AT 4.16 on the afternoon of the 26th of October, 1953, the coastguard rang up the honorary secretary at Aberdeen.

He passed on a message, which he had had from a hotel at Muchalls, that a fishing boat was burning flares off Muchalls some ten miles south of Aberdeen.

A gale was blowing from the south- south-east and the sea was very rough when the No. 1 life-boat Hilton Briggs put out at 4.34. The night was dark and visibility poor. The tide was ebbing strongly to the northward.

A Fishing Boat Found The life-boat steamed at full speed to the southward, and at 5.4 the Stone- haven radio station wirelessed that the fishing boat was one and a half miles south-east of Muchalls. At 6.10 the coxswain estimated that he ought to be near the position and switched on his searchlight. This was seen by the coastguards at Muchalls, and by a radio-telephony link call they directed the coxswain to the fishing boat. The boat was the sixteen-ton fishing yawl Trustful III, of Stonehaven. She was at anchor a quarter of a mile off shore, with her propeller fouled by her nets.

The backwash from the high cliffs and rocky ledges made the already rough seas more confused. The cox- swain brought the life-boat to wind- ward and abeam of the fishing boat, but was hampered in manoeuvring further ahead of her because of the cable running out on her port bow.

A rocket line was fired and missed astern. The coxswain then manoeuvred the life-boat around to the starboard or lee side of the fishing boat, and when he was about four yards from her a tow rope was passed across.

The four men on board the fishing boat could do no more than crawl about the decks because of the high seas, but in the end the rope was made fast.

" For Bravery and Initiative " The life-boat began to tow the fishing boat and headed to the south- east to clear the land. Course was then set for Aberdeen at slow speed, the coxswain aiming to keep one mile off shore.

At eight o'clock the tow parted, and by the time it was reconnected both boats had drifted until they were only some 200 yards from the shore.

The crew of the fishing boat had refused to come aboard the life-boat as they wanted to save their own boat. The life-boat finally reached Aberdeen with the fishing boat in tow at 9.14. The fishing boat's anchor cable was found to be nearly chafed through when it was recovered a day or two after the service.

For the bravery and initiative he showed in carrying out this operation in difficult conditions Coxswain George Allan Flett was accorded the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum..