BETWEEN the late evening of Saturday, the 28th of July, and Sunday, the 29th of July, the Life-boat Service ex- perienced the busiest day in its entire history.

During most of the month of July the weather had been bad and the life-boats had been busy. Then from the 25th of July a fairly shallow depression began to move eastwards across the Atlantic. Late on the 29th it started to deepen quickly and next day moved north-eastwards from the Scilly Isles. Widespread gales swept the coasts, and the Meteoro- logical Office had records of gusts of 88 miles per hour.

At any time of the year gales of this kind would have caused arduous work for the life-boats, but coming unexpectedly at the height of summer, when many yachts and other pleasure craft were at sea, they gave rise to no fewer than 52 launches on service within twenty-four hours. At 38 life- boat stations urgent calls for help were received, and the response every- where was magnificent.

107 People Rescued Life-boats rescued 107 lives on that day; 12 other people were landed; 14 vessels were saved; and 7 vessels were helped in other wavs. The most exacting demands were made on life- boat stations in the south of England.

The Bembridge, Isle of Wight, life-boat was called out four separate times in the twenty-four hours. The Dover, Dungeness and Southend-on-Sea life- boats were each called out three times.

Services for which medals for gallantry were awarded were carried out by the Selsey, Dover and Dungeness life- boats and by a Whitstable fishing boat.

At 11.56 on the morning of Sunday, the 29th of July, the Selsey coast- guard informed the honorary secretary of the Selsey life-boat station, Mr. ,T. A.

Tupper, that a small yacht heading towards West Wittering was flying distress signals. There was a strong south-westerly gale. Wind speeds of 45 to 55 knots were recorded at Tangmere Meteorological Station, and the owner of a yacht, who was later rescued by the Selsey life-boat, said that his anemometer registered more than 90 knots at one time.

Difficult to Reach Boathouse The Selsey life-boat crew had some difficulty in reaching the boathouse because of the force of the wind. The sea was very rough, there were heavy rain squalls, and it was two hours before low water.

The Selsey life-boat Canadian Pacific was launched at 12.10. Lobster-pots had drifted from the westward because of the high wind and rough sea into the area east of Selsey Bill. The pro- pellers of the life-boat were soon fouled by lobster-pot lines and revolu- tions on both engines dropped to 800.

Hampered in this way, the life-boat made her way slowly round Selsey Bill.

It was impossible to stop the engines and try to clear the propellers.

At 12.30 the Maaslust, a Dutch boeier of forty tons, was sighted. Her sails had blown away and she was yawing wildly, but her engines were working. She was surrounded by rocks and the seas were steep and violent. There was so much spray in the air that there was barely any visibility.

Coxswain Douglas Grant brought the life-boat up on the port side of the yacht and put her starboard bow alongside just forward of the leeboard, which formed the major obstacle.

The Maaslust took a big sheer as a sea hit her, and the two vessels were swept widely apart.

Sails Blown Away At this moment another yacht was sighted to windward. She seemed to be in even greater difficulties than the Maafihifit. and Coxswain Grant decided to take off her crew first. This yacht was the Bloodhound. She was lying to an anchor, with all her sails blown away and with a tangle of rigging over her side. She was washing down heavily, and all her crew of nine were on deck.

The Bloodhound was lying nearly head to wind with the sea on her port side. She was just to windward of some rocks. The life-boat's engines were still restricted to 800 revolutions, but Coxswain Grant brought her up on the Bloodhound's starboard side and held her nearly bow on with the engines. Both the life-boat and the yacht were taking heavy water over all. Some of the life-boat's crew were stationed on the foredeck, and with their help the seven men and two women on board the Bloodhound were quickly taken off. Coxswain Grant then took the life-boat astern and some of the lines fouling the pro- pellers were cleared. Revolutions in- creased to 900.

Survivors Given Blankets The survivors from the Bloodhound were given blankets and put in the fore-cabin while the life-boat made for the Maaslust. She had not drifted very far, and this time Coxswain Grant brought the life-boat up on the starboard side of the boeier. This was the weather side. The Maaslust was nearly beam on to the sea.

Once again the leeboards made it difficult for the life-boat to be brought alongside, and the coxswain therefore decided to drive the stem of the life- boat hard on to the low bulwark of the yacht and to hold her there with the engines.

There were six people on board the Maaslust. Three were men, one was a woman and the other two were children, the younger being a baby.

They were all wearing life-belts with life-lines attached, and the life-boat crew had some difficulty in clearing these lines from the rigging. There was some natural consternation on the Maaslust when a knife was produced to cut the line by which the baby was held.

All Six Taken Off All six people were taken off, and the yacht was not seen again. She presumably sank shortly afterwards.

In the course of this operation the stem and fendering of the life-boat were both damaged. The rudder was also jammed, and Coxswain Grant gave orders to clear away the anchor as it seemed certain that the life-boat would drive ashore. But just as he was about to give the order to let go the wheel freed. The rudder had probably been fouled by a float or a loster-pot and had luckily been cleared.

Coxswain Grant decided to make for Portsmouth to land the survivors, but before the life-boat had gone far an- other yacht was seen to be nearly on her beam ends. This was the Coima, a six-metre yacht. She had a sea anchor over her bow.

The Coima had driven across from an anchorage in St. Helen's Roads and was on the point of going ashore.

Coxswain Grant brought the life-boat up on her starboard quarter, and her crew of three were quickly taken on board. The yacht was full of water and sank almost immediately. As the life-boat was brought astern more lines and floats were thrown up by the propellers and revolutions quickly increased.

Another Yacht Sighted The time was now 1.40, that is to say an hour and a half after the life- boat had put to sea. At 4.45 the life-boat reached Portsmouth, where the eighteen rescued people were landed. Food and dry clothing for the crew were provided by the dockyard, and the life-boat left for her station at 6.45. On the return journey an- other yacht was sighted and the life- boat made for her, but she declined assistance. The life-boat finally reached her moorings at ten o'clock.

For these services the silver medal for gallantry was awarded to Coxswain Douglas Grant. The thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum were accorded to the other seven members of the crew: Second Coxswain L, Lawrence, Bowman H. Lawrence, Motor Mechanic J. Haslett. Assistant Motor Mechanic A. Fullick, Life- boatmen J. Bryon, J. Woodland and K. Laidment.

Rewards to the crew: £20 16,s.; re- wards to the helpers on shore, £7 5s.; additional monetary rewards to the crew, £24; total rewards, £52 Is.

The next day the Selsey life-boat made for the Bloodhound, which was still afloat and towed her to Ports- mouth.

Dover's Services The Dover life-boat Southern Africa was also called out more than once on the same day. At 10.30 on the morn- ing of the 29th of July the Sandgate coastguard rang up to say that the South Goodwin lightvessel had report- ed a yacht in difficulties two miles from the entrance to Dover harbour. There was a very rough sea and a strong south-south-westerly gale. It was low water.

The life-boat put out at 10.50 and came up with the yacht Straight Flush, which had a crew of four, two miles from Dover. The sails of the yacht were torn and the life-boat put a line aboard and towed her to Dover.

The life-boat reached her station again at 12.15 and was soon called out again to carry out a series of services demanding seamanship of a high order.

The south-south-westerly wind had now reached hurricane force, with gusts up to 80 knots. There was a steep confused sea in the harbour.

At 12.55 the honorary secretary, Mr.

Douglas Stewart, and the motor mechanic, Mr. H. K. Pegg, had both noticed that a number of yachts shel- tering in the harbour had begun to drag their anchors. The crew of the life-boat were summoned by telephone as it was thought that they might not hear the maroons in the conditions then prevailing.

Broke up in Minutes At 1.15, when the tide was half flood, the Dover life-boat left her moorings.

Coxswain John Walker decided to go first to. the help of the yacht Mermaid, which was near Castle jetty, but by the time the life-boat rounded the west pier he found that it was too late.

The Mermaid broke up in a few min- utes, her crew being rescued by ropes thrown from a jetty.

The life-boat then made for another yacht, the Tawi, which was just west of the Castle jetty and in danger of going ashore there or on the rocks to the eastward. The Tawi had two anchors down and was yawing wildly in the confused sea. A large, decked motor launch was alongside and trying to take her in tow, but when the life- boat arrived the launch's crew gave up the attempt and made for shelter.

Clinging to Rigging Coxswain Walker made several attempts to come alongside the port side of the Tawi and eventually suc- ceeded in getting a line with a grapnel fast. The Tawi's crew of three were clinging to the rigging, exhausted and unable to help themselves.

Coxswain Walker had little room to manoeuvre as the Tau~i was now only fifty yards from the shore and about the same distance from the Castle jetty. He succeeded in keeping the life-boat alongside with the use of the engines, and the crew of the life- boat took the three men from the Tawi on board safely. A number of the life-boat's guardrail stanchions were carried away during the rescue.

The Tawi eventually dragged ashore and became a total loss.

The owner of the yacht Sonia, which was anchored close at hand, then asked for a tow. She was steaming ahead on her petrol engine and holding her own, but Coxswain Walker decided that it would be too risky to try to take her in tow so near a lee shore. He therefore decided to land the crew of the Tawi at the entrance to the Granville dock, as they were clearly suffering from the effects of what they had been through.

When the life-boat..returned the Sonia was flying a distress signal.

She had now dragged to a position some three hundred yards off shore.

Coxswain Walker made several un- successful attempts to come alongside, but finally he succeeded and the Sonia's crew of five were taken off at 2.10.

Third Yacht The life-boat then went to the help of a third yacht. This was the Madame Pompadour, a 45-feet cabin cruiser with a diesel engine. She had two anchors down and had her engines full ahead. She was rolling heavily and yawing wildly. Her owner and his son were on board and asked to be taken off.

Only at the sixth attempt did the coxswain manage to come alongside.

The owner of the yacht was a heavy man and the life-boat's crew had difficulty in taking him on board the life-boat. At one moment his legs were nearly crushed between the two vessels, but in the end both he and his son were taken on board. This time some stanchions on the port side of the life-boat were damaged.

The Madame Pompadour broke up on the rocks by the west pier ten minutes after her crew had been taken off.

Seven Survivors Landed This third rescue was completed at 2.31 and seven survivors from the two yachts were landed at the Customs House jetty. The life-boat returned to her moorings at four o'clock.

For these services a second service clasp to his bronze medal was awarded to Coxswain John Walker. A letter of appreciation was sent to Mr, Douglas Stewart, the honorary secretary.

Rewards to the crew etc., £6 5.s.; additional monetary reward to the crew, £12; totaj rewards, £18 5.9.

Yacht in Tow The rescues from the three yachts did not end the services of the Dover life-boat that day. At 7.25 on the same evening the Sandgate coastguard reported that a yacht was drifting five miles south-east of Dover. The life-boat put out at 7.40. The sea was still very rough, a whole south-south- westerly gale was blowing and the tide was ebbing. When the life-boat reached the position indicated she found that the yacht Crevette was being towed by a freighter Julia, which was heading for Dover. The life-boat escorted both vessels until the tow rope broke. She then took the Crerette in tow. The Julia con- tinued on her journey to Antwerp with the four survivors from the Crevette on board. The life-boat, with the yacht in tow, returned to her station at 10.30. Property salvage was claimed.

Another _Kent Life-boat The third life-boat service on the day for which a medal for gallantry was awarded was carried out by an- other Kent life-boat, that stationed at Dungeness. At 12.35 on the after- noon of the 29th of July a resident of Dungeness, Mr. C. Tart, told the assistant honorary secretary, Mr. A.

J. Tart, that he had heard a distress message from the motor vessel Tees- wood on his wireless set. Almost immediately afterwards the Lade coastguard informed Mr. A. J. Tart that the TeesiL-ood was in difficulties four miles east of Dungeness. At 12.55 the Dungeness life-boat Charles Cooper Henderson was launched.

Here too there was a wind of hurri- cane force, blowing from the south- south-west, with gusts up to 80 knots.

There was a high confused sea and it was two and a half hours before high water. The life-boat met heavy breaking seas soon after she left the beach.

At 1.15 the master of the Tees-mood reported that he was sending his crew away in boats. At this time the life- boat was about a mile and a half away. When she reached the Tees- vood a quarter of an hour later she found that the vessel had capsized.

The S.S. B. P. Distributor was stand- ing by and had already picked up six survivors who had been clinging to floating wreckage. The waves were so high and there was so much flying spray and rain that it was extremely difficult for the life-boat crew to find any of the survivors in the sea, but with the help of the steamer the life- boat was directed to the main body of survivors.

Propeller Fouled None of these men was any longer capable of helping himself, and Cox- swain George Tart had to exercise great care to avoid injuring any of them.

When the life-boat was in the middle of a group of survivors the propeller became fouled by wreckage. The motor mechanic, A. J. Oilier, immed- iately went down into the engine-room, uncoupled the shaft and by turning it by hand in a reverse direction managed to clear the obstruction. The obstruction had been caused by a piece of the mast of one of the Tees- zcood's boats.

An Italian liner of some twenty thousand tons was also in the neigh- bourhood. She attempted to rescue a man in the water by throwing him a line, but the man was too weak to hold on and fell back. The liner was drift- ing down on to the life-boat and Cox- swain Tart had to go ahead to clear her, but the life-boat crew managed to rescue the man as the life-boat drew clear to the windward of the liner.

Artificial Respiration One of the men who had been picked up from the sea was apparently drowned, and a member of the crew, W. Thomas, applied artificial respira- tion for an hour and a half in condi- tions of the greatest difficulty. He and his patient were both being washed about continually by heavy seas on the deck. His efforts did not succeed and the man died.

The life-boat left the Teeswood at 2.20, and Coxswain Tart shaped a course for Littlestone, following the coast round close inshore to have the advantage of anv lee there was. The life-boat did not reach her station until 4.15. The survivors were landed and immediately taken to hospital by ambulances which were waiting.

While she was returning to her station the life-boat received a message by radio-telephone that flares had been seen from a yacht off Dymchurch.

The condition of the men rescued from the Teestuood was so bad that Coxswain Tart decided to Jand them before answering this second call.

By 4.45 the life-boat had been beached, hauled up and launched once again into heavy confused seas with a wind of hurricane force blowing from the south-west.

The life-boat made for the position given, one mile south of Dungeness, and searched the coast as far as Folkestone. The yacht, which was the Crereite, had in the meanwhile been taken in tow by a steamer, and the life-boat returned to hei- st ation at 8.50.

Appalling Conditions She had been at sea for eight hours in appalling conditions. But at mid- night she was launched a third time.

This was in response to a message received from the coastguard that a yacht was in distress fifteen miles south-by-east of Dungeness. The wind was now blowing from the west- south-west and it was two hours after low water.

At 1.19 early on the morning of the 30th of July the life-boat contacted the motor vessel Dora, which had first reported the yacht to be in distress.

The Dora replied that she had lost sight of the yacht nearly three hours earlier. Coxswain Tart then asked the coastguard to arrange an air search at daylight.

New Position Given Coxswain Tart was now given a new- position for the yacht. This was four miles south of Colbart lightbuoy. At 2.44 the life-boat reached the position and began to search. Eventually it was reported that the yacht, which was the Right Royal, was alongside the Dyck lightvessel and that the Calais and Dunkirk life-boats were going to her help. The Dungeness life-boat returned to her station, which she reached at 11.30. She had spent eighteen of the last twenty-two hours at sea.

The bronze medal for gallantry was awarded to Coxswain George Tart.

The thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum were accorded to Motor Mechanic A. ,T. Oilier and a member of the crew, IV. Thomas.

Rewards to the crew, £49; rewards to the helpers on shore, £82 6s.; addi- tional monetary rewards to the crew, £95; total rewards, £226 6s.

Service by Fishing Boat The fourth service for which a medal for gallantry was awarded on this day was carried out not by a life-boat but by a fishing boat.

At 12.30 on the afternoon of the 29th of July a police sergeant in Whitstable, Kent, told Mr! Arthur Rouse, a Whitstable fisherman, that a dinghy was in difficulties off Tanker- ton. Mr. Rouse went to the beach and through his binoculars saw the dinghy at anchor to leeward of the Street Stones, a narrow shingle bank running out from the shore at right- angles for about a mile and a half.

The dinghy at the time had some shelter from the bank, but it was clear that the effect of this would grow less as the tide rose. The coastguard informed the Margate honorary secre- tary, and the Margate life-boat North Foreland (Civil Service No 11) was launched. But because of the distance from the Margate life-boat station and the violence of the storm it was doubt- ful whether she would arrive in time to save the dinghy.

Local Boatbuilder Mr. Rouse, therefore, spoke to a locsi boatbuilder and engineer, Mr. Leslie Vood, and they decided to attempt a rescue with the fishing boat Audrey Russell if the owner could be found.

The Audrey Russell was a 21-feet 6-inches whelk boat with a diesel engine.

The owner, Mr. Harold Rowden, a man of 53, was found and he agreed to go out and try to rescue the dinghy'screw. At 1.30, as soon as there was enough water in the harbour, the Audrey Russell put to sea. Mr. Row- den was at the tiller, Mr. Wood was in charge of the engine and Mr. Rouse acted as crew.

The south-westerly wind was of hurricane force, and although it was blowing from off-shore people who were watching said they had never seen such a heavy sea on the beach. Some of them had to crawl on their hands and knees because of the violence of the wind, and fish-boxes were hurtling through the air. Because of the state of the tide and the fact that Mr.

Rowden's boat drew five feet, the Audrey Russell had to pass round the seaward end of the Street Stones.

Heavy Battering The boat had no drogue, and with the wind and sea on the starboard quarter she was in grave danger of broaching to on the outward journey.

Mr. Rowden had great difficulty in controlling her. The boat took a heavy battering in the confused seas when i rounding the end of the Street Stones, but Mr. Rowden brought her astern of the dinghy. He then waited for a lull and went alongside the starboard side of the dinghy. He and his crew took off first a woman and then a man. The two people, a Mr. and Mrs.

Liggins, had been fishing since early morning and had been caught quite unprepared by the sudden onset of the storm.

After rescuing the two people Mr.

Rowden decided to try to save the boat. He therefore cut away her anchor, secured her grass warp and veered her astern for towing. With the dinghy in tow, the Audrey Russell.

escorted in the later stages by the Margate life-boat, returned to Whit- stable, which was reached at 2.15.

For this rescue the bronze medal was awarded to Mr. Harold Rowden.

The thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum were accorded to Mr.

Leslie Wood and Mr. Arthur Rouse.

The table on page 329 summarizes the services carried out during these extraordinary twenty-four hours..