ABOUT five in the evening of 23rd December, 1938, the coastguard rang up the life-boat station at Blyth, Northumberland, to report a ship, firing rockets and blowing her whistle, about three miles east of Newbiggin Point. At 5.15 the motor life-boat Joseph Adlam was launched. A strong north-easterly wind was blowing, with very heavy seas. She reached the ship about six o'clock and found her to be the steamer Skarv, of Sunderland, with six men on board. Her boilers had given out, and her master asked for a tug.

The Newbiggin motor life-boat A ugus- tus and Laura had also been called out, and arrived about the same time. One of the Blyth tugs had also gone out, but, in the heavy seas, she could not get close enough for the life-boats to be able to pass a tow-rope from her to the Skarv. The tug returned to Blyth, and the Skarv let go one of her anchors.

The cable parted, and she drove before the wind and sea into Cambois Bay.

She let go a second anchor, but she still dragged towards the shore.

The Blyth life-boat then closed to take the men off. The seas were very big, and she was severely [buffeted.

The steamer was jerking violently on her cable ; and this, and the belting round her sides, made it very dangerous for the life-boat to get alongside her in the darkness and the heavy seas. But the life-boat did it —and two of the six men on board the steamer jumped into her. A third man jumped, missed the life-boat, and fell into the sea. He fell between steamer and life-boat, and the life-boatmen who leant overboard to seize him were in great danger of being crushed between the two, but they were able to drag him safely aboard.

Just afterwards the life-boat sheered towards the steamer, and came right under her counter. Before she could get clear the counter crashed down on her, split the rudder, and broke the rudder yoke. The emergency tiller was shipped, but it was impossible for the coxswain to get the life-boat properly under control.

Nevertheless, he tried several times to get alongside again and rescue the remaining three men. The life-boat was filling with green seas. There was danger of her crew being washed over- board. The coxswain had to give up the attempt.

While this had been going on the Newbiggin life-boat had returned to her station, and had tried, but without success, to get tugs to go out, in the hope that the steamer might be saved from driving on to the beach.

Before leaving the Skarv the Blyth coxswain burnt a red flare, the signal "More aid required." It was now after 10 o'clock, five hours since the life-boats had first put out. At 10.18 Newbiggin set out for the second time. At 10.45 she approached the Skarv, The steamer was now very close inshore, in heavy broken water. The life-boat made several attempts, but could not get near her.

The Board of Trade life-saving rocket appliances from Blyth were now trying to fire lines over the steamer from the shore, and in the early hours of the next morning succeeded in rescuing the three men still on board her.

Meanwhile the Blyth crew had been standing by on shore. They had landed the three rescued men at eleven o'clock, and the work of repair was begun in case the life-boat should be wanted again. It was still going on, and the crew were still standing by, when, at 3.30 next morning, the news came that the three remaining men had been rescued.

In recognition of the courageous and determined efforts of the Blyth cox- swain and crew, the Institution made the following awards: To COXSWAIN JOSIAH WHEATLEY, the bronze medal for gallantry, accom- panied by a copy of the vote inscribed on vellum; To each of the eight members of the crew, a framed letter of thanks; To the coxswain and each member of the crew a reward of £2 in addition to the ordinary scale reward of £2 7s. 6d.

Standard rewards, £19; additional re- wards, £18; total rewards, £38 10s.

To Newbiggin, a reward on the ordinary scale of £3 15s. a man; total rewards, £27 4s..