Clacton-on-Sea, and Walton and Frinton, Essex.—At about 4.38 P.M. on the 7th January, 1939, the Clacton coastguard telephoned that a barge off Holland Sluice appeared to be in difficulties.

Soon afterwards they reported that she was burning flares for help, and the Clacton motor life-boat Edward Z.

Dresden was launched at 5 P.M. A moderate south breeze was blowing, with a moderate sea, and the weather was overcast, with fog and rain. The life-boat reached the barge abreast of Frinton. She was the Louise, of Rochester, with two men on board, bound from London to Ipswich with a cargo of cotton seed. She had lost both anchors, her steering-gear had broken down, and she was unmanageable. The Clacton life-boat was unable to get her to a safe anchorage without help, and so signalled for the Walton motor life-boat E.M.E.D., which put out at 6.50 P.M. Between them the life-boats towed the Louise to Harwich. The Walton life-boat returned to her station at 11.40 P.M., and the Clacton boat to hers at 1 A.M.—-Property Salvage Cases..