AT 2.1 on the afternoon of 18th Novem- ber, 1962, the honorary secretary of the Blyth life-boat station, Captain H.

Rowe, was informed by the coastguard that a small coaster was in difficulties off Blyth Fairway buoy. Two minutes later the maroons were fired. A near gale was blowing from the north increasing in strength, and there was a rough sea with a heavy swell. It was low water.

The Blyth life-boat Winston Churchill (Civil Service No. 8), which is one of the 46-foot 9-inch Watson type, was laun- ched at 2.19. She encountered very heavy seas when leaving harbour, and people watching, who saw her disappear from sight repeatedly when she crossed the bar, thought she must have been overwhelmed. It was the day after the disaster to the Seaham life-boat.

Cargo of Lime Shifted The vessel in difficulty was the 200- ton motor vessel Paullgate of Hull. She was lying broached to inside the Fair- way buoy in about five fathoms of water.

Her cargo of lime had shifted, and she had a list of 35 degrees to port.

Coxswain Thomas Fawcus first steamed round the vessel to weigh up the situation, and he then decided to approach her under the partial lee afforded by her starboard side in spite of the fact that the bilge keel was out of the water.

Jumped from Bilge Keel The master of the Paullgate asked him to take off the two members of his crew, and Coxswain Fawcus ran in just for- ward of midships on the vessel's star- board side. As he did so the Paullgate rolled to starboard. Her bilge keel struck the stem and fender of the life- boat, causing some damage, and the cox- swain had to go full astern to get clear.

Coxswain Fawcus decided to circle the casualty once again, and he then made another attempt to close her. This time the two men who were to be taken off managed to clamber down the star- board side and jump from the bilge keel into the life-boat. The life-boat was not damaged.

The master of the Paul/gate, who now remained alone on board, said he inten- ded to enter the Tyne, but asked the coxswain to give him a close escort as he feared his vessel might capsize.

Took Calculated Risk The Paullgate ran out of fuel at the entrance to the Tyne, and not being under command she drifted through the piers into the harbour with the help of the flood tide. There was a clear danger that she would be driven ashore, and Coxswain Fawcus decided the only way to prevent this was to put a member of his own crew aboard to help the master, who was now exhausted.

It was no longer possible to board the Paullgate on her starboard side, and Coxswain Fawcus took the calculated risk of bringing her under the port quarter. At great risk to himself Bow- man John Kerr succeeded in scrambling aboard. He secured a line from the life- boat, and the Paullgate was kept clear of the beach until a tug arrived. Signal- man C. Hurst was then put aboard the Paullgate to help the bowman.

The Tynemouth life-boat Tynesider was launched at 4.15 in the afternoon and stood by. The sea was breaking heavily both on the bar and inside the harbour entrance. The Blyth life-boat returned to her station at seven o'clock and the Tynemouth life-boat at 5.5 p.m.

For this service the silver medal for gallantry was awarded to Coxswain Thomas Fawcus. The bronze medal was awarded to Bowman John Kerr. The thanks of the Institution on vellum were accorded to other members of the Blyth crew: Second Coxswain Samuel Craw- ford; Motor Mechanic J. Skinner; Assistant Motor Mechanic William Henry; Crew members J. Skinner, Jnr., J. Henderson and C. Hurst..