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-boatunder 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..