At 10.23 on the morning of the 13th of July, 1952, the Margate coastguard reported that a small yacht was ashore on Margate sands about three miles north of the harbour. She had a heavy list and seas were breaking over her. The life-boat North Foreland, Civil Service, No XI, was launched at 10.30. A south-westerly gale was blowing; it was low water; there was a choppy, broken sea in the shallow waters by the yacht.

The life-boat came as close to the yacht, the Faraway, of London, as the shallow water would permit, but she was still 150 yards away. The yacht was lying over on her starboard bilge on the weather side of the sands, and the coxswain feared that she would not come upright on the rising tide and might fill; but the two men onboard refused to abandon her.

The assistant mechanic, Norman Clarke, then volunteered to go over- board and wade over the sands through the surf. Lines were secured to him.

He swam the first few yards and after that waded for some ten minutes, but had difficulty in keeping his feet.

By now waves were breaking into the cockpit of the yacht, and the two men agreed to abandon her after Clarke had explained how dangerous her position was. He hauled a heavier rope from the life-boat, and made it fast to the mast. This tow-rope was then hauled tight, and one by one the three men, holding to the tight rope, reached the life-boat. They were given rum and dry clothes.

With her capstan the life-boat hauled the yacht clear and then bump- ing on the sand, with seas breaking over her, got clear herself. Taking the yacht in tow, she reached Margate again at 1.30 in the afternoon.

The Institution awarded to the assistant motor mechanic, NORMAN CLARKE, in recognition of his courage and enterprise, its thanks inscribed on vellum and framed, and 23*. in addition to the reward on the ordinary scale of 23*. Rewards, £12 7*..