Aldeburgh, Suffolk. At 1.20 on the afternoon of the 1st of April, 1959, the coastguard informed the honorary secretary that a United States aircraft was in difficulties off Orfordness and that her pilot might have to bale out.

The life-boat crew were alerted, and at 2.5 the coastguard reported that the pilot was baling out. The life-boat The Alfred and Patience Gottwald was launched at 2.15 in a slight sea. There was a light south-westerly wind and a flood tide. The weather was overcast.

The pilot was first sighted by a heli- copter, whose attempt to rescue him was unsuccessful, and he was eventually picked up by a Royal Air Force air-searescue launch. The life-boat reached the position, and two of her crew were asked to give artificial respiration to the pilot on board the rescue launch. This was done, but the pilot did not respond to treatment and his body was taken to Felixstowe. The life-boat returned to her station, arriving at 4.30. Rewards to the crew, £8 8s. lid. ; rewards to the helpers on shore, £13 8s. 6d..