Southend-on-Sea, Essex.—At 5.37 oil the morning of the 18th of May, 1955, the coastguard rang up to say that a yacht was burning a flare near West Shoebury Buoy. At 6.10 the life- boat Greater London II, Civil Service No. 30, which had been named by H.R.H. The Duchess of Kent the pre- vious afternoon, was launched on ser- vice for the first time. The sea was rough, a moderate gale was blowing from the west, and it was two hours after low water. Three miles east of the pier the life-boat found the auxiliary yacht Stormalong, of London, with a man and his wife, who had just been married, and another man on board. They were beginning a voyage round the world. The Stormalong's bowsprit had broken, her rudder had become unshipped, and she was driving towards a sandbank. The life-boat went as close to her as possible and the three people jumped into the life-boat.

Two members of the life-boat crew then boarded the Stormalong, and.the life-boat towed her to Southend, ar- riving at 7.30.—Property Salvage Case!.