Ballycotton, Co. Cork.—14th Sep- ** tember, 1939. At 2.20 P.M. the civic guard at Cork reported that a man had picked up a wireless SOS call from the s.s. Vancouver City, of Bideford.

She was a vessel of about 5,000 tons and had been sunk by enemy action S.E. by S. of Ballycotton Light.

The position was outside the normal range for the reserve motor life-boat William Evans, which was on temporary duty at the station, but she took a reserve supply of petrol on deck and set out. With her went Dr. Ted O'Connell, in case his services were needed. The life-boat picked up the coxswain, who was out fishing, four miles off, and went on until at 1.30 A.M. on the 15th the coxswain reckoned that he had reached the position given.

Several destroyers were in the neighbourhood.

The life-boat could obtain no definite news, but it was reported that several of the steamer's crew had been killed, and that the remaining thirty had been picked up by a Dutch tanker.At 2.30 A.M. the life-boat turned for home, but when she was about fiftytwo miles S.E. of Mine Head her engine broke down. Nothing could be done in the way of temporary repairs, and sail was set. The steam trawler Gwmaho was sighted at about 9.30 A.M., when the life-boat was thirty-two miles S. by E. of Ballycotton, and she towed the life-boat home. They arrived at 2 P.M., over twenty-one hours after the life-boat had set out. The captain of the trawler said that he would make no claim for his services as he did not know when he might need a life-boat himself.

Letters of thanks were sent to the captain of the trawler, to his owners and to Dr. O'Connell, and an increase in the usual money awards on the standard scale was made to each member of the crew.—Standard rewards to crew, £18 10*.; additional rewards to crew, £12; total rewards, £30 10*..