THE Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, Mr. Harold Watkinson, has awarded the shield for the best wreck service in 1957 to the Sandown arid Ventnor life-saving apparatus companies of H.M. Coastguard for the rescue of the crew of the S.S. lano of Genoa, which went aground in Sandown Bay on the 4th of November, 1957.

The rescue continued, with short breaks, for thirty-six hours, from 1.20 early on the morning of the 4th of November until one o'clock on the afternoon of the 5th of November. The Sandown company was called out three times and the crew of the stranded ship brought ashore twice, the second time by breeches buoy after they had returned to their ship without the knowledge of the coastguard. A strong south-westerly gale was blowing, rain fell heavily during most of the operation and the work of rescue was complicated by language difficulties.

The Bembridge, Isle of Wight, Jifeboat, which put out early on the morning of the 4th of November, was unable to come alongside the lano but stood by while the crew were taken off. An account of this service appeared in the March 1958 number of the Life-boat on page 13..