ON the morning of 17th February last a number of fishing boats from Sheringham, on the coast of Norfolk, went out after whelks. Before they returned a heavy sea had got up, and the boats were in danger. A message was sent for the Motor Life-boat at Cromer, and she was launched at 3.20 in the afternoon.

When she arrived she found that the Sheringham private Life-boat had also put out, had rescued the crew of two men of the fishing boat White Heather II.

and had taken the boat in tow. Another fishing boat, Welcome Home, was making for the shore. When about 200 yards away from it, she was overwhelmed by a heavy breaking sea, capsized and sank.

The Sheringham Life-boat, which was a quarter of a mile away, and the Cromer Motor Life-boat, which was 600 yards away, at once went to her help. Another motor fishing-boat, The Liberty, which had just got safely in, was at once launched again by her crew of three men.They made a gallant attempt, but their engine stopped, a heavy sea filled the boat, and she was driven ashore.

The Sheringham and Cromer Lifeboats were quickly on the spot. The Sheringham boat picked up one man, and the Cromer boat made for the other two. One of them, H. Little, was wearing a life-belt, the other, John Craske, had an arm thrown over a spar and seemed absolutely helpless. It was found afterwards that he had a wound on the head. The Coxswain threw a belt with a line attached to Little, and he was hauled on board. At the same time the Cromer Bowman, J. J. Davies, Sen., jumped overboard to the help of Craske, and held him up until a line was thrown to them and they were hauled on board.

The Life-boat then made full speed for Cromer, where the two men were with difficulty landed, and the Life-boat herself made for Yarmouth, as it was impossible to rehouse her owing to the sea on the slipway. The St. John Ambulance Brigade had been warned by telephone from Sheringham and was waiting when the two rescued men were landed. Artificial respiration had already been used on John Craske, but neither the efforts of the Life-boatmen nor of the Ambulance Brigade could restore him to consciousness. He was the son and brother of two of the three men who had made such a gallant attempt in The Liberty to rescue him before the Life-boats could reach him and his companions.

In recognition of his gallantry, the Institution has awarded to the Bowman, Mr. J. Davies, a Second Service Clasp to the Bronze Medal which he already holds. He won it for his share in the service to the Dutch oil-tanker, Georgia, which broke in half off the Norfolk coast in November, 1927, the survivors of her crew being rescued by the Cromer Motor Life-boat which was out for twenty-eight hours.

The Institution has also made an extra monetary award to Mr. Davies, the usual monetary awards to the Coxswain and Crew of the Cromer Motor Life-boat, and monetary awards also to the crew and launchers of the Sheringham Life-boat, and to the three men—Mr. W. C. Craske, Mr. W. C.

Craske, jun., and Mr. A. C. Bishop, who went out in the fishing-boat The Liberty..