AT 8.20 on the morning of the 31st of October, 1956, the Sheringham honorary secretary, Brigadier A. L.

Kent Lemon, learnt from the Cromer coastguard that the S.S. Wimbledon, a ship of 1598 tons, had reported by radio that she was making water in her fore hold and needed help. Her posi- tion was given as thirteen miles north of Cromer light. The S.S. Eleanor Brook had reported that she was standing by the Wimbledon, and the S.S. Sydenham, sister ship of the Wimbledon, later sent a message, which was intercepted by the coast- guard, that she too was going to stand by and that the Wimbledon was mak- ing for the shore at Blakeney.

The maroons were fired at 8.35.

A fresh gale was blowing from the north-east and very heavy seas were breaking on the beach. The tide was half ebb. It was clear that it would not be easy to launch the life-boat Foresters Centenary, which is one of the 35-feet 6-inches Liverpool type launched by tractor. A number of the enrolled members of the crew were at the time away from Sheringham for beet picking. Nevertheless, a good launch was made from a new type of carriage at 9.3.

Master Washed Overboard Coxswain H. E. West set a course for the Blakeney bell buoy. The master of the Wimbledon had been washed overboard and her chief officer was now in command. He decided not to beach the ship immediately but to anchor in the lee of Blakeney over- falls. It was here that the life-boat found her at 10.15.

The Wimbledon, which was laden with coal for London, was very much down by the bow and heading north- east by east. The ebb tide was run- ning strongly. The acting master still hoped to save the ship, but decided to transfer some of his crew and asked the life-boat to take them off.

Coxswain West believed that the Wimbledon's starboard side offered the best chance of a lee, and he therefore brought the life-boat alongside port side to. Seas some fifteen feet in height were sweeping over the Wimble- don's foredeck, but eight men from her crew were successfully taken aboard the life-boat. Coxswain West decided to transfer these men to another ship which was standing by a mile and a half away, the Blyth, in order to make it easier to take on board the remaining members of the W'imbledon's crew if they too needed to be rescued.

Landed by Helicopter Meanwhile the Eleanor Brook had picked up the master of the Wimbledon, and a helicopter from the R.A.F.

station at Horsham St. Faith's had landed a doctor aboard her. All attempts to resuscitate the master of the Wimbledon had failed and he was dead. The R.A.F. station therefore sent a message asking for the doctor and the dead body to be brought ashore. Coxswain West decided he must continue to stand by the Wimble- don, and at 10.55 he requested the coastguard to ask for the Wells life- boat to be launched, both to land the doctor and the dead body and to bring more petrol for the Sheringham life- boat.

The Wells life-boat Cecil Paine was launched at 11.30. At 1,4 she reached the Eleanor Brook and by 1.56 she had taken off the doctor and the dead body and transferred petrol to the Shering- ham life-boat. She then returned to Wells.

At 1.55 the acting master of the Wimbledon decided to abandon ship and asked the Sheringham life-boat to take off the remainder of the crew.

The whole of the fore part of the ship was now awash and seas were break- ing over her bridge. Neither side offered anything of a lee and the coxswain once more decided to go port side to. Securing ropes were made fast and two survivors from the Wimbledon were taken on board the life-boat. Then the lines parted and the coxswain had to go ahead and come round again.

The life-boat secured alongside four times, and five more men were taken off, but still three men remained on board the Wimbledon. It was now clear that no ropes would hold the life-boat in position. There was a high confused sea; little of the Wimbledon remained above water; and to manoeuvre the boat both the coxswain and the mechanic, E. C.

Craske, had to work in the closest and most exact unison. The mechanic was up to his arm-pits in water more than once and had to hold the radio- telephone microphone above his head to keep it dry.

At one moment a heavy sea carried the life-boat almost on to the Wimble- don. She slid clear, but some six feet of her fendering were damaged.

Nevertheless, all the remaining three men on board the Wimbledon were taken off by 2.30.

Survivors Transferred The life-boat transferred four of the survivors to the Sydenham. With the six remaining survivors the cox- swain made for Wells, preferring to land the survivors there than to risk the bad beaching conditions at Shering- ham. One of the survivors had hurt his head badly and others had minor injuries. The Wells life-boat put out to escort the Sheringham life-boat, and the two boats arrived at Wells at 3.30. Three-quarters of an hour earlier the Wimbledon had sunk. The Sheringham life-boat returned to her station on the 4th of November.

Silver Medal Awarded For this service the Institution made the following awards: To Coxswain H. E. West the silver medal for gallantry; to Motor Mechanic E. C. Craske the bronze medal for gallantry; to the other six members of the crew the thanks of the Institu- tion inscribed on vellum: Acting Second Coxswain H. Bishop, Acting Bowman A. Scotter, Assistant Mechanic J. H. Bishop; members of the crew, D.

Little, S. Little and R. West. A letter of thanks was sent to the head launcher Mr. D. Cooper.

Rewards: Sheringharn, rewards to the crew, £'28 5s.; rewards to the helpers on shore, £31 12s.; additional monetary rewards to the crew, £40; total rewards, £99 17s. Wells, re- wards to the crew, £17 12s.; rewards to the helpers on the shore, £13 10s..