ON 21st January, 1937, an aeroplane, G—AELT, with two men on board, left Liverpool for Belfast at ten in the morning. She did not arrive. A southerly wind was blowing, varying from a fresh breeze to a strong gale.

The sea was rough and steadily in- creasing. Eight life-boats were launched to search for the aeroplane. They were the five life-boats from the Isle of Man, one of the New Brighton life-boats from the mouth of the Mersey, the Lytham-St. Annes life-boat, Lan- cashire, and the Kirkcudbright life-boat, near the Solway Firth.

Ramsey, Isle of Man.—News of the missing aeroplane was received from the coastguard, and the motor life-boat, Lady Harrison was launched at 3.30 in the afternoon. She went north to the Point of Ayre, the northernmost point of the island, and then on a north-west course to the Mull of Galloway in Wigtownshire. No-sign of the aero- plane was found and the life-boat then turned westward towards the coast of Ireland, running into very bad weather.

At ten at night she arrived off Peel and returned round the Point of Ayre to her station, where she arrived at 2.15 next morning. She had then been out for ten and three-quarter hours and had travelled between seventy and eighty miles.—Rewards, £32 6s. 9d.

Douglas, Isle of Man.—The station received the news through the coast- guard from Barton Aerodrome, Man- chester. The Liverpool steamer had just arrived. It had kept a look out for the aeroplane on its crossing, but had seen nothing. After consultation with the steamer's captain, the motor life- boat Manchester and Salford, in charge of the second coxswain, was launched at 3.47 in the afternoon. She went in an E.S.E. direction for over two hours.

By that time it was very dark. She then turned west, and finding nothing, made for her station, where she arrived at 7.30 P.M. She had been out for three and three-quarter hours.— Rewards. £19 5s. 3d.

Peel, Isle of Man—The station received the news from the Peel coast- guard, and the pulling and sailing life- boat Henry Kirk put off at 4.45 in the afternoon. She steered north-west, but was recalled when news was received that one of the men from the aeroplane had been picked up. She arrived back at her station at ten at night, having been out five and a quarter hours.— Rewards, £38 8s. 6d.

Port St. Mary, Isle of Man.—Informa- tion was received from the Castletown coastguard and the motor life-boat Sir Heath Harrison was launched at five minutes to five in the afternoon. She followed the aircraft course for about sixteen miles, steering S.S.E., and at 7.30, when the news of the rescue of one of the men was received at the station, she was recalled and got back at 9.20 P.M., having been out four and a half hours.—Rewards, £22 2s. 6d.

Port Erin, Isle of Man.—News was received from the coastguard, and at five in the afternoon the motor life-boat Ethel Day Cardwell put out. She searched on a route west of the Chicken Rock and Calf of Man, and was recalled when the news of the rescue reached the station. She got back at 9.50 P.M., having been out for nearly five hours.— Rewards, £18 10s.

New Brighton, Cheshire.—News reached the station from the Hoylake coastguard, and the motor life-boat William and Kate Johnston put out to join in the search at 5.18 in the after- noon. She set a north-west course towards Castletown in the Isle of Man.

She too was recalled and arrived back at her station at 12.30 next morning.

She had then been out seven and a quarter hours.—Rewards, £13 8s.

Lytham St. Annes, Lancashire.—The coastguard at Hoylake informed the station and at four in the afternoon the motor life-boat J.H.W. was launched.

She went to the Nelson Buoy off the mouth of the Ribble, and then cruised north-west for about ten miles. At seven at night she turned back and reached her station at 9.45, having been out for five and three-quarter hours.—Rewards, £14 13s. Sd.

Kirkcudbright.—News was received from the Portpatrick coastguard and the motor life-boat Morison Watson put off at 4.30 in the afternoon. She made for a position three miles outside Ross lighthouse and called the light- house by Morse. The lighthouse-keeper had seen nothing. The life-boat herself could find nothing. After dark had fallen she returned to her station and arrived at six o'clock. She had been out for an hour and a half.—Rewards, £11 12*. 9of.

The aeroplane had come down at sea twenty-five miles north of the Bar light- vessel on the Mersey, and one of the two men was picked up by a steamer.

The other could not be found.

The eight life-boats had been search- ing, altogether, for over forty-three hours, and the total rewards paid for this search were £170 7s..