AT 5.37 on the morning of the 21st of January, 1955, the honorary secretary of the Cloughey life-boat station, Mr.

D. Thompson, learnt from the Tara coastguard that a Norwegian ship was aground on South Rock and needed help immediately. Mr. Thompson immediately gave instructions for maroons to be fired, and the Cloughey life-boat Constance Calverley was launched at 6.25.

A moderate breeze was blowing from the south-south-east, and it was squally with mist and rain giving poor visi- bility. The sea was moderate, and the tide was half flood.

Coxswain Walter Semple made for the South Rock, passing close to the south of the North Rock, but at first he could see no sign of the Norwegian ship.

Language Difficulties The coxswain tried to get news of the ship's position by radio telephone, but communication was not easy because of language difficulties. He therefore asked Portpatrick Radio to pass a message to the ship, asking her to fire distress rockets. This was done, and the coxswain then altered course for the north-west. He found the vessel aground at the southern end of Burial Island some six miles to the north of her reported position. She was the motor vessel Roskva in ballast from Liverpool to Bergen.

The Roskva was aground forward, with her stern afloat and lifting to the seas. She had a heavy list to star- board, and one of her boats had been partly lowered on the starboard side.

She lay with her head to the north- north-west.

There were rocks close to her port side and an isolated rock a few boats' lengths to the starboard. The sea was rough and a considerable tide was running.

Coxswain Semple decided that the only likely method of rescue was to let go his anchor and veer down on the cable. His first attempt was unsuccess- ful as the life-boat was carried away from the ship towards the rocks. The second time he made contact with the Roskva, and this was maintained by lines.

Eleven Embarked In the course of a quarter of an hour eleven men were embarked from the Roskra by means of a Jacob's ladder. Nine men, including the master, remained on board, and at 10.36 the life-boat cast off and made for Ballyhalbert, where the survivors were landed about 11.30.

About one o'clock in the afternoon the life-boat returned to the Roskva at the request of the master and escorted the ship's boat with the remaining members of the crew to Ballyhalbert, where they were landed at 4.30.

The life-boat remained at Ballyhal- bert overnight at the master's request, as he wanted her to stand by in case his crew decided to return and try to save their ship. The next morning a tug arrived and the life-boat returned to her station, which she reached at 11.30.

For this service the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum have been accorded to Coxswain Walter Semple.—Scale rewards to the crew, £66 5s.; rewards to the helpers on shore £25 125.; total rewards, £91 17s..