Margate, Kent, Walton and Frinton, Essex, and Ramsgate, Kent.—At 1.33 in the morning of the 18th of January, 1952, the Margate coastguard telephon- ed the Margate life-boat station that the North Foreland Radio Station had reported a message from the four- masted barque Pamir, of Germany, a cadet training ship. She was at anchor twenty-nine miles east-north- east of North Foreland and needed a tug. A fresh north-westerly gale was blowing, with a very rough sea and heavy snow squalls. At 2.12 the life-boat North Foreland, Civil Service No. XI was launched. The Pamir, which was making heavy weather, wirelessed to the life-boat asking her to take off forty-nine boys. The life- boat then wirelessed the Ramsgate coastguard asking that the Walton and Frinton life-boat should come out and stand by the vessel while she took the boys on board. The Walton-on- the-Naze coastguard telephoned this message to the life-boat station at 6.30, and at 7.10 the life-boat E.M.E.D., left her moorings.

Meanwhile the Margate life-boat had asked the Pamir, by wireless, to burn flares, but in the heavy snow squalls the life-boat missed her. It was not until nine o'clock that she found her, with the help of a trawler's direction finder, but the master of the Pamir hailed the life-boat that he had decided to keep the boys on board.

The Walton and Frinton life-boat arrived at 11.40 and the two life-boats stood by. Then, about 3.30 in the afternoon a tug arrived, but the weather was so heavy that it was not possible to pass across a tow-rope.

Shortly after 3.30, as the weather was moderating, it was agreed that the Walton and Frinton life-boat should return to her station while the Margate life-boat continued to stand by.

At 6.15 she saw the Pamir move quickly in a southerly direction and thought that her cable had parted.

The life-boat wirelessed this news to Ramsgate and at 7.30 the Ramsgate life-boat Prudential left her moorings.

Meanwhile the Margate life-boat and the tug chased the barque and, using her searchlight, the life-boat saw that the ship had set storm canvas and was resuming her voyage. This news was wirelessed ashore and the Rams- gate life-boat was recalled, arriving back at her station at 7.26. The Walton and Frinton life-boat arrived at her station at ten o'clock that night and the Margate life-boat made for Ramsgate, arriving at 12.10 on the morning of the 19th. She returned to her station that afternoon. The master of the Pamir later wirelessed his thanks to the Margate life-boatmen.

—Rewards, Margate, £68 16s. 2d.; Walton and Frinton, £46; Ramsgate, £13 3,9..