Exmouth, Devon.—At 8.50 on the night of the 2nd of February, 1956, a man rang up to say that he could see a vessel close inshore near the Maer Rocks and that she was sounding her siren. The coastguard reported that the vessel was making a distress signal, so at 9.14 the life-boat Maria Noble was launched. There was a very heavy swell and a light east-north-east breeze. The tide was flooding. The life-boat found the M.V. Arrowhead, of Guernsey, with a crew of seven, laden with wheat and bound for St. Malo.

She was hard and fast on the rocks and leaking badly. Her crew had lowered one of their boats and were preparing to abandon ship. The life-boat res- cued the whole crew, took the ship's boat in tow, and made for her station.

The tow rope parted in the heavy weather, and the ship's boat was lost, but the life-boat with the rescued men reached her station at 10.5.—Rewards to the crew, £7 10s.; rewards to the helpers on shore, £13 4s..