FOR the first time for ten years and for only the second time since the end of the last war the Institution's highest award for gallantry, the gold medal, has been conferred. The medal was awarded to Coxswain Richard Evans of Moelfre, Anglesey, for the rescue of the crew of eight of the motor vessel Hindlea on the 27th of October, 1959.

At 11.50 on that morning the Coast- guard volunteer-in-charge at Moelfre told the coxswain that a small vessel was dragging her anchor about two miles north of the look-out. The honorary secretary of the station, Major T. W. E. Corrigan, happened to be away at the time. The vessel in difficulties was the 506-ton coaster Hindlea of Cardiff, which was bound from Manchester to Newport, Mon- mouthshire, in ballast. She had an- chored in Dulas Bay to shelter from the strong south-westerly gale, but the wind had suddenly veered to the north.

When the distress call came, the wind was of hurricane force, gusts up to 104 miles per hour being recorded at both the Royal Air Force and Coastguard stations in Anglesey. The sea was so rough that the distance between the trough and crest frequently amounted to twenty-five feet, and flying foam and scud from the broken water reduced visibility.

Urgent Need for Action The need for action was clearly urgent, and Coxswain Evans decided not to wait for the arrival of his usual crew. Instead the life-boat Edmund and Mary Robinson, which was a 41-feet reserve boat temporarily stationed at Moelfre, was launched with a crew of five at noon. The other members of the crew were Motor Mechanic Evan Owens ; Second Coxswain Donald Francis, who acted as assistant mech- anic ; Mr. Hugh Owen and Mr. Hugh Jones. Mr. Jones, who like Mr. Owen is employed by the local council, had never been out on service in a life-boat before. He is normally a helper on the slipway, but like the others he immedi- ately volunteered for service.

Coxswain Evans took a course to the northward, passing east of Moelfre Island. After half an hour the life-boat approached the position of the Hindlea, which was lying to her starboard anchor in eight fathoms of water about a mile and a half north of Moelfre Island.

The bottom here consisted of sand and shell, but the anchor was not holding.

The coaster was yawing some 90 degrees and her engine was racing violently and did little to reduce the weight on her cable. Because of the violent motion the cable was constantly whipping clear of the rough, broken water. Heavy seas breaking over the Hindlea, made it impossible for her crew to come forward to let go the second anchor.

Order to Abandon Ship With the tide setting to the south- south-east the Hindlea continued to drag towards the shore, and at 1.55, one hour and twenty-five minutes after the life-boat had reached the scene, the master of the Hindlea gave the order to abandon ship. By this time the Hindlea was within two hundred yards of the rocks.

While standing-by Coxswain Evans had manoeuvred the life-boat head to sea, keeping station on the starboard beam of the coaster, as she dragged before the gale and tide.

The Hindlea had a raised fo'castle head and poop deck, the distance from her stern to the break of the poop deck being 47 feet. The height of the poop deck above the ballast water line was 10 feet 6 inches. The eight members of her crew were assembled along the port side of that part of the poop deck, measuring 32 feet, which was clear of the round of the coaster's stern.

" Boiling Mass of Confusion " About two o'clock, when the Hind- lea's crew were ready to abandon ship, she was inside the five-fathom line and the seas around her were described as " a boiling mass of confusion ". Cox- swain Evans, realising that there was little sea room astern of the casualty, brought the life-boat close round her stern to come in on her port quarter.

The life-boat was dangerously near the Hindlea's thrashing propeller, which was so far out of the water that it was above the heads of the life-boat crew.

As she approached the coaster the life- boat was hit by a tremendous breaking sea, which rolled her over on to her beam ends and put her mast under water.

As he tried to bring the boat's head round into the wind Coxswain Evans had to use maximum engine revolutions, for as soon as speed was reduced the boat was thrown back by the seas.

The coxswain brought the life-boat alongside the port quarter of the Hindlea. He approached at an angle of about 25 degrees, and as soon as one man had jumped he brought the life- boat out astern clear of the propeller.

To take advantage of what lee was offered by the poop deck he had to wait until the vessel yawed to port. On the first trial run in, when the Hindlea''s port side was exposed to the full force of the gale, the life-boat was almost lifted on to her deck by the seas, which had increased as the Hindlea continued to drag down into the shallow water over the rocky bottom near the shore. The life-boat did in fact strike the side of the Hindlea so hard that the coxswain was con- vinced she had suffered serious damage.

Ten Separate Times Nevertheless Coxswain Evans brought the life-boat alongside ten separate times, the crew of the Hindlea jumping aboard her one man at a time as she came alongside. By 2.11, when there were only a hundred yards between the stern of the Hindlea and the shore, the whole crew had been taken off. One man's ankle was broken, but none of the others suffered any injury. The life-boat then returned to her station, where she landed the survivors at 2.37.

For this service the gold medal for gallantry was awarded to Coxswain Richard Evans.

The silver medal for gallantry was awarded to Motor Mechanic Evan Owens.

The bronze medal for gallantry was awarded to the other three members of the crew, Donald Francis, Hugh Owen and Hugh Jones. Scale rewards to the crew, £4 l©s. ; rewards to the helpers on shore, £2 16s. Additional rewards to the crew, £50.

The last man to win the Institution's gold medal for gallantry was ex-Coxs- wain Thomas King of St. Helier, whose medal was awarded for the rescue of the crew of four of the yacht Maurice Georges on the 18th of September, 1949.

Many messages of congratulation were received at the life-boat station, including one from H.R.H. the Duchess of Kent, President of the Institution, and a letter from the Chairman of the Anglesey County Council ; and a number of gifts to the crew were made, a resident of West Kirby sending £50..