Cromer, Norfolk.—At 8.32 in the morning of the 25th of August, 1948, the coastguard telephoned that the s.s. Monte Nuria, of Bilbao, bound from Immingham to Buenos Aires with a cargo of coal, was aground at Sheringham. She had struck a sub- merged wreck twenty miles away.

Her captain made for Sheringham and there had run her on the beach. A squally west-south-west wind was blow- ing, with a moderate sea running.

The crews of both the life-boats were at sea fishing, and at 8.40 the No. 1 life-boat, Henry Blogg, was launched with a scratch crew and ex-Coxswain J. J. Davis in command. She reached the steamer at 9.20 and found her with her bows holed and her fore-hold full of water, but her captain refused help.

The coxswain of the No. 2 life-boat, out in his fishing boat, had seen the life-boat leave, followed her, went aboard at ten o'clock and took com- mand. He realised that if the unsettled weather got worse the steamer would be in great danger and the captain of the steamer 'agreed that he should stand by. At 11 o'clock the coxswain of the No. 1 life-boat returned to Cromer from fishing and immediately asked the life-boat by radio-telephone if she needed more men. The coxswain of the No. 2 life-boat asked for four or five. He asked also that the coxswain of the No. 1 life-boat should come.

The latter ordered two taxis, and with five men, gear, food and drink, went by road to Sheringham, and was taken out to the life-boat by a fishing boat.

He went on board her at two in the afternoon. An hour later the scratch crew went ashore in the fishing boat.

The life-boat stood by all that day and night. The wind freshened, and next day the life-boat put back to Cromer, as a message had come by radio-telephone that a telegram for the steamer's captain had arrived. The weather was too rough for a small fishing boat to come out with it, and as it was very long and in Spanish it could not be sent by the radio-telephone. When the coxswain passed the telegram aboard the steamer he asked if the captain would like him to continue to stand by and the captain said that he would, as the weather looked anything but good. That was on the 26th. On the 27th the life-boat returned again to Cromer and brought out Lloyd's agent, Lloyd's surveyor and the marine superintendent. There was a good deal of swell now, and the life-boat's stem was damaged against the steamer.

On the 28th she took soundings for the captain, brought Lloyd's agent ashore, refuelled and recharged her radio- telephone batteries and took the agent back to the steamer. It was then 9.30 in the evening, and she was asked if she would go ashore again for the customs officer. The crew were de- manding tobacco and wine, and as the steamer was in British territorial waters the stocks could not be opened without the customs officer's sanction.

At eleven that night he was ready on the pier. The life-boat put him on the steamer at 11.40, brought him ashore again and returned to the steamer. The weather was now fine, but the captain asked the life-boat to continue to stand by. The next day, Sunday, the fifth day of the service, was again fine. The life-boat took Lloyd's agent ashore in the evening, recharged the radio-telephone batteries and once more returned to the steamer. On the Monday a salvage vessel arrived, and a diver went down, and found and plugged the holes. The water was then pumped out of the hold, and in the afternoon tugs tried to tow the steamer off. They failed and had to wait until high tide next afternoon, the 31st of August.

At 4.20 they started to tow and five minutes later the steamer was afloat.

The life-boat stood by until she got under way, shortly after eight o'clock in the evening, and reached her station again at 9.10. She had then been at sea for seven days and six nights.— Property Salvage Case.