Great Yarmouth and Gorleston, and Caister, Norfolk. — At 3.40 in the afternoon of the 20th of May, 1952, the Gorleston coastguard tele- phoned a report from the R.A.F.

station at Uxbridge that two Meteor aeroplanes had collided twenty miles north-east by east of Gorleston and that the two men in one of them had parachuted into the sea. At four o'clock the life-boat Louise Stephens was launched. A strong south - easterly wind was blowing, with a heavy swell. An American seaplane also went to the rescue, landed in the sea, and picked up one of the men, but she could not take off again, so the life-boat escorted her as she taxied towards Great Yarmouth, beached her there, and returned to her station at 10.5 that night.

Meanwhile as it was thought that a doctor might be needed, the Great Yarmouth coastguard had telephoned to the Caister life-boat station at 5.40, and at 5.50 the life-boat Jose Neville had launched, with a doctor. She arrived to find that he was not needed.

She then searched for the second man, but did not find him and returned to her station, arriving at 10.15 that night.

Letters of appreciation were sent by the Air Ministry.—Rewards: Great Yarmouth and Gorleston, £25 15s.; Caister, £16 5*. 6d..