Stronsay and Stromness, Orkneys.— At 8.36 on the evening of the 22nd of May, 1953, the Kirkwall coastguard rang up the Stronsay life-boat station to say that three men who had left Walls, Shetland, for Kirkwall in the thirty-feet motor boat Vaila the pre- vious evening, had not arrived. The Vaila had last been seen east of Fair Isle at three o'clock that morning.

The life-boat Edward Z. Dresden was due to go to Sanday on the 23rd on a trip for the island's life-boat flag day, and the coastguard said he would keep in touch with her in case she might be needed. At 11.15 she left for Sanday with the honorary secretary, Captain E. H. Clements, D.S.C., on board.

Aircraft carried out a search for the Vaila, and about one o'clock in the afternoon reported that unidentified wreckage could be seen 41 miles east- by-south of Tresness Sanday. The coastguard rang Captain Clements at Sanday, and at 2.30 the Stronsay life- boat put to sea, with the honorary secretary on board, in a slight sea with a moderate south-easterly breeze blow- ing. She searched widely, but found nothing and returned to Stronsay for fuel, arriving at 2.30 early on the 24th.

A Danish motor vessel found the Vaila fifteen miles east-by-south of Auskerry. The fishing boat had engine trouble, and the motor vessel towed her to the entrance to Stronsay har- bour, arriving at 4.10. The life-boat then put out again, towed the Vaila in, and secured her at Stronsay pier, reaching her station at five o'clock.

The Stromness life-boat J.J.K.S.W.

was also launched at 8.20 on the afternoon of the 23rd of May, but she found nothing and reached her station again at 8.45.—Rewards Stronsay, £18 7*.; Stromness, £30 Ws..