Whitehills, and Buckie, Banffshire.— While bound from Narvik to Working- ton, with a cargo of iron ore, and a crew of 28, the Swedish steamer Frej, of Stockholm, met heavy weather and sheltered in Banff Bay. At 3.20 on the morning of the 8th of January, 1949, she was reported to the Whitehills life-boat station by the Banff coast- guard. The coastguard continued to keep her under observation and at 6.20 he reported that she had not only parted from one anchor, but was short of fuel and was. in danger. A whole north-north-easterly gale was then blowing, with a very heavy sea, and it was low water. The weather was so bad that it was impossible to launch the Whitehills life-boat and the WTiite- hills station asked for the Buckie life-boat K.B.M. She was launched at 8.25, and, three hours later reached the Frej, which was now one and a quarter miles north-north-east of Banff on a lee shore. She stood by for some time and the Frej's captain then decided that the majority of his crew should leave. The life-boat went along- side seven times in the rough seas, and took off nineteen men, being damaged in doing it. With the men on board she set out for Buckie at 12.35 in the afternoon and arrived at half past three after an extremely arduous passage.

In the meantime the life-boat crew at Whitehills had remained standing by for an opportunity to launch and this came when the weather moderated somewhere about midday. The life-boat William Maynard was launched at half past twelve. She fired a line to the steamer, but the remainder of the crew elected to stay as they were expecting a tug, and at the request of the captain the life-boat stood by. At 7.30 she put into Macduff for fuel and food. By arrangement with the captain of the Frej she stayed at Macduff throughout the night, and at 8.15 on the morning of the 9th she returned to the Frej and remained by her until she was taken in tow by a tug. She then returned to her station, arriving at three in the afternoon, over twenty-six hours after she had first put out.—Rewards: Whitehills, £51 13s. 6d.; Buckie, £21 6s.

In gratitude for these services, and a service to another Swedish vessel by the Stornoway life-boat on the 28th of January, the Swedish Life-boat Society presented the Institution with a plaque and a diploma..