THE past winter has been remarkable for a succession of terrible westerly gales. In their frequency and intensity they have been unequalled during the present century. October opened with gales on eight successive days, from the 1st to the 8th, and for the next four months gale followed gale all round our coasts. They were at their worst during the first fortnight of December, when they continued for twelve days, rising to an unexampled fury on 7th December.

On that day the wind in the west of the English Channel blew at the highest speed ever recorded in the British Isles.

At Falmouth it rose to 103 miles an hour and in the Isles of Scilly to 110. On December 5th the Falmouth record had been 94 miles, and on December 8th it was 97. These days marked the climax of the bad weather, but towards the end of the month there were again continuing gales for eight days (the 19th to the 26th), and on 13th January the gales were only less intense than on December 7th, the Isles of Scilly on that day recording a wind-speed of 97 miles and Falmouth a speed of 103 miles.

During October there were 15 days of gales ; during November, 16 ; during December, 23 ; and during January, 16.

That is to say, during the 123 days of these four months there were gales on no fewer than 70 days.

Damage to the Fishing Fleets.

The gales were not confined to our shores. They blew over a wide area ; and on the high seas, on the coasts and on land caused great destruction of property and serious loss of life. The fishing fleets round our coasts can hardly ever have experienced so terrible a time.

On one day, 11th November, the Scottish fishing fleet had 27,800 nets lost or damaged, which would cost to replace £143,000. On 9th December a special wireless message was sent out by the Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture, appealing to shipping in the south of the North Sea to keep a look-out for a large number of Lowestoft trawlers, which had put out three days before and not returned, and four days later destroyers were sent out in search of eleven which were still missing. In the end they all came safely to port, but only after days of hardship and suffering.

On the High Seas.

The largest vessels did not escape uninjured from the terrible battering of the gales. The German liner, Bremen, which at that time held the speed record for crossing the Atlantic, was on her way westwards when the gales were at their height at the beginning of December, and reached New York on 13th December, two and a half days late, with fifty passengers inj ured. The Bereiigaria, arriving about the same time, reported seas 50 feet high.

Of the gales on the high seas during this time the two most remarkable incidents were the rescue of the crew of the Volumnia, a Glasgow steamer of 5,608 tons, and the adventure of the schooner, Neptune if., of Newfoundland.

The Volumnia had left Falmouth for Boston on 28th November and almost immediately ran into a south-westerly gale, and for nine days was fighting against almost continuous head gales.

By 7th December her steering gear had been smashed and she had sprung a leak. She sent out an S.O.S., which was answered by seven vessels, and on the following morning the s.s. Manchester Regiment, of Manchester, a steamer of 7,930 tons, succeeded in rescuing the whole crew of 45 in spite of the precipitous seas. Her life-boat made two journeys, and her Captain recorded that there were so many volunteers to man her from among passengers as well as crew that it was difficult to make a choice. The King awarded the Board of Trade Silver Medal for Gallantry in Saving Life at Sea to the second and third mates of the Manchester Regiment, the boatswain and one of the crew.

The Neptune II., which is a vessel of only! 129 tons, left St. John's on 30th November, bound for another Newfoundland port, Newtown, 100 miles away.

She had a lady passenger on board, and a cargo of cabbages, coals and sewing machines.

Thirty miles out she was caught by a westerly gale and ran before it for 220 miles. The wheelhouse was carried away, the steering gear broken, and both life-boats smashed. For three weeks the schooner was struggling to beat back, hoping every day for a favourable wind, but about 21st December her Captain decided to run for the British Isles.

He had only one compass and no other nautical instruments, but on 14th January he picked up a lighthouse which he thought to be the Eddystone, but which was, in fact, the Skerryvore, off the west coast of Scotland, and two days later was towed into Tobeimory.

Her voyage, which should have lasted at most thirty-six hours, had lasted forty-eight days.

Loss of Life.

The height of the gales in December was marked by two disasters off our own coasts. On 5th December, when Falmouth recorded a wind at 97 miles, the Cardiff steamer Frances Duncan, when two miles off Land's End, was overwhelmed by a huge sea. When it had passed she was seen to be on her beam ends. Her cargo had evidently shifted.

Her decks were perpendicular ; no boat could be launched and no one could live on deck. So she remained for a short time and then rolled completely over and sank. Of her crew of 21 men, five were rescued by another steamer.

Two days later, when the gale reached its height, another Cardiff steamer, the Radyr, foundered off Hartland Point, Devon, with the loss of her whole crew of 21 men.

The January gales brought yet another disaster, when the Admiralty tug, St. Gently, which was hove to off Ushant with two other naval vessels, suddenly sank on the night of 12th January. Of her crew of 28 officers and men omy five were saved.

The Record of the Life-boats; 194 Lives Rescued.

The brief record of the Life-boat Service for these four terrible months is that there were 174 launches of Lifeboats ; 194 lives were rescued; and 17 boats and vessels were saved from destruction. In addition, Life-boats on 29 occasions stood by vessels which were in danger. During December there were 67 launches, the largest number in one month since November, 1916, when, there were 71. The largest number of launches in one day was 15 on the 7th December, the day on which the wind reached the record speed of 110 miles.

There follow full accounts of the services during the four months in which outstanding skill and gallantry were shown by Coxswains and Crews and for which the Institution has awarded Silver and Bronze Medals. In these conspicuous services, Englishmen, Scotsmen, Irishmen and Welshmen all took part.

Rosslare Harbour (Co. Wexford).

On the 20th October, the schooner Mountblairy, of Plymouth, was driven ashore about five miles from Rosslare Harbour in a whole gale, with a very heavy sea running. She lay surrounded by rocks. The Life-boat sighted the schooner by means of her searchlight, and then, by its light, made her way between the rocks and through the broken water. She was in grave danger herself, but was magnificently handled by the Coxswain, who brought her safely alongside, and in three minutes the five men of the Mountblairy jumped aboard her. It was then that the most difficult and dangerous moment came. There was not enough room between the rocks to turn the Lifeboat, but the Coxswain, by using the bow of the wreck itself as a fulcrum, and by skilful manipulation of his engines, succeeded in screwing the Life-boat round, and worked her clear of the rocks.

The journey home was very hazardous.

It was in the teeth of the gale, and against the tide, which was running its hardest. The Life-boat was continually smothered by heavy seas; the spray was so blinding that although the boat was close to buoys and lights, nothing could be seen, and she had to be steered by compass ; the movement of the boat was so violent that all the rescued men were seasick ; and so great was the backwash off Rosslare that the Life-boat's Crew at times were nearly swept out of the cockpit and washed overboard. In spite of these dangers, the Coxswain brought the Life-boat safely to harbour just after midnight.

She had been out for three hours.

This was the finest of seven Life-boat services carried out by the Rosslare Harbour Life-boat within one month, during which time she went out to the help of ten vessels, rescued twentynine lives, and saved five fishing boats from destruction.

Coxswain James Wickham was awarded a Second Service Clasp to the Silver Medal of the Institution which he won in 1914. Mr. W. J. B. Moncas, the Honorary Secretary, was awarded the Bronze Medal of the Institution.

He went out in the Life-boat, and in looking after the shipwrecked crew on the journey home ran a great risk of being washed overboard. Mr. Moncas was presented in 1926 with an inscribed Binocular Glass for shore-boat service in which he had taken part. Each member of the Crew was awarded the Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum, and an additional monetary reward.

The awards to Coxswain Wickham and Mr. Moncas were presented to them by His Excellency the Governor- General of the Irish Free State (Mr.

James McNeill), at the Vice-Regal Lodge in Dublin on llth February.

There were present at the Ceremony Senator Andrew Jameson (Chairman of the Dublin Branch), Major Arthur Whewell (Chairman of the Special Efforts Committee), Mr. R. N.

Guinness (Honorary Secretary of the Branch), Mr. B. J. Newcombe (Assistant Secretary), Lieut.-Commander J. M.

Upton, R.N.R.(District Inspector of Lifeboats for Ireland), and Mr. Herbert G. Solomon (District Organising Secretary for Ireland and Wales). In making the presentation,the Governor-General said: " Everybody delights to honour brave men who, at great risk to themselves, undertake the work of life-saving from shipwreck, and it is a great pleasure' to me to decorate personally two heroes of the sea who have shown that grit and determination which everyone connected with the sea seems to possess.

" The name of Wickham of Wexford has been associated with the work of life-saving for generations, and many awards have been made to members of this family for their heroism during the past century, while Mr. Moncas has been associated with Life-boat work at Fenit and Rosslare for twenty-four years.

" Possessing one of the finest Motor Life-boats in the Service and a crew that does not know the meaning of the word ' fear,' Rosslare is equipped for any emergency." The Governor-General then gave the record of the Station during the gales, and concluded: " In presenting these awards, I hope the Coxswain will convey to every member of his Crew my congratulations on their share in this great rescue." Hythe and Dungeness (Kent).

At 6.30 in the evening of llth November, with a 70-mile an hour gale blowing from the S.W., a very heavy sea running, and poor visibility on account of heavy rain, the Coxswain at Hythe received information from the Coxswain at Dungeness that a barge (afterwards found to be the Marie May, of Rochester, with three men on board) had parted her moorings and was drifting to leeward. In the absence of the Hythe Honorary Secretary, the Coxswain took charge, and kept a lookout.

One and a half hours later he sawa light about four miles to windward of his Station. The gale by this time had risen to a hurricane. He assembled the Crew and stood by. Shortly afternine o'clock he called up the Dungeness Coxswain, Dungeness being the weather boat, and reported a barge burning red flares about a mile off Dymchurch.

The Dungeness boat was then launched, but only with the greatest difficulty.Several times she was on the point of being driven broadside on to the surf, but was saved by the launchers going out into the undertow. The Life-boatgot away at 10.30, and went in the direction given by the Hythe Coxswain, but she found nothing. She then went seaward again, and signalled the Trinity Pilot Boat. Following the information given, the Life-boat was taken right intothe shoal water, and here the Coxswain searched for the barge as well as he could in the blinding rain. The search was fruitless, and, as he got no response to his signals either from ashore or afloat, he decided to anchor. It was then one o'clock in the morning. For four hours the boat remained at anchor, communication with the shore being impossible owing to the heavy rain and driving spray. The wind having veered to N.W. and then moderated a little, the Coxswain decided to weigh anchor and continue his search, eventually discovering the barge at daybreak, only to find that its crew had already been taken off by the Hythe Boat. The Life-boat returned to her Station at 9.30 in the morning, having then been out on service for eleven hours.

Meanwhile, the Coxswain at Hythe had continued his look-out, and when, four hours after he had received notice that Dungeness had launched, he could still see the flares, but there was no sign of the Dungeness boat, he decided to launch the Hythe boat. She got away at 3 in the morning, and two hours later found the barge, about two miles west of the Station, in. broken water, only a quarter of a mile from the shore. The Life-boat was manoeuvred alongside and got a veering line on board. By this means the three men were rescued. By that time the barge had 18 inches of water in her, her crew were utterly exhausted, and they had burned all their spare clothing and bedding, and whatever else would burn as flares. The Life-boat reached her Station again at 6.45 in the morning.

She had been out nearly four hours.

The gallantry and perseverence shown in this difficult and dangerous service, in what the Honorary Secretary at Dungeness reported to be one of the worst gales he had ever known, were all the greater since both the Life-boats were Pulling and Sailing Boats.

The Institution awarded Coxswain Harry A. Griggs, jun., of Hythe (a son of the ex-Coxswain), its Silver Medal, in recognition of his skill and gallantry in the actual work of rescue. He had also shown excellent judgment throughout, from the moment when the first message arrived. To each member of the Crew the Institution awarded its Thanks inscribed on Vellum, and an additional monetary reward. It also awarded its Bronze Medal to Coxswain Douglas Oilier of Dungeness, in recognition of the way in which the Life-boat was launched in the face of a terrific gale, and the dogged courage with which he held the seas until he found the barge. To each member of the Crew, it awarded its Thanks inscribed on Vellum, and an additional monetary reward.

Angle and St. David's (Pembrokeshire).

On 25th November, at 2.35 in' the afternoon, a message was received by the Tenby Coastguard from the Fishguard Radio that the steamer Molesey, of London, of 4,000 tons, was nearly on the rocks at Shokham Island, off the Pembrokeshire coast. A whole gale was blowing from the S.W., with squalls, and a very heavy sea. The telephone and telegraph lines were down between Tenby and Pembroke, and the message had to be taken part of the way by car, so that it was nearly two hours after the S.O.S. was sent out when the Honorary Secretary of the Angle Lifeboat Station received the message.

The Motor Life-boat was launched at once. She made a thorough search in the neighbourhood of the island but could find no sign of any vessel, and returned to her Station two hours after she was launched.

Twenty minutes later, a message was received from Marloes, a fishing village in Jack Sound, to say that the vessel was ashore just opposite the village, on Middle Island, between Skomar and the mainland. At 7.45 the Life-boat again went out, but the visibility was barely 70 yards, and although the Coxswain took the boat so close to the island that the breakers could be seen, no vessel could be distinguished, and he decided to return to harbour and await daylight. On this second search the boat was out for nearly four hours. A third attempt was made at 6.15 on the following morning. The Molesey was discovered, and the Lifeboat anchored and succeeded in getting alongside, but the work of rescuing those on board was very difficult and dangerous. The wind was blowing against the tide ; the range of the seas was very great, with a rise and fall of as much as 20 feet; while both to windward and leeward there were submerged rocks. In spite of these difficulties, the work of rescue, which lasted nearly an hour, was successfully carried out, and the twenty-eight survivors from the wreck—among them two women and a man whose legs had been broken—were successfully taken off.

The Life-boat herself was slightly damaged. At eleven o'clock the rescued were landed at Milford Haven.

Unfortunately, almost immediately after the ship struck, seven lives had been lost, including the wife of the Chief Officer, either swept overboard, or drowned in an attempt to reach the shore ; while a member of the crew, a Maltese fireman, who was believed to have been drowned, swam ashore after the rest of the crew had left in the Life-boat, and was found alive on the rocks.

The St. David's Motor Life-boat was also launched to the help of the Molesey, having received the message from the Fishguard Coastguard Station just before 11 at night. The floods were out and the main road was under water, but the Honorary Secretary took the Coxswain and Crew through it in his car, and the boat was got away at midnight. She reached Jack Sound about 2.30 the following morning, and flares were burned, but there was no response. The Life-boat remained for some time, but nothing could be seen of the wreck in the darkness, and the St. David's Coxswain decided, like the Angle Coxswain, that the only thing was to wait until daylight. He therefore ran for Dale Eoads, as the heavy sea and the frequent heavy squalls made it impossible to remain in the neighbourhood of the position given for the wreck. In Dale Roads the Life-boat anchored for the rest of the night, and at daylight again went in search of the Molesey. When she found her, the Coxswain realised that he had been quite close to her when he had burned the flares to which no response had been made. By this time the Crew had been rescued, and were aboard the Angle Life-boat. The St. David's boat reached her Station again at noon.

The Institution awarded its Bronze Medal to Coxswain James Watkins, of Angle, and its Thanks inscribed on Vellum to the Motor Mechanic, Edgar Rees, and sent a Letter of Appreciation to the Crew. It also awarded its Thanks inscribed on Vellum to the Honorary Secretary, Mr. A. W. Gutch.

During the night he had done everything possible to obtain information, and, although not a seaman, he went out on the third and successful search, as he was anxious that nothing should be left undone to find and rescue the Molesey's Crew. Additional monetary awards were made to the Coxswain and Crew.

The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum was awarded to Coxswain Ivor Arnold, of St. David's.

A Letter of Appreciation was sent to the Crew, and Coxswain and Crew received extra monetary awards. A Letter of Appreciation was also sent to Mr. Joseph Soar, the Honorary Secretary.

Mr. Soar, who is the organist at St. David's Cathedral, is, like Mr. Gutch, not a seaman, but he went in the Life-boat, which was out for twelve hours. A Letter of Appreciation was also sent to Mr. Evans, Foreman of the Works to the Institution's engineers, Messrs. Lewis & Lewis, who went out in the St. David's boat.

A number of fishermen from Marloes, who put out at daybreak on 26th November in a brave attempt to rescue the Molesey's Crew, were sent a Letter of Appreciation.

Messrs. Watts, Watts & Company, of London, the Britain Steamship Company, owners of the Molesey, sent a donation of a hundred guineas to the Institution "as some small recognition of the fine work done by the Angle and St.

David's Motor Life-boats." They also sent £20 to the fishermen of Marloes.

The Pembrokeshire County Council passed a formal resolution recording its " high appreciation of the gallantry of the Crews of the Life-boats stationedin the County," namely, Angle, St.

David's and Tenby, and of the gallantry of the fishermen of Marloes.

Newhaven (Sussex).

On 7th December, the day on which the gales reached their height, the Newhaven Motor Life-boat was called out just before 7.30 in the morning to the help of a Danish schooner, the Mogens Koch, which had gone ashore at Cuckmere, four or five miles along the coast.

A gale was blowing from the S.W., with the wind at seventy-two to eighty-four miles an hour. A very heavy sea was running, and there was thick rain. The tide being low, with the sea breaking very heavily on the bar, it was a difficult and dangerous task to get out of the harbour. This was successfully accomplished, but visibility was so poor on account of the rain that the Coxswain had some difficulty in discovering the wreck. He found her at last lying stern on to the sea, with heavy seas breaking over the after part. The Coxswain anchored and veered down to her, but only after several attempts was he able to get alongside. Then, one by one, the crew of the schooner jumped into the Lifeboat, until all ten were saved. The Life-boat herself was damaged, both her stem and rudder being bent.

On the return journey she had to fight her way against wind and sea and tide. One huge wave broke in the boat.

It stove in the shelter and knocked down every man on board. The second Motor Mechanic was washed out of the boat, but his feet caught in a rope and he was hauled aboard again. One of the rescued men had his thigh dislocated and the Coxswain of the Lifeboat was seriously hurt in the back, but he stuck to his post until the end. The Captain of the Modems Koch, a seaman of forty-six years' experience, spoke in very high terms of the Life-boat's Coxswain and Crew, saying that he would never have believed that a Life-boat could have gone through such seas.

In recognition of the judgment and high courage with which Coxswain Richard Payne handled the Life-boat under exceptionally severe conditions, both in crossing the bar and alongside the wreck, the Institution awarded him its Silver Medal. He already holds the Bronze Medal, awarded him in 1924.

He was magnificently supported by his Crew, and to each member the Institution awarded its Thanks inscribed on Vellum, and an additional monetary reward.

Torbay (Devon).

Between the 5th and the 7th December, with a strong gale blowing the whole time and a very heavy sea, the Torbay Motor Life-boat was out on service four times. She was out _for two hours on the 5th, rescuing the Crew of a fishing boat, and again for two hours on the 6th. She was called out for the third time just before 2 in the morning of the 7th, and stood by a steamer until she was able to get into Torbay. She did not return until 10.30 in the morning, having then been out for nearly nine hours. Half an hour later she was launched again in response to a wireless call for help from an unnamed ship nearly forty miles away.

She had to fight her way in the teeth of a whole gale, and then she searched for four hours, but could find nothing except a few floating planks. It was nearly 7 in the evening when she began her journey home, and she did not reach her Station until 4 the following morning.

The second service had lasted seventeen hours. On these two services the Life-boat had been out for twenty-six hours, exposed to the full fury of the gales, with only an interval of half an hour ashore between the two, during which time the Crew had been able to get into dry clothes and have a little warm food. Coxswain W. G. Sanders, who is seventy years old, was awarded the Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum, in recognition of his devotion to duty, tenacity and endurance. A Letter of Appreciation was sent to the Motor Mechanic, F. J. Welch.

Longhope (The Orkneys).

At one in the morning on 5th January, the Aberdeen steam trawler, Braconmoor, outward bound for the fishing grounds, went ashore on TornessPoint, in the Orkneys, three and a half miles from Longhope. Her siren was heard and her flares were seen. A message was sent to the Coxswain at Longhope, and at two o'clock the Lifeboat was launched. A S.E. wind was blowing, and the night was very dark, with heavy rain. An hour later the Life-boat reached the wreck, which was still burning flares, and found her lying close to dangerous rocks, in very heavy surf, which from time to time completely smothered her. The Coxswain took the Life-boat into the surf as near as possible to the wreck, and anchored. He then veered down towards the wreck, but owing to the fierce tide which was running, the Life-boat was swept past. Twice more the Coxswain repeated the manoeuvre before he was able to get the Life-boat sufficiently near to use the line-throwing gun. A line was then fired across the bridge of the trawler, and a rope and life-buoy were passed to her. One by one the nine men on board were hauled through the surf, and all were brought safely to the Life-boat except the trawler's skipper. When he reached her he was dead. It was found afterwards that he suffered from a weak heart, and it is probable that he had died of the shock when he went into the surf. The Lifeboat reached Longhope again at 6.45, having been out on the service for just under five hours.

It was a rescue in very difficult circumstances, carried out with skill and gallantry, and the Institution awarded its Silver Medal to Coxswain John Swanson, and its Thanks on Vellum to each member of the Crew.

Additional monetary rewards were also made to the Coxswain and Crew, and a letter of thanks was sent to the Honorary Secretary, who went to the crags above the scene of the wreck, with powerful hand flash-lights, and did all that he could to ensure a successful service.

The Gallantry of Honorary Secretaries.

One of the features of the services during these four months of gales was the gallantry shown by the Honorary Secretaries of Stations in sharing the perils of the Life-boat Crews.

Eeference has already been made to Mr. W. J. B. Moncas of Rosslare Harbour, who was awarded the Bronze Medal, Mr. A. W. Gutch of Angle, who was awarded the Thanks of the Institution on Vellum, and Mr. Joseph Soar of St. David's, who was sent a Letter of Appreciation. Another Honorary Secretary who was out on service during the gales was Mr. H. H. Edmunds, of Barry Dock (Glamorganshire). He went with the Motor Life-boat when she was launched on 7th December—the day on which the gales reached their height—to the help of a steamer which had gone ashore. The Life-boat's services were not required. This was Mr.

Edwards's first journey in the Life-boat on service, and he was sent a Letter of Appreciation.

Two other men who were not members of the Crews also took part in service launches. To one, Mr. Evans, who went out in the St. David's boat, reference has already been made. The other was Sergeant Duignan, of the Civic Guard of the Irish Free State, who went out on the night of 24th November with the Skerries (Dublin) Life-boat when she rescued the crew of four men of the ketch, Ivy P, of Ipswich, which was in danger of foundering in a moderate gale with a heavy sea running.

He received the same monetary award which was made to each member of the Crew, but returned it to the Institution.

Other Incidents of the Gales.

The Bembridge Motor Life-boat went out on 7th December to the help of the ketch Silent, of Cowes, and found her with her head sails blown away and her windlass smashed. Although she was sinking, the men on board refused to leave her, so the Life-boat took the ketch in tow, and brought her into safety. The owners sent the Institution a donation of £5 in gratitude.

The Tenby Motor Life-boat was struck by lightning when out on service on 8th December.

The St. Ives's Pulling and Sailing Life-boat had her foremast carried a ay when out on service on 8th December, being struck by a sea which14 THE LIFEBOAT.

fell on the foresail. She was then two miles north of St. Ives Head. The mast was repaired, but was carried away again. The Coxswain then anchored ; the mizzen mast was shipped forward ; a jury mast was rigged in place of the mizzen, and the Life-boat succeeded in getting back to St. Ives.

On 28th December, the Barry Dock Motor Life-boat was launched, as it was reported that a raft, with people on it, was drifting towards the Wash Sands. The supposed raft was found to be a large tree, the " people " on board it being the lopped branches.