Lerwick, Shetlands. At 9.24 on the night of the 19th July, 1961, the coast- guard informed the honorary secretary that a fishing boat was on fire between Fladdabister and Bard Head and that it was thought another fishing vessel was trying to tow her into port. At 9.45 the life-boat Claude Cecil Staniforth, with the bowman in command, slipped her moorings on the ebbing tide. There was a gentle northerly breeze with a moderate sea. The life-boat came up with the burning vessel Reward. There had been four people on board her.

They were the life-boat coxswain, his wife and two others, and they had all been taken aboard the fishing boat Nil Desperandum, which had secured a tow line to the casualty. The life-boat there- fore returned to Lerwick to embark fire- fighting personnel and equipment. She then made for the burning vessel once more and stood by while efforts were made to extinguish the fire. The Nil Desperandum continued to tow the other vessel to Lerwick harbour, and the fire was eventually overcome. The life-boat finally reached her station at two o'clock in the morning..