ON 9th May, 1939, the s.s. Arantzazu- Mendi, of Bilbao, went aground on Butter Paddy shoals, outside Kearney Point, Co. Down. Efforts were made to salve her, and there was a salvage party on board on 17th June. A strong S.S.W. wind was blowing that day with a very heavy sea on the shoals, and at 9.30 in the evening the salvage party sent up distress signals.

They were seen by the coastguard, and at 10 P.M. the Cloughey motor life-boat, William Maynard, was launched. She reached the wreck an hour later having had to drive into a head sea all the way.

Seas fifteen feet high were breaking over the steamer from abreast of the bridge and were sweeping clean over her after part, from which everything movable had already been washed away. The eleven men were on the fore-deck, knee deep in water.

As the steamer was taking the seas head on there was no lee for the life-boat to get under; so the coxswain anchored 150 yards ahead of her and veered down on his cable stern first. As he did so a heavy sea broke right on top of the life-boat. All her crew were knocked down; the anchor began to drag; and if the coxswain had not at once gone full speed ahead on his engines, the life-boat herself might have been wrecked. The anchor held after it had dragged about 40 yards; the life-boat veered down again; a line was thrown to her from the steamer; but a wave flung the life-boat away and the line snapped. A second line was thrown, and snapped. A third line was thrown. This held, and the life-boat was pulled alongside the steamer. Then a fourth line was thrown, and down this line the salvage men dropped, one or two at a time, into the life-boat.

It took three-quarters of an hour for the eleven men to get aboard her.

Each wave flung the life-boat ten or twelve yards away from the steamer, and the coxswain had to go full speed ahead to prevent her being caught broadside on by the waves.

Then he had to work her back close enough to the wreck for the men to slide down the rope into her. Again and again this manoeuvre was repeated. All the time waves were breaking in the life- boat, and the mechanic, kneeling under the canopy at his controls, was up to his chest in water.

About 11.45 P.M. the last of the men had been rescued, and half an hour later the life-boat landed them.

The coxswain handled the life-boat with unerring skill. Any mistake on his part might well have meant disaster.

AH his crew ably supported him in a fine piece of seamanship and the motor mechanic in particular managed his engines very smartly in very trying conditions. The Institution has made the following awards: To Coxswain ROBERT YOUNG, the silver medal for gallantry, accom- panied by a copy of the vote inscribed on vellum.

To GEORGE YOUNG, the motor- mechanic, the bronze medal for gallan- try, accompanied by a copy of the vote inscribed on vellum.

To the coxswain and each of the seven members of the crew a reward of £2 in addition to the ordinary scale reward of £1 5*. Standard rewards, £13 17s. 6d.; total rewards, £31 Is. 6d..