ON 10th February, 1871, an unusually severe gale burst upon the North-East coast of England, and at Bridlington there was the terrible spectacle of no fewer than seventeen ships ashore at the same time, rapidly breaking up.

There were, at that time, two Life-boats at Bridlington, a 32-feet self-righting Life-boat stationed there by the Insti- tution, and a smaller boat, not self- righting, locally built and locally owned, which was not considered suitable for work in a heavy sea.

Both Life-boats were launched, and did most gallant work. The Institu- tion's Life-boat rescued three crews, and then for two hours was struggling unsuccessfully to reach a vessel which in the end turned completely over, with the loss of her whole crew. By this time the Life-boatmen were so exhausted that some of them had to be carried up from the boat.

Meanwhile, the small Life-boat had rescued five crews. She had then put out again to the help of two more vessels, but in getting alongside of them she was capsized, and six of her crew were drowned.

The record of this terrible day was that five crews were rescued and six of the rescuers lost their lives. Both for its glory and its tragedy that day in 1871 has never been forgotten in Bridlington.

It deserves, in fact, to be remembered, in the history of the Life-boat Service, with the day at Whitby in 1861, when, after saving the crews of no fewer than six vessels, the exhausted Life-boatmen put out for a seventh time ; the boat capsized ; all but one were drowned; and then, when yet another vessel drove ashore, another Crew came forward at once, manned an old Life-boat, and went to the rescue.

Each year a procession and memorial service are held at Bridlington in honour of the six men who lost their lives. In this tribute to the dead the whole town takes part, but this year a wider tribute was paid. The service was broadcast, and both sound films and silent films were taken of the procession. Thus, thousands who have never been to Bridlington, heard the story told of that day of courage and sacrifice, and did honour to the memory of the gallant men who risked their lives, and the six who lost them, sixty-nine years ago, in what is still called in Bridlington " the Great Gale.".