AT 9.49 on the evening of the 12th November, 1961, the Deal coastguard informed the Walmer honorary secre- tary that the East Goodwin lightvessel, which had been buffeted by heavy seas, had broken adrift from her moorings and was driving rapidly southwards over the Goodwin Sands.

The Walmer life-boat Charles Dibdin (Civil Service No. 32), which is one of the 42-feet Beach type, was launched at 9.58 in a strong north-easterly gale and a very rough sea. It was two hours after low water. By the time the life- boat reached her the lightvessel's crew managed to let go an emergency anchor.

The coxswain asked the master if he and his crew of six wanted to be taken off, but as the lightvessel was still riding securely, the master asked the coxswain to stand by until the Trinity House vessel reached the scene.

Ousting to Force Ten By midnight the wind was gusting to storm force (force 10) and there was a very rough and confused sea off the Rounds of the South Sands Head. The life-boat could not remain alongside the vessel and therefore stood off and circled the lightvessel as closely as she could. The Trinity House vessel Vestal was not due from Harwich till dawn, and the life-boat crew knew they would have to stand by all night.

Conditions grew steadily worse, and one huge sea threw Bowman George Baker on to the deck. He became un- conscious, and the other members of the crew, by moving quickly, managed to prevent him being washed overboard.

Exhausted though they were, the cox- swain and crew decided they must remain until the Vestal reached the scene.

She was considerably delayed by the weather, and in the morning a decision was taken to relieve the Walmer boat by another life-boat. This was the life-boat Cunard, a reserve boat of the 45-feet 6-inches Watson type, which was on temporary duty at Dover. She left her moorings at 12.55 and relieved the Walmer life-boat about two o'clock in the afternoon. In the meantime the Vestal had also arrived. Conditions were such that the Walmer life-boat could not return to her station, and she made for Dover harbour, which she reached at three o'clock.

Similar Ordeal The Dover life-boat crew had a similar ordeal to that of the Walmer crew.

The life-boat stood by for twelve hours until she in turn was relieved by the Ramsgate life-boat. The Dover boat reached her station at 1.43 early on the morning of the 14th November.

The Ramsgate life-boat Michael and Lily Davis, which is one of the 46-feet 9-inches Watson type, had left her station at 11.14 at night. She stood by for eight and a half hours and was then relieved by the Walmer boat, which had put out a second time, on this occasion from Dover harbour, at nine o'clock on the morning of the 14th November.

The Walmer life-boat continued to stand by once more, but later in the morning the weather began to improve and it became clear that the lightvessel had safely ridden out the storm and was no longer in danger.

Trinity House's Thanks The Walmer life-boat reached Dover harbour at 1.20 that afternoon and returned to her station the next morn- ing.

H.R.H. the Duke of Gloucester, Master of Trinity House, sent a tele- gram conveying his thanks to the three life-boat crews for their help. A telegram was also received from the Secretary of Trinity House expressing the thanks and appreciation of the Elder Brethren.

Both the coxswain and the mechanic of the Walmer life-boat, Frederick Upton and Percy Cavell, were nearing the retirement age at the time, and after the service was over Coxswain Upton described his experiences to the East Kent Mercury. These are reproduced by courtesy of that paper ;—" I knew as soon as the Charles Dibdin hit the first roller that this was to be no pleasure cruise and for the crew and myself it turned out to be one night of hell.

Tossed About like a Cork " The nor'-easter and the spring tides meant there was to be no ebb on the dreaded sand and we had to get as fast as we possibly could, cutting part of the South Goodwins on to which we feared the lightship might be drifting. We could see her light, but we did not know whether she had drifted on to the sands or not.

" We were being tossed about like a cork, huge waves were breaking over our boat, and I realised that if the light- ship became stuck on the sands, the wind off the banks whipping the seas into mountainous heights would make it difficult for us to get alongside. If she had become stuck I would have tried to get alongside, fully realising the danger of getting smashed up.

" Fortunately the lightship was clear of the sands, so I took the Charles Dibdin as close as I possibly could and got Perce Cavell to ask the captain, over the wireless, whether he and the crew wanted to be taken off or whether he wished to remain on his ship and have us stand by.

Master Decides to Stay " He replied he would stay aboard as he thought his ship would keep clear of the sands. At that time we could have gone alongside, but later it would have been very difficult.

" The seas were tremendous and as the night wore on the waves became bigger and bigger. Unless you have had experience of the seas on the sands you just can't visualise with what force they can hit you ; a spot of water will almost knock you out, and the breakers come down like ton weights.

" We had to keep our head into the seas, and with volumes and volumes of water hitting the ship continually it was a most difficult job.

" We fought the seas and got our drogue over stern, and we kept it over until we berthed in Dover harbour many hours later.

Hit by Wave " One wave hit George Baker ; it almost K.O.'d him and he was only saved from going overboard by two or three of the crew, who hauled him below.

" Some of the crew were able to get a little sleep, but I could not leave the wheel. The rum did its rounds but I stuck to ginger wine. It was as much as I could do to keep her from capsiz- ing, for one mistake out there and we would all have had it. The seas were really bad, we had a very nasty time, though the crew have experienced worse conditions. I was much younger then. As you grow older you think more of the responsibilities, and this perhaps made it one of the worst nights for me.

Went Alongside " When we went out on Tuesday morning, the seas were not so bad, so we went alongside the South Goodwin lightship and delivered bread and news- papers. As we were moored alongside the lightship, she bobbed up and down, and once she came down with such force that our own double mooring rope snapped just like a piece of cotton.

We also delivered bread and newspapers to the Trinity House ship, Vestal, but we still could not get near the East Goodwin lightship.

"As we left the lightship at the end of our vigil on Tuesday, the captain wired his thanks to us for having stood by for so long.

" Let me express the thanks of my crew and myself to all those kind people who hauled our boats to safety from the heavy seas as we were out attempting our errand of mercy.".