AT 9.30 on the night of the 19th of October. 1955, the son of Coxswain George Flett of the Aberdeen no. 1 life-boat heard a vessel in the bay blowing her siren continuously. He telephoned this information to the honorary secretary of the station, Captain L, Trail, who immediately informed the coastguard and then gave instructions for the crews of both the no. 1 and no. 2 life-boats to assemble.

At 10.15 the no. 1 life-boat Hilton Briggs put out. There was a consider- able swell, a moderate southerly breeze was blowing, and it was low water.

The night was dark and overcast, with patches of mist and heavy rain squalls.

The life-boat made for the vessel and found her a mile north of the harbour. She was the steam trawler Sturdee, of Aberdeen. She had been waiting to enter the harbour and had gone ashore in the poor visibility.

Heavy Swell Breaking There was a bank near the trawler on the seaward side, on which a heavy swell was breaking. The life-boat struck the bank and shipped some heavy water as she crossed it. There was broken water inside the bank, and an old boiler from a previous wreck, on which the seas were breaking, added to the risk.

The Sturdee was in some ten feet of water, about 150 yards from the beach.

She was aground by her stern. The Bridge of Don Life-Saving Apparatus Company had passed a line to her, but Coxswain Flett brought the life-boat under the stern, using both the line from the coastguard and the life-boat line. The 30-inch drogue, which had been streamed shortly after the life- boat left harbour, was towed up to the moment of going alongside, and proved of considerable value.

Crew Jump Off Because of the trawler's movement Coxswain Flett found he could not keep the life-boat alongside, but had to manoeuvre her continuously, using her engines and the lines.

The life-boat closed the trawler, whose crew began to jump off. Not more than one or two men could come off at a time, and altogether the life-boat was brought alongside seven times before the trawler's crew of eleven were all taken off.

When the skipper, who was the last to leave, had jumped into the life-boat Coxswain Flett ordered the lines to be cut. He then brought the life-boat round the bows of the trawler to meet the seas head on. This brought the life-boat close to the shore, but she did not ground and was soon in deep water. She reached her moorings at 11.15 after landing the rescued men.

The no. 2 life-boat was not needed.

Vellum Awarded For this service Coxswain George Flett has been accorded the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum.

In 1937, when second-coxswain, he was awrarded the bronze medal, and he was also accorded the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum for services in 1937 and 1953.

Additional monetary awards were paid to the crew. Total rewards to the crew, £14 105.; rewards to the helpers on shore, etc., £l 14s. Gd..