Islay, Inner Hebrides.—At 2.16 in the morning of the 30th of December, 1948, the Kilchoman coastguard telephoned that a distress call had been sent out by the Fleetwood steam trawler Brides- maid, which was ashore at the north end of Islay Sound. The motor life- boat Charlotte Elizabeth was launched at 2.45. A strong south-westerly wind was blowing, with a rough sea and snow showers. The life-boat found the Bridesmaid on a reef three miles north of Port Askaig and a hundred yards from the Jura shore. She had a crew of sixteen. The life-boat took off eight of them and landed them about half past six. The skipper and the seven others remained on the trawler. The life-boat returned to stand by the Bridesmaid, but she now had so bad a list that the remainder of the crew hurriedly abandoned her, the skipper injuring his foot. After taking them aboard, the life-boat put out a kedge anchor to prevent the Bridesmaid driv- ing completely ashore and returned to her station at 10.45 that morning.

Later in the day she again went to the trawler and fetched the crew's per- sonal belongings. The trawler, which had a cargo of fish from the Icelandic fishing grounds, was later floated by a tug.—Rewards, £19 135..