Shortly after four in the morning of 8th December information was received from the Coastguard that a vessel was burning flares. Fifteen minutes later the Motor Life-boat John and Mary Meiklam of Gladswood was launched. A fresh S.W. by W. wind was blowing, with a very heavy sea. The Life-boat made for the St. Nicholas Light Vessel, which gave her the position of the flares, and she found the vessel on the Scroby Sands, near the Bell Buoy. She was the ketch Harwich, of Harwich, bound from the Humber to Norwich with a cargo of tiles. The Coxswain took the Life-boat as near as possible in the darkness. The anchor was dropped and the Life-boat veered down on her cable towards the wreck, but, in the heavy sea, she struck the sands heavily and had to haul ofi again. Three further attempts were made, but she could not get near the vessel. Though the men on board-could be heard shouting and the Coxswain was very anxious to get to them at once, he had to wait until daylight. It was then evident that the Life-boat could not get near from the west side of the Sands, so she crossed over to the east. Here she found a little more water, and succeeded in getting close enough for the three men on the ketch to jump. One of them fell into the sea, but a rope was thrown to him and he was hauled aboard. The Life-boat's cable had fouled the wreck and had to be cut. The Life-boat then drew clear of the Sands and made for Gorleston, which she reached at nine in the morning. The rescued men were ta'ken at once to the Mariners' Refuge.

The ketch became a total wreck. This was a fine service. A Letter of Con- gratulation was sent by the Institution to the Branch, and additional monetary rewards were made to the Coxswain and Crew.—Rewards, £46 14s. 6d..