Margate, Kent. — At 12.4 in the afternoon of the 15th of June, 1952, the coastguard telephoned that three men were waving for help in a broken down motor boat near the rocks at Birchington. Two minutes later the life-boat North Foreland, Civil Service No. XI was launched. The sea was rough with a strong east-north-east breeze blowing. The life-boat found the local motor boat Heron with surf breaking round her. She was in very shallow water. The coxswain told the men to try and row out to the life-boat, but they could not do it. The life-boat then went closer, but hit the bottom ten yards away.

The bowman threw a line to the men in the Heron. They made it fast, and the life-boat went astern towing the Heron from her bow until they were in deeper water. She then tookoff the men. One of them' was ex- hausted. He was given rum and the life-boat towed the boat to Margate, arriving at 1.35.—Rewards, £17 3*..