DURING the month of October six Lifeboats were launched in response to signals which were believed to be from aeroplanes in distress. The story of their search shows the way in which the increasing traffic by air is adding to the duties of the Life-boat Service.

The first three launches were on the 15th of the month. At 6.30 in the evening a message was received at Salcombe, Devon, that a steamer, seven miles south of Bolt Head, had sent out a wireless message that she had heard the radio-telephone signal, "Mayday," the signal of an aeroplane in distress.

A strong west wind was blowing, with rain, and the sea was rough. The Motor Life-boat was launched at once; the Plymouth Station was informed and stood by. At 9.30, the Salcombe Life-boat reported, through the Prawle Signal Station, that she had found nothing. Instructions were sent back to her by the Honorary Secretary to search to the west of Prawle Point. At the same time Salcombe asked Torbay to join in the search, taking the area to the east of Prawle Point. The Torbay Motor Life-boat was launched at 10.5.

Just after eleven o'clock the King's Harbour-master at Plymouth was informed that another steamer had sent out a wireless message reporting a white rocket, south of the Eddystone Lighthouse, and the Motor Life-boat was launched at 11.30. There were now three Motor Life-boats engaged in searching an area of some thirty miles from east to west in very bad weather —weather, in fact, which made it almost impossible to hope that any airmen could have survived after being forced down. Later on, H.M.S. Broke, from Devonport, and two aircraft, also took up the search.

The Salcombe Life-boat returned to her Station half an hour after midnight and put out again at dawn, continuing the search until 12.40 in the following afternoon. The Torbay boat returned at 5.30 in the morning, put out again at 6.45, and returned finally at 5.15 in the following afternoon. The Plymouth boat returned at 6.30 in the morning, and put out again an hour later, continuing the search until 12.30 in the afternoon.

They had found nothing. The Salcombe boat was out for 11J hours ; the Plymouth boat for 12 hours; the Torbay boat for 18 hours.

Careful enquiries were made by the Board of Trade, but no aeroplane was found to be missing. As there seemed no doubt that the signals had been made, the Board came to the conclusion that they were a hoax. The Institution made awards to the three Life-boat Crews amounting to £70.

A German Aeroplane Missing.

At 9.55 on the night of 29th October, the Dover Station received a message from the aerodrome at Lympne that it had reason to believe that a German aeroplane was down in the Channel near Dover. (It was found later that the aeroplane was D2017.) The Motor Lifeboat put out at 10.15. A whole gale was blowing from the south-west, with a very heavy sea. The Life-boat searched for nearly two hours, but could find no trace of the aeroplane. Then just before midnight she received a message by wireless telephone from the Ramsgate Coastguard that distress signals had been seen two miles southwest of the South Goodwins' Lightvessel.

She made for the spot, but again could find nothing, and just before one in the morning a message wassent to her by radio-telephone that Lympne considered it useless to continue the search.

On the same night the Walton and Frinton Motor Life-boat put out at 10.5 in response to flares seen by the Gunfleet Lighthouse, which may have been from the same aeroplane.

The Walton and Frinton Life-boat, which lies afloat, was only manned at great risk to her crew, owing to the heavy seas which were breaking over the landing-stage. In spite of this, the boat was away thirty-five minutes after the call was received. She searched throughout the night, returning at 7.30 next morning, but could find nothing.

At Southend-on-Sea, the Motor Lifeboat, on returning from the rescue of the crew of two men of a barge which was sinking, put out again, as flares had been seen, presumably from the same aeroplane, and searched for an hour, but found nothing.

The awards for these three launches (including the service to the barge by the Southend Life-boat) amounted to over £58. Extra awards were made to the Walton and Frinton Crew, in recognition of their skill and courage in carrying out a very dangerous piece of work, and an inscribed silver watch was awarded to Coxswain John Byford.

A letter was received from the German Ambassador expressing the appreciation of his government for the efforts made by the Life-boats..