St. David's, Pembrokeshire. At 1.20 on the afternoon of the 4th April, 1961, the coastguard informed the honorary secretary that a fire had been observed on Ramsey Island. The honorary secre- tary took no immediate action because in the local code of signals the lighting of one fire is the signal for the recall of the island boat. If the services of the life-boat are required two fires are lit.

About an hour later the honorary secre- tary observed that a white sheet had been placed near the island landing- stage and he decided to send the life- boat to investigate. At 2.45 the life-boat Swn-y-Mor (Civil Service No. 6) was launched with Dr. Middleton, the station's honorary medical adviser, on board and the boarding boat in tow.

There was a fresh south-easterly wind with a rough sea. It was one hour before low water. On reaching the island the second coxswain and Dr. Middleton went ashore in the boarding boat. There they learned that the island boat had capsized earlier and that three of the six men on board had been rescued by Martin Evans in a dinghy. After taking the three men on board, the life-boat made an unsuccessful, extensive search for the three who were missing. The life-boat towed the island boat to her station, arriving at 6.50..