A Bronze Medal Service by the Torbay Motor Life-boat.

ON the night of 30th December, 1935, the motor life-boat at Torbay carried out a service which showed in a striking way the value of wireless in life-boat work.

At 5.15 P.M. of that day a wireless message from the American steamer Black Hawk was intercepted at Paign- ton. It said that she was trying to take in tow a trawler which was in distress fifteen miles east of Start Point.

A whole gale was blowing from the S.S.W., with a very heavy confused sea, and an abnormally strong tide was running. At 6.50 P.M. the motor life-boat George Shee was launched. It was known that she would have to travel about twenty-five miles, and before she left, at the suggestion of the honorary secretary of the station, the divisional inspector of coastguard sent a wireless message to the Black Hawk through the station Niton (near St.

Catherine's Point, Isle of Wight), asking her to use her searchlight as a guide to the life-boat.

Picking up the Searchlight.

At 8.45 the life-boat picked up the light, and half an hour later she reached the trawler, the Satanicle of Cherbourg. Without the help of the searchlight it is very doubtful if she would have been able to find her in the heavy weather.

Two other vessels besides the Black Hawk were standing by, and it appears that one of these vessels, the German steamer Westemland, had attempted to tow the trawler to Southampton, but in the heavy seas this had been found impossible, and the tow-rope had to be cast oft.

As soon as the life-boat arrived, the Black Hawk went on her way, the other two vessels drew close to the trawler, and the Westernland got a line on board her. A breeches-buoy was rigged and two of the trawler's crew were rescued by it. A third succeeded in jumping on board the Westernland.

The Westernland hit the Satanicle, and she and the other vessel standing by drew away.

A Rescue in Huge Seas.

The life-boat then approached, and the skipper of the Satanicle, the only man now on board her, called out that she was sinking. So huge and steep were the seas that when the life-boat was in the trough her signalman could not see the morse signals from the Westernland. The life-boat went round and came under the trawler's lee side. A line was thrown aboard her, which the skipper made fast amidships, and the life-boat's crew then waited for their opportunity, in the huge seas, to haul her in near enough for the skipper to jump. Twice the life-boat was flung against the Satanicle, but was only slightly damaged. Then, as she was lifted on the crest of a wave, the skipper jumped ; the crew seized him ; the line was cut; and the lifeboat drew clear. It was then close on midnight, and it was not until 4.45 next morning, nearly ten hours after she had put out, that the life-boat reached her station again.

She had travelled some sixty miles at the height of a whole gale, and had carried out the rescue in a very heavy sea. It was proof of the fine seaman- ship of the coxswain and his crew that the trawler's skipper had been rescued unhurt, and that the life-boat herself had only been slightly damaged.

The Institution has awarded to COXSWAIN WILLIAM H. H. MOGEIDGE its bronze medal for gallantry, accom- panied by a copy of the vote inscribed on vellum; to each member of the crew its thanks inscribed on vellum, and to the coxswain and crew money awards of £l 17s. 6d. to each man. The awards amounted to £14 8*. 6d. Letters of thanks were sent to the divisional inspector of coastguard and Mr. N. P.

Gough, who intercepted and passed on the wireless message, and a letter of appreciation to Mr. H. M. Smardon, the honorary secretary of the station.

The French consul at Southampton sent a message of gratitude and admira- tion to the coxswain and crew..