Ramsgate, Walmer, and Dover, Kent.

—At 10.8 in the morning of the 13th of September, 1951, the Ramsgate coastguard telephoned to the Rams- gate life-boat station that an aeroplane, an American Thunderjet fighter, had crashed on the Goodwin Sands. Later a report came that the pilot had been seen in the sea between ten and twelve miles south of Manston. At 10.12 the Ramsgate life-boat Prudential put out.

The Ramsgate coastguard, meanwhile, had passed the news to the coastguard at Deal and Sandgate, and at 10.20 the Walmer life-boat, Charles Dibdin, Civil Service No. 2 was launched followed by the Dover life-boat, Southern Africa at 10.40. The sea was very rough, with a fresh south-west breeze blowing, and the three life-boats searched all day.

The Ramsgate life-boat picked up a piece of the aeroplane, but there was no trace of the pilot, and in the even- ing the life-boats returned to their stations, Walmer arriving at 5.45, Ramsgate at 6.15 and Dover at 6.30.

On her way back the Ramsgate life- boat warned a French steamer that it was heading for the Sands.— Rewards, Ramsgate, £20 11s. 6d.; Walmer, £31 6s.; Dover, £14 7s..