Caister, and Great Yarmouth and Gorleston, Norfolk; and Lowestoft, Suf- folk. At 4.59 on the morning of the 24th of February, 1961, the coastguard informed the honorary secretary of the Gorleston station that the motor vessel Gudveig of Oslo, with a cargo of phos- phate, was on fire one mile east of the North-East Cross Sand buoy. There was a light south-westerly wind and a slight sea with dense fog. It was two hours after high waier. At 5.12 the life-boat Louise Stephens put out, and using her direction-finding equipment and assisted by the motor vessel London Brook found the casualty, which was some twelve miles from Gorleston, at seven o'clock.

As the master did not wish to abandon ship, he asked the coxswain to stand by to take the remainder of the crew off if the fire grew worse. On being asked what further help had been requested, the master said a Dutch tug was on the way.

The life-boat now stood off the Gud- veig, and shortly afterwards two of the motor vessel's header tanks blew up.

Later the life-boat went alongside and took off some of the crew's personal effects, but again those on board de- clined to leave their ship, although the fire had a firm hold amidships and was spreading fast.

At 5.40 the Lowestoft life-boat Michael Stephens was launched, and after embarking a fire service officer and crew with their equipment made for the Gudveig. The s.s. London Brook, which had earlier assisted Gorleston life-boat, gave the coxswain a bearing of the casualty and guided him to it by radar.

When the Lowestoft life-boat reached the scene at 8.30 she went alongside and transferred the fire-fighting personnel and equipment.

Earlier, one officer and twenty-seven members of the Gudveig's crew had left in a ship's boat for the m.v. Tennyson, but there was doubt whether they had reached her safely in the fog. The Gorleston life-boat was asked to find out what had happened and, if possible, take the men off the Tennyson and land them at Great Yarmouth. She was also asked to embark further fire-fighting equipment and provisions and return as soon as possible to the Gudveig. A ren- dezvous was made with the m.v. Tenny- son at the Cross Sands lightvessel, where the twenty-eight men from the Gudveig were transferred to the life-boat, which landed them at Gorleston. The life-boat then took on board the additional fire- fighting equipment and twelve firemen and made for the Gudveig.

The Caister life-boat Jose Neville was launched at eleven o'clock with forty gallons of petrol on board for replenish- ing the fire pumps which were already in use. After transferring this fuel, she embarked the wireless operator of the Gudveig. She landed him and took on board the chief officer of the Gudveig, who had earlier been landed at Great Yarmouth. She took him back to his ship.

About 4.30 in the afternoon, both Lowestoft and Caister life-boats left the scene of the casualty, and on the return passage to their respective stations they carried out a search for a small white boat fitted with an outboard engine.

This boat, which was reported missing, had earlier made for the Gudveig with a press photographer on board. The search was called off about 5.15, when it was learnt that a passing ship had found the boat with a crew of two.

The Caister life-boat returned to her station at 6.30, and the Lowestoft life- boat reached hers at 7.43. The Gorleston life-boat continued to stand by the Gud- veig until six o'clock, when the coxswain transferred her master and remaining officers and crew to the Dutch tug Gele Zee, which had reached the scene about one o'clock. She then took off the fire- men and their equipment and returned to her station, arriving at 7.50. The tug took the Gudveig in tow to Immingham..