AT 7.15 on the evening of the 12th of June, 1960, the police at Bo'ness learnt that a boat had capsized two hundred yards east of the Hen and Chickens buoy off Culross in the Firth of Forth. There was no boat available in Bo'ness harbour, and a police officer went to the local motor boat cruising club. There he found Mr. John Murray, the owner of a motor boat.

Mr. Murray, who is a motor engineer, called for two volunteers. Mr. Charles Grant Mclntyre, a gas fitter, and Mr.

Walter Stanners, a clay miner, immedi- ately responded, and the three men left in Mr. Murray's van for Bo'ness harbour.

Men Clinging to Whaler A south-westerly gale was blowing, and there was a choppy, confused sea, estimated at about four feet in height.

The weather was overcast with rain squalls.

The three men put out in Mr.

Murray's 30-feet diesel-driven cabin cruiser Murray Mae II. They had a twelve-feet dinghy in tow. It was then 7.30, one hour after high water.

Mr. Murray made towards Crombie Point to the north-east, and on reaching mid-channel they saw a naval whaler with three men clinging to her about a mile and a half from Bo'ness.

Mr. Murray approached the whaler from the lee side. The whaler had capsized to port and was lying across wind and sea with her mast and sails in the water. Lines were thrown to the three men, which they managed to grab after several attempts.

Turned Over to Starboard One man was pulled on board.

The second, a sub-lieutenant, who had been in charge of the whaler, tried to scramble aboard the dinghy. Mr.

Mclntyre, fearing the dinghy might capsize, jumped down and helped him into it, and he was then taken aboard the cabin cruiser.

Meanwhile a third man was holding on to the whaler and at the same time keeping taut the rope which had been thrown to him. In this way he pre- vented the two boats from drawing apart, but before he could be rescued the whaler turned over to starboard.

This made it impossible for the cabin cruiser to approach on the lee side, and the man had to let go of the rope.

He managed to climb up the whaler's side and brought her upright again.

Mr. Murray then manoeuvred his boat into a position from which a line could be thrown to the man on board the whaler. The man was then hauled on board the cabin cruiser.

Rescued Men Landed There were no signs of any other survivors, and the three rescued men clearly needed medical attention. The cabin cruiser returned to Bo'ness and landed the survivors at 8.45.

For this service the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum have been accorded to Mr. John Murray, Mr. Charles Grant Mclntyre and Mr.

Walter Stanners. Mr. Murray was compensated for slight damage to his boat and for the fuel expended..