Longhope, Orkneys, and Wick, Caith- ness-shire.—At 4.22 on the morning of the 3rd of February, 1956, the freighter Dovrefjell, of Oslo, a converted tanker, wirelessed that she had gone aground in the Pentland Skerries but was in no immediate danger. She had a crew of forty-one, thirty-one of whom were Italians, and was bound from Newcastle-on-Tyne to Canada in ballast. The Wick radio station re- broadcast the message, and the Kirk- wall coastguard rang up the Longhope life-boat station at 4.34. At 5.15 the life-boat Thomas AlcCunn was launched. At 5.20 the Wick coast- guard informed the Wick life-boat station, and at 5.45 the life-boat City of Edinburgh put out.

The Wick life-boat reached the Dovrefjell first and found her lying on a shelf of rocks on the south side of the Little Skerry. High and confused seas were breaking right over her, and there was a strong southerly wind and ebbing tide. The life-boat anchored and veered down towards the freighter's stern, but the master said that the life-boat would not be able to go alongside. At 8.10 the Long- hope life-boat reached the position, and about nine o'clock two naval heli- copters arrived from Lossiemouth and began lifting the freighter's crew. One of the aircraft flew over the bridge, picked up a man and flew him clear while winching him up. The other helicopter then flew in and picked up another man in the same way. This method was repeated until both heli- copters had taken off thirty-one men and had landed them at John o' Groat'sThe life-boats stood by the whole time, and at 10.37 a helicopter arrived from the R.A.F. station at Leuchars.

The master of the Dovrefjell and nine men decided to remain in their ship, but they later changed their minds and were taken ashore by the R.A.F. helicopter about midday. The life-boats stood by the whole time, and when the last man had left the freighter returned to their stations, Wick arriving at 2.30 and Longhope arriving at three o'clock. The Nor- wegian and Italian Governments ex- pressed their thanks. Rewards: Long- hope, rewards to the crew, £26; rewards to the helpers on shore, £5 11s. Wick, rewards to the crew, £23 105.; rewards to the helpers on shore, etc., £1 9s. Gd..