AT 5.8 on the afternoon of the 19th of August, 1952, the coastguard at Brid- lington telephoned the life-boat station that two girl bathers were being washed seawards in Thornwick Bay, and at 5.35 the life-boat Tillie Morri- son, Sheffield was launched. A very strong north-north-east wind was blowing, and the sea was extremely rough. After rounding Flamborough Head, the life-boat, which was in radio communication with the Flamborough life-boat, learned that a body was floating off North Landing and that the coastguard had a line across.

On reaching the entrance to North Landing, the life-boat met the R.A.F.

rescue boat 357, which had on board the body of one of the girls and was making for Bridlington. The life-boat received a semaphore message from coastguards on top of the cliffs north of North Landing asking her to search in that area.

The search was continued along the cliffs into Big Thornwick Bay, and the life-boat then continued westwards and searched Little Thornwick Bay. Shefound nothing and altered course again to repeat the search to the eastward.

As she entered Big Thornwick Bay from the westward a big swell and sea, caused by the ebbing tide, the wind and the backwash from the cliffs, was seen coming down on her. The coxswain shouted: "Hang on; water coming." Then the sea struck the life-boat and rolled her right over.

Five Thrown into Sea Of the seven men on board, five were thrown into the sea. The two remaining were the coxswain and the assistant motor mechanic. The cox- swain held on to the wheel as the boat went over, but the force with which she righted herself threw him out.

The assistant motor mechanic, Derek Nightingale, was wedged under the after canopy. He heard shouts and found one of the crew, Herbert Smith, hanging to the guard chain. He lifted one of his legs into the boat and then Raw the coxswain and bowman in the water. He tried to reach them, but the swell washed them away, so he returned to Smith and hauled him aboard. He then saw that some of the crew had already reached the shore.

When the life-boat capsized the anchor had fallen out of the boat and the men found that she had anchored herself. Between them they got her under control. Smith, though his arm was hurt, took the wheel. .Nightin- gale cut the cable, started the engine and pulled in all loose ropes. Smith then steered the boat clear of the broken water. Nightingale stopped the engines and they looked round for any men still in the water. They saw none, and set course for Bridlington, but when they were off North Landing they found that the boat was leaking and decided to put back to Thornwick Bay. Soon afterwards one of the engines stopped. They then streamed the drogue and the swell carried them on to the beach. There the crowd was waiting and helped to haul the boat up. It was now about eight o'clock in the evening.

The five life-boatmen who had swum for the shore all reached it, but the bowman, Robert P. Redhead, had been injured, and shortly afterwards he died.

Both the girls to whom the life-boat had put out lost their lives.

Rewards The Institution made the following awards: To HERBERT SMITH, life-boatman, for his skill and resource, the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum.

To DEREK NIGHTINGALE, the assist- ant motor mechanic, for his skill and resource, its thanks inscribed on vellum.

To each of these two men, to the coxswain, and to each of the other four members of the crew, a special award of £10, in addition to the reward on the ordinary scale of 19s. each.

To COXSWAIN RICHARD B. COWLING, of Flamborough, who organised and took charge of the shore party which hauled the life-boat up the beach and later relaunched her, a letter of appre- ciation and £10.

To LIEUTENANT E. TAYLOR, the assistant honorary secretary of the station, and to MR. H. A. MARTIN, the district officer of coastguard, Filey, letters of thanks.

The Institution has pensioned the widow of the bowman, Robert Red- head, as if he had been a leading rating in the Navy killed in action.

It also paid all funeral expenses.

Rewards on the ordinary scale to the Bridlington crew and helpers, £11 3*. 6d.; special rewards to Brid- lington crew and Flamborough cox- swain, £80; compensation for loss of clothing and wages to Bridlington crew, £65 Os. 9d.; expenses in hauling up and rehousing the boat and bring- ing a reserve boat from Whitby, £109 3s. Id. Total rewards and expenses (apart from pension and funeral expenses), £265 7s. 4d..