Newbiggin, and Blytb, Northumberland, —At about 10.50 A.M. on the 24th January, 1938, the coastguard telephoned that a fishing boat had been reported in difficulties off Old Hartley Bay and a little later that she was off Seaton Sluice Point. A strong west gale was blowing, with a very broken, choppy sea. Just before the motor life-boat Joseph Adlam was launched, at 11.5 A.M., it was learned that three other fishing boats were in trouble in Cambois Bay. The life-boat went first to Seaton Sluice Point, but received a signal from the coastguard there that the fishing boat had managed to get close inshore and back to Blyth.

Visibility was very poor, owing to heavy spray which covered the lifeboat almost all the time. She then made for Cambois Bay, but meanwhile the Newbiggin pulling and sailing life-boat Arthur R. Dawes had been launched at 11.7 A.M. on a report from the coastguard that fishing cobles were in difficulties off Paul Point, and the Blyth life-boat arrived to find that they had got back to Newbiggin with the help of the Newbiggin life-boat.

After the Newbiggin life-boat had escorted thirteen boats into safety, the Blyth life-boat towed her to Newbiggin, arriving at 2.5 P.M., and returned to her own station at 2.30 P.M.

During the morning, when boats in all directions were overtaken by bad weather, good service was rendered by two men in a Newbiggin motor coble.

As they were running for shelter they saw the motor coble Mizpah, manned by three men, water-logged and helpless, with her engine broken down.

They towed her ashore. The coble George and Martha, also with a crew of three, was then seen in difficulties off Little Bay Point. Her engine, too, had broken down, and she was in danger of going on to the rocks. The two men, accompanied this time bytwo others, put off again and towed her to safety.—Rewards: Life-boats, Newbiggin, £19 6s. 6d., Blyth, £8 5s. 6d.; Newbiggin shoreboat, £2 5s., and 8s.

for fuel used..