stormy winds do blow and wild seas sweep round our Island Home, think of our merchant seamen carrying on the trade of this vast empire at the risk of their lives, and of the hardy amphibious men who man the Life-boats and who are on the alert day and night to render service to those in peril on the , sea. Few can help in this noble work | by their personal exertions, but all can assist by subscribing to the funds of the j great Institution which organizes and | maintains the finest Life-boat Service in I the world..