Southend'on-Sea, Essex. — On 15th February, 1938, the signal station at the pierhead reported that a barge was in distress off Grain Spit and the motor life-boat Greater London (Civil Service No. 3) was launched at 12.5 P.M. A whole easterly gale was blowing, with snow and a very heavy sea. She found the barge to be the Pacific, of London, broken down and without a rudder, and took off her crew of two, returning with them at 2 P.M. At 4.30 P.M.

the life-boat went out again to try and bring in the barge, but the weather was too bad and she returned at 5.30 P.M.

Before leaving on this trip the life-boat learned at the pierhead that there was an S O S for the chief engineer of the s.s. Dunnett Head, of Leith, which was about two and a half miles off the pier.

The life-boat delivered it on the way out, and picked up the chief engineer and landed him on the return journey.

Next morning at 8 A.M. the Greater London set out a third time. This time she succeeded in picking up the Pacific and taking her to Sheerness.On her way back she saw signals from the s.s. Carton, of London, and found that her boat, with five men aboard, was adrift. She picked up the men about a mile west of the pier and landed them.—Rewards, £19 125., also Property Salvage Case..