Great' Yarmouth and Gorleston, and Caister, Norfolk; and Lowestoft, and Aldeburgh, Suffolk.—About 6.30 in the evening, on the 7th of June, 1950, an American Superfortress aeroplane crashed eight miles north-north-east of Smith's Knoll lightvessel. Eight men ba'ed out of her. The trawler Warren picked up two survivors and one body eighteen miles north-north-east of the lightvessel and at 8.47 wirelessed this news to North Foreland radio station.

At 9.10 she informed the radio station about the men who had baled out.

At 9.30 this report reached the Great Yarmouth and Gorleston life-boat authorities, through the coastguard.

Accordingly, at 9.46 the life-boat Louise Stephens was launched in a slight sea with a light south-westerly breeze blowing. She searched with other vessels for nearly eighteen hours, but found nothing. Fuel and food ran low.

So she made for her station; but when she reached harbour about 9.50 the next night, the Gorleston coastguard reported that a raft had been seen nine miles north-east by north of Caister.

She put to sea again at once. The Great Yarmouth coastguard had tele- phoned the Caister life-boat authorities at 9.40 and at 9.47 the life-boat Jose Neville was launched. But neither life-boat found anything and they returned to their stations. Great Yar- mouth and Gorleston arrived at 2.30 in the morning of the 9th and Caister at 6.20.

Then an American aeroplane reported a raft thirty-eight miles east of Aide- burgh, and at 1.15 that afternoon the Aldeburgh coastguard telephoned the Aldeburgh life-boat authorities. At 1.27 the No. 2 life-boat Lucy Lovers was launched and searched the area exten- sively. About five the Southwold police, through the coastguard, re- ported a parachute in the sea to the Lowestoft life-boat authorities. They gave its position as one and a half miles from Southwold. Five minutes later the life-boat Michael Stephens left her moorings; but found nothing and reached Lowestoft again at 9.30 that night.

The Aldeburgh life-boat found no trace of the raft, and returned to her station at 1.30 the next morning, the 10th. However, at 12.48 that after- noon the Aldeburgh coastguard re- ported that a raft had been seen four- teen miles off Orfordness; and at 12.50 the Lucy Lovers was launched again.

But a searching aeroplane reported that there was no one on the raft; so the life-boat returned to her station, arriv- ing at 2.40.—Rewards, Great Yarmouth and Gorleston, £67 18*. 6d.; Caister, £23 15s. 6d; Lowestoft, £13 2s._; Alde- burgh, 1st service, £42 5,9. Qd., 2nd service, £27 155. 6d..