A VERY fine service in which the crew of the Newburgh Life-boat and men of H.M. Destroyers Vampire and Vendetta played a gallant part, took place on October 19th, the anniversary of the wreck of the Hopelyn last year, off Belhelvie, near Aberdeen.

At 5.30 in the morning of that day the trawler Imperial Prince, of Aberdeen, with a crew of nine men, struck a shoal north of Black Dog Rock. A full southerly gale was blowing, with a heavy sea, and the weather was so thick that, although the Imperial Prince was only 400 yards from the shore, the flares which she burnt as signals of distress were invisible. It was not until day- light that she was seen, and by this time only the bow and stern of the vessel and I the tops of her masts and funnel were above water. The Coast Guard notified the Institution's Life-boat at Newburgh and the Life-boat maintained by the Harbour Commissioners at Aberdeen.

They also called out the Life-Saving Rocket Apparatus, which was quickly on the scene. Five rockets were fired, and the fifth was, in the end, secured by the crew of the trawler, although they lost one man overboard in their efforts to get it clear of the fore stay, which it had fouled. The crew, however, were so exhausted that they could not haul in the breeches buoy.

Meanwhile, the Aberdeen Life-boat had left the harbour at 9.40, in tow of a tug, and reached the scene of the wreck in less than half-an-hour, but as she approached the wreck from windward she broached to; four of her crew were washed overboard, and were rescued with great difficulty; the Boat herself was carried to leeward, and was finally beached with her crew exhausted.

An hour before she put out, the Newburgh Life-boat had left her boathouse with a journey before her, overland, of about seven miles, along a soft, sandy beach. For the first mile and a half she was dragged by helpers, men, women and children. Then six horses were obtained to help them, and towards the end of the journey, the horses of the L.S.A. were also brought up to help. The journey took just over four hours.

The boat was then launched and reached the wreck just after two in the afternoon, the crew succeeding in getting hold of the L.S.A. line which had been fired across the trawler. By means of this line, two of the trawler's crew were rescued, but a third man, becoming entangled with the ropes, was washed out of the life-buoy and drowned, as he was being dragged across to the Life-boat.

One of the two rescued men was so seriously injured, and the Life-boat crew themselves were so exhausted, that the Coxswain decided to return ashore. A second attempt was then made with some of the original crew and some volunteers, but, in spite of the gallantry of these men, who were not experienced Life-boatmen, it had no success.

Again the Life-boat returned ashore.

The Peterhead Motor Life-boat was then summoned, and a message asking for help was sent to the Commanding Officer of the Vampire, lying at Aberdeen. He at once sent seven of his own crew and four from the Vendetta, in charge of one of his petty officers, and they arrived very quickly in taxi-cabs. Their arrival coincided with a third attempt at rescue which was being made with an Aberdeen crew, and two of them joined this crew, while the remainder helped to launch the Boat.

This attempt unfortunately also failed, and the boat was at once launched again, for the fourth time, manned by the other ten naval men and the Newburgh Coxswain and Bowman. It was now nearly seven in the evening, and the trawler's crew had been thirteen hours in the rigging. Although by this time the weather had moderated, there was a heavy swell breaking right over the wreck, leaving only her masts and the top of her funnel visible.

After a long and hard pull the Life- boat got to windward of the wreck, which, thanks to the moon, could just be seen between the breakers. The drogue was put out, and the boat was dropped down to the port rigging, where she lay with her stern close in under the fore-mast, rising and falling eight feet with the waves, while the remaining five men of the trawler's crew, now dazed and utterly exhausted, were got aboard.

The Peterhead Motor Life-boat, which had had a journey of twenty-two miles against the gale, arrived at the wreck shortly after the men had been rescued.

To mark their appreciation of this gallant service, the Committee of Management made the following awards :— To JOHN INNES, Coxswain, who went out on three of the four attempts, although he had been injured, the Silver Medal of the Institution, the Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum, and an additional monetary award.

To JAMES INNES, Bowman, the Coxswain's son, who went out each time with his father, the Bronze Medal of the Institution, the Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum, and an additional monetary award.

To the remaining members of the crew, additional monetary awards.

To Petty Officer C. A. W. ESSAM, of H.M.S. Vampire, the Silver Medal of the Institution, the Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum, and a monetary award.

To each of the other eleven naval men, the Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum, and a monetary award.

Letters of Thanks were also sent, among others, to Commander Way, R.N., Inspector of Coast Guard; Mr. Morrison, District Officer of Coast Guard ; Captain Lumsden of Balmedie, Lord of the Manor; Mr. Ritchie, Chairman of the Newburgh Committee, who, although he is seventy-three, accompanied the boat on her journey along the beach, and was present all day at the scene of the wreck ; Mr. Henderson, Honorary Secretary at Peterhead, who, immediately his boat had been called away, left for the scene of the wreck ; and the women of Newburgh, who helped in the long and severe task of taking the boat along the beach, and did not hesitate to go into the sea when it was necessary.

The following letter of appreciation was received by the Institution from the Board of Trade : " I am directed by the Board of Trade to inform you that they have had under consideration, reports relating to the wreck of the steam trawler Imperial Prince, near Belhelvie, on the 19th October, and the rescue of the survivors of the crew under very difficult circumstances, and I am to request that your Committee of Management will be so good as to convey to the crew of the Newburgh Life-boat the Board's appreciation of their gallant conduct in making such a brave attempt to rescue these men. In particular, the Board regard as highly commendable the action of the Coxswain and Bowman for making the second attempt at rescue with a fresh crew, and for the final successful attempt with a third crew of naval ratings. I am also to request that the Board's appreciation should be conveyed to the Secretary, Signalmen and Life-boat crew of the Peterhead Motor Life-boat for the expeditious manner in which they answered the call to proceed to this wreck." Owing to the comments made at the inquest held on the two men of the Imperial Prince who were drowned on the failure of the Aberdeen Life-boat, which was stated to be seventy years old, a letter was sent to the Press by the Chairman, pointing out that this boat is not one of the Institution's Fleet; that some years ago the Institution had offered to take over full control of the Life-boat Station at Aberdeen, and provide a modern Life-boat; that the Local Authorities were, at the time, unwilling to avail themselves of this offer, and that the offer remains open.