Southend-on-Sea, Essex.—At 1.10 in the afternoon of the llth of May, 1952, a message was received from Leysdown that three women and a man in a small boat were in difficulties about two miles off shore, and at 1.30 the life-boat Greater London, Civil Service No. 3, was launched, with the second coxswain in command. A fresh south-south- west gale was blowing, with a very rough sea. The life-boat made for the position given, but when she was four miles south-east of Southend she found a boy in a waterlogged boat.

He was exhausted. The life-boat rescued him just before the boat sank.

She found the other boat two miles south-west of Redsand Fort, rescued the three women and the man and took their boat in tow. She then received a message from a R.A.F.

launch that two children were adrift in Leysdown Bay, searched for them, but found nothing. She then made for her station. The boy was taken ill and the life-boatmen gave him first aid and wirelessed for an ambulance to meet them at the life-boat station where they arrived at 5.45.—Rewards, £13 3s..