AT 3.10 early on the morning of the 15th of December, 1953, the harbour radio station reported that the motor vessel Brockley Combe, of Bristol, had wirelessed that she had struck the Minquiers Reef and needed help immediately. The Brockley Combe, a steamer of 662 tons, was on passage from St. Peter Port to St. Helier with a mixed cargo.

The night was dark, there being no moon, but visibility was good. There was a ground swell, and a light south- easterly breeze was blowing.

At 3.30 the St. Helier life-boat Elizabeth Rippon put to sea. She established communication with the steamer by radio-telephony and asked her to fire rockets to mark her position.

This the steamer did. The position was half a mile south-south-west of the Demie-de-Vasselin beacon. This was further to the eastward and deeper into the reef than had been expected.

The steamer's engine-room was flood- ed.

There were rocks on all sides of the steamer, but there was some clear water under her port side and little tide running. The coxswain took the life- boat at slow speed and with difficulty through a maze of rocks. He finally came alongside at 5.20.

The crew of ten were taken off, but the captain decided to stay on board until daylight. The swell increased, and on the rising tide the steamer began to pound heavily and started to break-up. Banks of fog came down.

In the end the captain decided to leave the ship, and at 10.50 the life- boat began her return journey, towing two ships' boats. Visibility was now poor, and it was nearly as difficult to keep clear of the rocks on the way back as it had been to go in at night.

The life-boat suffered no damage and reached St. Helier at 12.30.

For his excellent judgment in taking his boat into a most dangerous area Coxswain Edward Larbalestier was accorded the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum. Coxswain Larbalestier is also the holder of the silver medal, which he won in 1951 for a rescue from the yacht Santa Maria.

Rewards amounting to £20 16*. Qd.

were paid..