VELLUMS FOR THE WALTON CREW Walton and Frinton, Essex.—At about 2.45 in the afternoon of the 23rd of April, 1947, the Walton-on-the- Naze coastguard received information from the Felixstowe look-out that a barge was in distress near the Cork Light-vessel. A whole south-westerly gale was blowing and a very rough sea was running. The life-boatmen had great difficulty in boarding the motor life-boat E.M.E.D. which lies afloat, but she left her moorings at 3.25. She found the sailing barge Will Everard, of London, with her mainsail and topsail blown away. The barge had two anchors down, but they were dragging, and she was only one hundred yards from the light-vessel. The gale was so fierce that no shout could be heard, so the coxswain took the life-boat up to the barge and the mate jumped into her. The life-boat sheered off, went in again and rescued the two men of the crew. She went in a third time and rescued the master. The barge had to be abandoned, and the life-boat made for Harwich where she landed the rescued men at, 5.35. While she was making for Harwich the life- boat heard the light-vessel calling for the Trinity House steamer Alert as 1 the barge was foul of her moorings, i The Alert took the Will Everard in I tow, but she broke away. Next morn- ing the Alert again got her in tow.

After spending the night at Harwich the life-boat left for her station arriving at 9.30 next morning. In the meantime the boarding boat, which had been left on the life-boat's moorings, had sunk, and the life-boat went to the back- water to make ready for service and to await an improvement in the weather.

At 4.30 in the afternoon, with a pump aboard, she left the river and salved the boarding boat. The work was not finished until 8.0 that evening. It was a trying and arduous service, in which the whole crew ran considerable risk, and the Institution awarded each of the men its thanks inscribed on vellum. It also gave each of them £3 15*. and 13s.

subsistence.—Rewards, £48 Os. 6d..