Dover, Kent. At 7.8 on the evening of the 15th of February, 1961, the coast- guard informed the honorary secretary that the Swedish motor vessel Britta of Helsingborg, which had been in col- lision with the Italian tanker Mirella d'Amico of Palmero in dense fog five miles south-east of Dover, needed help.

The life-boat Southern Africa put out at 7.40 on the flood tide. There was a light southerly wind with a smooth sea, and visibility was almost nil. When the life- boat reached the Britta at nine o'clock her master asked the coxswain if he had a pilot on board. He was told there was a local waterman in the b'fe-boat's crew, and at the request of the master the second coxswain boarded the Britta until a pilot and the assistant harbour master arrived. The second coxswain, with the assistant harbour master and an injured seaman from the Britta, were later taken on board the life-boat, which reached her station at 11.54. The Britta continued on passage to London..