AT twenty-five minutes past midnight •on the 26th January, 1954, a Washington aircraft of R.A.F. Bomber Command, bound for the Azores, wirelessed that she was in difficulties through icing and that her crew of seven were baling out. The position of the aircraft when this message was sent was about five miles south of Barrow.

The sea was rough; there was a fresh south-easterly breeze blowing; and there were squalls of snow. The search for the aircraft was carried out by six life-boats and continued in bitter weather until nine o'clock the next evening. It was unsuccessful and no trace of the aircraft was found, although later an airman's body was found by a trawler and wreckage was washed ashore.

The total number of hours spent at sea by life-boats was sixtv-six, and the following table gives an impression of the work they did and the rewards paid by the Institution: Fleetwood Port St. Mary Barrow Douglas Lytham Blackpool Total Hours at sea 17 14 14 11 3 7 Retxards paid by Institution £ s. d.

44 4 0 34 2 0 29 10 0 54 0 0 11 15 0 19 17 0 66 £193 8 0 The Commanding Officer of the R.A.F. station at Marham, Norfolk, to which the aircraft belonged, wrote to express "the heartfelt thanks of the relatives and the appreciation of the R.A.F. station.".