Sheringham and Wells, Norfolk.—At 6.20 on the evening of the 8th of December, 1954, a hotel porter told the Sheringham life-boat station that he had seen red rockets off Weybourne.

Four minutes later the Cromer coast- guard telephoned that the S.S. Rota had wirelessed that the motor barge Gold, of Rochester, was making dis- tress signals between Sheringham and Blakeney. The barge had broken down and anchored, but was dragging.

At 7.20 the Sheringham life-boat Foresters Centenary was launched in a rough sea, with a strong south-easterly wind blowing, and made for the posi- tion in an ebbing tide. The Rota took on board the barge's crew of two, and at 7.25 she asked for the life-boat.

The life-boat found the Rota four hundred yards off Weybourne, em- barked the men from the Gold, landed them, and arrived back at her station at 8.50.

It was later feared that the Gold would be driven ashore, and at 12.10 early on the 9th the Sheringham life- boat was launched again in a westerly gale and a rough sea. She came up with the barge three hundred yards north of Weybourne and found that she was still dragging. The life-boat towed her to deeper water and then made for Wells. When the tide turned the life-boat could make no headway with her tow, and at two o'clock the coxswain asked for the Wells life-boat. At 3.35 the life-boat Cecil Paine was launched, and both life-boats towed the Gold to a safe an- chorage off Wells. When the tide had risen sufficiently, the life-boats towed her in at 3.30 in the afternoon. The Sheringham life-boat remained there until six o'clock. The Wells life-boat then escorted the Foresters Centenary clear of Wells harbour and arrived back at her station at seven o'clock. The Sheringham life-boat reached her sta- tion again at 8.10.—Rewards, Shering- ham, 1st Service, £26 6s.; 2nd Service, Property Salvage Case; Wells, Pro- perty Salvage Case..