Dunmore East, Co. Waterford.—In the early hours of the 16th of June, 1956, the lighthouse keeper telephoned that rockets were being fired two miles from the harbour. At 2.30 the life- boat Annie Blanche Smith put out in a very rough sea. There was a strong south-south-easterly gale, the tide was ebbing, and visibility was very bad.

The life-boat came up with the steam trawler Merchant Vanguard in Loftus Hall Bay in Waterford harbour.

Lights were seen on the trawler, but there were no signs of her crew, and the ship's boat was missing. A long search was made and the boat was found half full of water with nine men on board. They were taken aboard the life-boat and given rum and hot soup on the passage back to Dunmore, which was reached at 5.5.

An hour and a half later the life- boat put to sea again. She had on board four of the crew of the trawler, whom she took to a sister trawler which had arrived at the scene of the grounding. The men wanted to try to save some of their personal clothing, money and other possessions, and the life-boat stood by while they tried to do so. She arrived back at 8.30 and at 10.15 put out again with the remainder of the crew, who also tried to salvage their possessions. She stood by once more, but the salvage attempt failed, and she returned to her station, arriving back at 12.30.—• Rewards to the crew, £19 13s.; reward to the helper on shore, 13s..