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 gettingalongside, 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..