ON the night of 20th January, 1937, the life-boat coxswain at Broughty Ferry, (Dundee), heard on his wireless that the Abertay lightship, which lies off Buddon Ness, six miles away, was asking that the Broughty Ferry life- boat should go out to her help. The anchors of the lightship had been fouled and the cables were in danger of parting. A strong S.S.E. gale was blowing, with a very heavy sea running. The weather was very cold. The motor life-boat Mono, was launched at 11.20 P.M., and until 5.15 next morning she cruised round the lightship. The weather was then moderating, and as the master of the lightship considered that the danger of the cables parting was over, the life-boat returned to her station.

She arrived at six in the morning, having been out nearly seven hours.

Ten days later, just after noon on 30th January, the lightship was again in danger. A message came to the life-boat station, through the harbour- master at Dundee, that she was holding by only one anchor, and that that anchor was dragging. It was blowing a full E.S.E. gale, with a blizzard of snow. A very heavy sea was running.

The motor life-boat Mono, put out at 12.25 P.M. An hour and ten minutes later she reached the lightship and found that she had been driven a mile out of her position. She was pitching heavily to a very heavy sea.

The coxswain hailed the lightship and told her to cut away her starboard boat to leave him room. This was done. Then a grapnel was thrown from the life-boat to the lightship.

Watching his opportunity, the cox- swain took the life-boat alongside, but so heavy were the seas that she could only remain there for a few seconds. One of the lightship's crew jumped aboard her and she sheered off. Four times more the life-boat went alongside. Each time a man jumped. The whole crew of five had been rescued, and so skilfully had the coxswain handled the life-boat that he brought her away undamaged.

She reached her station again two hours after putting out.

The Institution has made the fol- lowing awards : To COXSWAIN JAMES COULL, its thanks inscribed on vellum for his skilful seamanship on the second service.

To the coxswain and each member of the crew an award on the usual scale of £1 17s. 6d. for the first service, and an award of 19s. for the second service.

Total money rewards, for the first service £13 Is., for the second service, £9 12s..