Sennen Cove.

On Saturday, the 29th November, 1919, three naval motor launches left •Queenstown, escorted by a destroyer, oa their way to Southampton to be paid off. During the night the wind got up from S.S.W., and by Sunday morning it was blowing a gale. One of the launches was being towed by the destroyer, but the other two were under their own power. All the launches were shipping a great deal of water, and in the middle of the forenoon, as a result of this, the engines of launch No. 378 stopped. The little flotilla was then" off Land's End. The destroyer with the launch in tow was now some way ahead, but the .third launch, No. 173, managed to get a rope to her disabled sister, and took her in tow. For a time the two made headway. Then the tow-rope parted.

Another rope was got across. This also gave way, and the disabled launch was helpless in the gale, which blew with ever-increasing strength. Less than a mile to leeward of her was the dangerous reef of the Longships Lighthouse, and she was drifting rapidly towards it.

The launch was now in extreme peril; she began to fire minute guns,, and, at one in the afternoon, word reached the Life-boat Station at Sennen Cove.

The Life-boat put out at once, but by the time the helpless launch was reached she was already close to the Longships reef, where .a furious sea was breaking. The crew had put on their life-belts, and now, as a last hope, were taking to the dinghy; but such a boat had no chance in such a sea. She capsized almost at once, and the ninemen aboard her were thrown into the breaking water. Four of them managed to get aboard the launch again, and with her were flung upon the rocks; the other five were left struggling in the sea.

But by now the Life-boat had anchored, and was veering down towards the reef.

She was just in time to save four of the five, but the fifth, who was the second in command of the launch, was drowned before the Life-boat could help him.

Then began the hardest part of the Life-boat's task. While the four men were being rescued the launch, with the other four aboard, had broken to pieces.

Within a few minutes of being flung on the reef she had disappeared, and the /nen were left clinging to the rocks, and half - buried in the water. But they managed, in spite of the cold and of the seas breaking furiously over them, still to hold on.

There was only one way of reaching them, and it was taken, although it involved the greatest risks. The anchor was got up and the Life-boat was worked through a gap in the reef.

There she was carefully manoeuvred close under the rocks, the anchor let go again, the four men dragged on board with life-lines, and the Life-boat got safely away. From first to last the actual work of rescue had lasted an hour, and the slightest mistake during that time would have meant disaster, the certain loss of the crew of the launch, of the Life-boat, and of all the Life-boat men. But no mistake was made, and a most gallant and skilful rescue was successfully aceom- 'plished. The Committee of Management felt that so fine a service deserved some special recognition, and it was decided to award Thomas Henry Nicholas, the Coxswain, the Silver Service Medal of the Institution, and Thomas Fender, the Second Coxswain, and each member of the crew the Bronze Service Medal. Double monetary awards were also given..