GREEK STEAMER ON THE GOODWINS Walmer, Kent.—At midnight on the 7th of March, 1947, information was received from the Deal coastguard that an S O S had been sent out by a ship which -had grounded on the south part of the Goodwin Sands. A south-west breeze was blowing, the sea was moderate, and the tide was high water.

The motor life-boat Charles Dibdin, Civil Service No. 2 was launched at 12.15 in the morning of the 8th of March and one hour later found the ship. She was the former liberty ship, Ira, of Piraeus, with a crew of thirty- four, bound, laden with coal, from America to Antwerp. She was in a dangerous position between the two halves of an old wreck, the liberty ship Luray Victory. The life-boat put four of her own crew on board her, and also took tug-masters to her, and it was arranged to take hawsers from the Ira to tugs when the tide flowed. The life-boat then stood by. At about five o'clock a very loud noise was heard.

The Ira's back had broken. The life- boat hurried to her and took off twenty- eight of her now excited crew, but both rescuers and rescued had a narrow escape when a derrick crashed down and bits of iron flew in all directions.

The other six of the Ira's crew had got away in a ship's boat. They were carried further over the sands, but the life-boat rescued them and took their boat in tow. She arrived at Walmer at 7.45 that morning.—Rewards, £.35 12s..