VELLUM FOR BALLYCOTTON COXSWAIN Ballycotton, and Courtmacsherry, Co.

Cork.—At 5.40 in the afternoon of the 6th of November, 1947, Mrs. M. L.

Blake, of Ballycotton picked up a wireless call from the Milford Haven steam trawler East Coast, that she was foundering, and passed it at once to the life-boat station. A further mes- sage gave the 'trawler's position as nineteen miles south of Ballycotton and the motor life-boat Mary Stanford was launched at 5.50. A moderate southerly gale was blowing, with a confused sea, and it was very dark.

Several other trawlers were going to the aid of the East Coast, and by means of their wireless they kept her and the shore informed of the position. At 7.15 the station learnt that a French trawler had reached the East Coast. On her way the life-boat spoke two trawlers and one, the Caswell, accompanied her in order to give her the use of her wireless.

Meanwhile, on shore, Mrs. Blake kept the life-boat station informed of all messages passing between the vessels.

The life-boat and the Caswell reached the East Coast at 9.15 and found the trawler Slebech escorting her as she steamed slowly towards the land. The life-boat and the Caswell went with them. At 11.15 the captain decided to abandon his ship, as she seemed about to sink, and the life-boat took off the nine men aboard. She was damaged in doing so. The tenth, and only other member of the crew, had been taken off by the French trawler, which had then gone on her way. The East Coast did not sink, but her lights went out, and as she was a danger to navigation, the life- boat remained by her. The life-boat- men gave the rescued men stimulants from the life-boat's emergency rations, and tea was lowered to the life-boat by the trawler Caswell. At about 6 o'clock next morning the weather moderated, and an hour and a half later the skipper boarded his trawler. A tow-rope was passed from the Slebech to the East Coast and the skipper returned to the life-boat.

With her after-deck awash the trawler was towed to within 500 yards of Ballycotton Pier and there the Slebech let go. The skipper again boarded the East Coast and this time a life-boatman went aboard with him.

They fixed a hawser and returned to the life-boat. The hawser parted, but was again fixed and the life-boat com- pleted the tow to harbour, arriving at 11 o'clock. Ten minutes later the trawler sank. She was salved later.

The Courtmacsherry Harbour life- boat Sarah Ward and David William Crosweller was also launched, leaving at 7.20 in the evening. She had been given a position south of the Old Head of Kinsale, and after an unsuccessful search reached her station again at half past three the following morning.— Rewards, Ballycotton, the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum to Coxswain Patrick Sliney, who already holds the Institution's gold, silver and bronze medals, and £39 19s. to him and his crew; Courtmacsherry Harbour, £20 8s. The Institution also sent letters of thanks to Mrs. M. L. Blake, and Skipper Albert Wiseman, of the Caswell..