HOUSE-BOAT ON THE GOODWINS Walmer, Kent.-—Early in the morning of the 9th"of November, 1947, the ex- Brixham trawler Toreador, towing from Brixham to Southend -another Brixham trawler, the Red Gauntlet, which had been converted into a house-boat, ran into bad weather-off the Kentish coast.

She found that the Red Gauntlet was making water and two of her crew of four launched a dinghy and took off the crew of two of the Red Gauntlet, one of them the woman owner. In order to pick up her dinghy the Toreador cut the tow, but she failed to get the dinghy, which made for the South Goodwin Light-vessel. The light-vessel sent to the coastguard the information that she had these people aboard.

The coastguard passed it to the life- boat station and at 7.45 the motor life-boat Charles Dibdin, Civil Service No. 2, was launched. A strong south- westerly breeze was then blowing with a very rough sea. On her way to the light-vessel the life-boat passed the derelict Red Gauntlet, but after taking the people on board the coxswain decided to land them without delay, and left the derelict to drift. Meanwhile the Toreador had got into difficulties and was towed to Dover by a motor boat. The life-boat got back to her station at 10.15.—Rewards, £21 16s..