AT 1.40 on the afternoon of the 26th cf December, 1956, the honorary secretary of the Lerwick, Shetland Isles, life-boat station, Mr. P. Bruce Laurenson, learnt from the coastguard that the Swedish motor vessel Samba was drifting 122 miles south-east of Lerwick. Her engines had broken down and a trawler was standing by.

A moderate gale was blowing at that time from the south-east.

The next day at 12.25 in the afternoon the coastguard reported that the Samba was still drifting, and was now 68 miles south-east-a-half-south of Bressay. Two trawlers were now standing by but neither had been able to take her in tow, and a Dutch tug, the Nord Holland, was making for her.

The gale was blowing more strongly, but the master of the Samba said she was in no immediate danger.

Life-boat Puts Out At eleven o'clock on the morning of the 28th of December the coastguard told Mr. Bruce Laurenson that the Samba was now 19 miles southeast of Bard Head at the southern entrance to Lerwick, and that the tug had been unable to take her in tow.

Half-an-hour later the master of the tug asked for the help of the life-boat, and at 11.50 the Lerwick life-boat Lady Jane and Martha Eyland left the harbour. The south-easterly gale which had been blowing hard for several days continued: the sea was very rough; and visibility was poor.

It was two hours before low water.

At 12.18 Coxswain John Sales learnt by radio-telephone from the coastguard that the tug had given her position as 13 miles south-by-east of Bard Head. He altered course accordingly, but later discovered that the position he had been given was wrong, and as a result the life-boat passed too far to the west of the Samba.

Little Time for Rescue Coxswain Sales asked the coastguard for further information about the position of the Samba, and the coastguard advised him to ask for a direction- finding bearing from the tug. He did so and learnt that the tug was two miles south-east of Bard Head. There were now gusts of wind of 56 knots, and it became increasingly clear that the life-boat would have little time to carry out a rescue before the Samba drifted on to the headland.

The master of the tug Nord Holland decided that he must try to take off the crew of the Samba, and shortly after three o'clock he succeeded in rescuing six men by floating a rubber dinghy down to her. Then the line parted and the dinghy was lost.

On her way to the scene a heavy sea broke over the stern of the life-boat, but Coxswain Sales, after being forced to slow down, increased to full speed again on hearing that a light had been seen off the coast. The steamer St.

Clair, which had passengers on board, and the motor fishing boat Harvest Hope had both put to sea from Lerwick, hoping that they might be able to help. The wind had now increased to a whole gale and darkness was falling.

Another Faint Light Shortly after four o'clock Coxswain Sales saw the lights of the Nord Holland to the north-west of Bard Head. Close inshore by the headland known as the Ord was another faint light which he assumed came from the Samba. The life-boat's searchlight was directed to this point, and the Samba was seen with her bow close under the cliff and drifting rapidly to the north-west, beam on to wind and There was clearly no time to lose, and without hesitation Coxswain Sales brought the boat down wind across the square stern of the Samba.

As he did so one of the Samba's crew jumped to safety.

The coxswain then turned and tried to come up again head to wind but the Samba drifted past too quickly for anyone to be able to jump. There was a high confused sea which broke right over the Samba, whose propellers broke surface as her stern rose. The master of the St. Clair offered to pump oil, but Coxswain Sales had not even time to reply to this suggestion.

Two Men Jumped He turned the life-boat once again and came down wind alongside the stern of the Samba. This time two men jumped successfully. At the next attempt the coxswain could not bring the life-boat close enough for anyone to jump, but at the fifth attempt one more man succeeded in reaching the life-boat.

Then came the sixth and last attempt to come alongside. There remained only the master of the Samba and he jumped out, but he was already so exhausted that he fell across the forestay and was saved only by the prompt action of two members of the life-boat's crew. The life-boat suffered slight damage to her tendering and stanchions.

Swedish Award The life-boat then made for her station, and within twenty minutes the Samba drove across the sound and struck the rocks. Fifteen minutes later she had disappeared. By 5.8 the life-boat had reached her station.

For this service the bronze medal for gallantry has been awarded to Coxswain John Sales. The Swedish Life-boat Society has awarded a plaque to the Lerwick life-boat station to commemorate the service.

Rewards to the crew, £18 5s.; additional monetary rewards, £16. Total rewards, £34 5s.

A brief account of this service appeared in the March, 1957, number of The Life-boat, on page 414..