ON the 12th of January, 1950, H.M.

submarine Truculent, with about seventy-nine men on board, and the Swedish motor tanker, Divina, collided in the Thames Estuary; the submarine sank at once.

This was about 7 o'clock in the even- ing. At 8.42 the Margate life-boat heard the news, and launched at 9 o'clock. About the same time South- end pier signal station told the Southend life-boat, and she too, put off, some fifteen minutes later. Coming up with H.M.S. Cowdray—the senior ship in charge of rescue operations—she took survivors from the Divina and trans- ferred them to her.

Both life-boats then searched all night, for more survivors; but they had no success, finding only one body.

Next morning, at 8 o'clock, the search was called off, but in case anyone escaped from her, the two life-boats were asked to stay over the sunken submarine. Again they found no one, and after being at sea for twenty- one hours, they returned to their stations.

The Commander-in-Chief, the Nore, Admiral Sir Henry R. Moore, G.C.B., C.V.O., D.S.O., sent to the Institution the following letter of thanks: " I should be most grateful if you will convey the grateful thanks of the Royal Navy to the crews of the Southend and Margate life-boats for their invaluable assistance in the search and rescue operations after the sinking of H.M.S.

Truculent. Their unselfish and arduous efforts on this occasion will heighten the existing respect and admiration which the Royal Navy has for their fellow seamen of the Royal National Life-boat Institution.".