Whitehills, Banfisbire, and Peterhead, Aberdeenshire.—About 3.45 in the after- noon of the 18th of October, 1949, theBanff coastguard telephoned the White- hills life-boat station that two fishing vessels bound for Peterhead from Wick —the Covesea, towing the Ocean Swell— were making heavy weather, eight miles from Banff in a northerly direction.

Later on, they were reported to be making little headway. Accordingly, the life-boat Thomas Markby was launched at 6.10 in a rough sea, with a south-westerly gale blowing. She searched over a wide area but failed to find the boats and reached her station again at midnight.

At 8.55 in the morning on the 19th of October the Peterhead coastguard reported that from the south-east two boats were waving for help. At 9.5 the Peterhead life-boat Julia Park Barry, of Glasgow was launched and found the Covesea, with a crew of three, and the Ocean Swell, with a crew of two, pounding together, three miles east- south-east of Peterhead. The Covesea's engines were broken down. The life- boat towed both boats into the Bay and then took the Ocean Swell into harbour, a difficult task as the fishing boat's steering gear had failed. She then brought in the Covesea, completing her rescue work at half past eleven.— Rewards: Whitehills, £19 15*.; Peter- head—Property Salvage Case..