ON the 16th of October, 1958, the Soviet trawler Urbe, which was believed to have a crew of about twenty-five, sank near the Holm of Skaw, an uninhabited rocky islet off the northeastern corner of the Shetland island of Unst. The trawler was one of a fleet of some thirty which had been fishing off the Shetlands.

A distress message had been received by Wick radio from the Soviet parent ship Tomsk, and at 9.3 in the evening the honorary secretary of the Lerwick lifeboat station, Mr. P. Bruce Laurenson, learnt of the distress message from the coastguard.

It was a very dark overcast night, with frequent rain squalls which reduced visibility. A fresh northerly gale was blowing ; there was a rough sea, and the tide was half flood.

Gruelling Passage The Lerwick life-boat Claude Cecil Staniforth, a new 52-feet Barnett boat, was launched at 9.32. The Holm of Skaw is some fifty-three miles north of Lerwick, and in the teeth of a northerly gale the passage was a gruelling one.

During much of the passage the lifeboat was shipping water overall.

On the outward journey a message was received by radio-telephone that some survivors had been seen on the Holm of Skaw, and it was learnt that a man living in Baltasound, Mr. Duncan Mouat, who had an intimate knowledge of the waters around Unst, had volunteered to act as pilot. Coxswain John Sales decided to take advantage of this offer, and about three o'clock on the morning of the 17th of October the life-boat embarked Mr. Mouat at Baltasound.

About an hour later the starboard propeller was fouled by a net. At this stage the life-boat was some three, miles south of the Holm of Skaw, and half an hour later she approached the rock.

Coxswain Sales closed the southern shore of the Holm on one engine and anchored in ten fathoms of water about forty yards from the beach.

Confused Sea and Heavy Swell The weather at this time was squally.

There were frequent rain showers, with a confused sea and a heavy swell, and the wind was gusting between northnorth- west and north-north-east. The ebb tide was setting north.

Ashore on Unst several groups of people had been trying to locate survivors.

Members of the Baltasound life-saving apparatus team had turned out and had been joined by some twenty airmen from the Royal Air Force station at Saxa Vord, as well as a number of crofters and villagers.

Three trawlers, the Ben Heilem, the Scottish Queen and the Robert Hastie, had been searching the waters in conjunction with a Shackleton aircraft.

In the beam of searchlights set up on Unst the life-boat's crew were able to see three survivors from the Soviet trawler sheltering behind a high boulder.

Coxswain Sales moved the beam of the life-boat's searchlight to indicate the point to which a line would be fired, and Second Coxswain William Saks fired the rocket line exactly to the position aimed at. There was no suitable position on the Holm to which the tail of the block could be secured, but the first two men were hauled off while the third man paid out the bight of the veering line by hand. The third man was the skipper of the trawler, and he himself was rescued lying on the breeches buoy and kicking out with his legs. The rescue was effected less than twenty minutes after the life-boat had anchored., and members of the lifeboat's crew managed to clear the starboard propeller of the net.

Search for Survivors This task was finished at 5.20, and Coxswain Sales then decided to make for Norwick, some two miles to the southward, to pick up a small boat in order to land on the Holm to search for further survivors. The Russian skipper spoke a few words of English and he seemed to indicate that one man had been left on the rocks, although it was not clear whether this man was alive or dead.

In Norwick Bay the life-boat took on board a 10-feet boat of local design, together with the crew of three who had brought her out. This boat was later launched, with a crew consisting of Mr.

Duncan Mouat and three members of the life-boat's crew. A search was carried out for survivors without success ; the small boat was recovered, and the life-boat began to carry out a wider search.

At 7.25 the trawler Urbe was sighted half a mile north of the Holm of Skaw, but only part of the bow and masts were then visible. At eleven o'clock an aircraft joined the search, and shortly afterwards the life-boat left the area for Baltasound.

Request from Parent Ship During the search the Soviet parent ship Tomsk had made repeated requests by radio-telephone that any survivors should be returned to her, but Mr.

Bruce Laurenson had informed the coxswain that he was not to transfer survivors at sea because of the likelihood that the life-boat would suffer damage.

The three survivors on board the life-boat were suffering from cold and exposure, but were cared for by Frederick Mullay, a member of the crew, who was qualified in first-aid.

They were rubbed down to allow their circulation to be restored, wrapped in blankets and given stimulants. Two dead bodies which had been picked up were also taken aboard the life-boat.

Three Survivors Landed The life-boat reached Baltasound at 12.45. The three Russian survivors and the two bodies were landed, and the Russian seamen were taken to the Springfield Hotel, where the proprietress, Mrs. Charlotte Mouat, had prepared hot baths, meals and refreshments for them. She refused any payment and stated that her help could be regarded as her contribution to the life-boat service. Clothing was supplied to the three men by the Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners' Royal Benevolent Society.

Transferred to Launch After the survivors had been suitably cared for the life-boat left Baltasound for Lerwick at 2.40 in the afternoon.

At 3.10 the coxswain received a message by radio-telephone from the honorary secretary informing him that at the request of the Immigration Officer he should return to Baltasound and land the survivors and bodies. This was done and the three men and the bodies were transferred to a Soviet launch which had previously approached the life-boat with the object of recovering the survivors. The life-boat then set out once more at 4.45 and reached Lerwick at 9.20 in the evening. By that time the coxswain had been without sleep for forty-one hours.

Among the many tributes paid to the part played by the Lerwick life-boat crew was one broadcast by Moscow radio, in which reference was made to the crew's " brilliant skill, vast courage and selfless heroism in righting a treacherous sea." For this service the silver medal for gallantry was awarded to Coxswain John Sales ; The bronze medal for gallantry was awarded to Mr. Andrew Duncan Mouat of Baltasound ; The thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum were accorded to the other seven members of the crew : William Sales.

George Leith.

Robert Laurenson.

John Johnston.

John Sinclair.

Frederick Mullay.

Raymond Leask.

Rewards to the crew, etc., £58..