Walton and Frinton, Essex.—During the afternoon of the 12th February, 1938, the barge Chieftain, of London, bound with a cargo of wheat for Ipswich, was overtaken by bad weather when off Walton-on-the-Naze. She had two men and a woman on board. A N.N.W.

gale was blowing, with a very rough sea and snow squalls. The coastguard reported her to be in difficulties and dragging her anchors, and the motor life-boat E.M.E.D. put out at 5.25 P.M.

She came up with the barge half a mile east of the Stone Bench Buoy, and found that seas were running completely over her. With great difficulty, owing to the heavy seas, the life-boatwas taken alongside and the woman and the two men jumped on board her. She returned to her station at 7.10 P.M. At 8 A.M. next morning the life-boat put out again and took the two men back to the barge. A hatch had carried away, and she had shipped a considerable quantity of water, but this was pumped clear, and with the weather improving, the life-boat decided to try and get her to Harwich Harbour. In this she succeeded. She returned to her station at 4 P.M. A letter of appreciation was sent to the branch.—Rewards, £27 9s.; also Property Salvage Case..