Bembridge, Isle of Wight.—At about 6 A.M. on the 29th January, 1938, the coastguard reported a vessel in distress and burning flares N.E. of House Sand Fort. She was the s.s. New Verdun,of Plymouth, bound from Middlesbrough for Portsmouth with a cargo of steel. A whole N.W. gale was blowing, with a heavy sea. The motor life-boat Langham was launched at (1.30 A.M., and found that the New Verdun had dragged her anchor and gone ashore about three-quarters of a mile N.E. of the Fort. She stood by until the New Verdun managed to get into.deep water again. The New Verdun was making water fast, and the master asked the life-boat to escort him to Portsmouth.

This she did. She arrived back at Bembridge at 11.30 A.M., but the sea was too bad to permit of her being got on to the slipway, and she was not rehoused until 4 P.M. The crew remained on board all the time. An increase in the usual money award on the standard scale was granted to each member of the crew.—Standard rewards to crew, £9 19s. 6d.; additional rewards to crew, £6; total rewards, £17 15s. 6d..