About 10.45 on the night of Thursday, the 19th of December, 1957, the lights of a vessel passing between the two Saltee islands off the Wexford coast were seen from Kilmore Quay.

It was a wild night, and as the coast is a dangerous one the vessel was kept under close observation.

Gusts of Force Ten Thirty-three minutes later the vessel was seen to be burning a red flare, and she was sounding her siren continuously.

She was now near Ballyteige Bay some five miles from Kilmore.

The honorary secretary of the Kilmore life-boat station, Mr. C. M. Clifford Gibbons, gave instructions for the life-boat to be launched, and maroons were fired at 11.22.

It was then one hour after low water, and the life-boat therefore had to be launched at the harbour entrance. A fresh gale was blowing from the southsouth- west, with gusts at times of force ten. Although there was some lee from the Saltee islands, the sea was moderately rough at the launching place, but by 11.49 the 35-feet 6-inches single-screw Liverpool type life-boat Ann Isabella Pyemont was under way.

Coxswain Mark Bates set a course to the southward to clear outlying dangers and then altered course to the westward.

Visibility was poor, for there was an overcast sky and rain. There was no moon and no shore lights were visible. By the time the life-boat was clear of the islands the sea was very rough, and there was a heavy swell from the south-south-west.

It was not until 12.15 that a light was seen from the vessel in distress. It was only a faint light caused by oil being burnt on board the ship. The light was on the life-boat's starboard beam and the coxswain altered course towards it.

Heavy List to Port As the life-boat approached, the trawler, which was the Augusta Mariste of Lorient, switched on her navigation lights. They were very dim and the life-boat's searchlight was also switched on to help light the sea. Heavy seas were now breaking and Coxswain Mark Bates reduced speed as he approached the trawler.

At 12.40 the life-boat came up with the Augusta Mariste, which was a large wooden trawler. She was stopped in the trough of the waves with her head to the east-south-east. She was low in the water, with a heavy list to port, and was rolling dangerously. Her position was less than a mile from the shore, and the water was only five fathoms deep.

Coxswain Bates immediately decided that his only hope of approaching the trawler was from the leeward, although on that side the Augusta Mariste had two trawl boards swinging over the side from their gallows, one forward and one aft. Her mizen boom was free and was swinging wildly from side to side.

Edged Between Boards The life-boat rounded the stern of the trawler and edged in between the trawl boards. The Augusta Mariste's crew failed to secure the line, but as the life-boat approached, two of them scrambled aboard her over the trawler's gunwale, which at that moment was rolling below the gunwale of the lifeboat and in danger of damaging her seriously. After the two men had scrambled aboard, a sea carried the life-boat away from the trawler, and the coxswain sheered away to make a second approach.

Once more the life-boat was brought between the two trawl boards. This time lines were put aboard the trawler, and these helped to control the ranging of the life-boat and narrowly prevented her from being swept under the forward trawl board. At this second attempt six more men were taken aboard the life-boat, but the Augusta Mariste's skipper, who seemed determined to remain with his ship, cast off the securing ropes. Without the ropes it was impossible to hold the life-boat in position any longer, and once again Coxswain Bates sheered away before approaching the trawler for his third attempt.

Seized by the Neck At the third attempt the ninth man from the trawler scrambled aboard, and only the skipper remained. Acting Bowman John Blake made two attempts to grab the skipper but failed. Then at the third attempt, with the life-boat still being held in position, he grabbed the skipper by the neck and dragged him over the gunwale into the life-boat.

It was now one o'clock, and by this time the trawler was less than half a mile from the beach. Coxswain Bates immediately left the trawler and made for Kilmore, where the life-boat arrived at 1.40. The ten rescued men were landed, and one of them, who was injured, was taken to hospital. The trawler later drove ashore and broke up.

For this service the silver medal for gallantry was awarded to Coxswain Mark Bates. The thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum were accorded to the other six members of the crew : Second coxswain J. Bates, Bowman J. Blake, Motor Mechanic J. Kehoe, Assistant Motor Mechanic C. Bates, R. Barry, and N. Wickham, Scale rewards to the crew, £12 5s. ; rewards to the helpers on shore, £14; additional monetary rewards to the crew, £21 ; total rewards, £47 5s..