INTERPRETER CAME At 10.45 a.m. on iyth June, 1964, the secretary of the Berwick Infirmary told the honorary secretary that a Dutch trawler had asked if a boat could land the skipper as she could not enter the harbour on the ebb tide. As no other suitable boat was available the Life-boat William and Mary Durham was launched in a light south-easterly breeze and a slight sea.

The life-boat met the trawler Dirkje and brought ashore the skipper, who was suffering from appendicitis. As he could not speak English the trawler's mate accom- panied him to act as interpreter and was later taken back to the Dirkje. The lifeboat finally reached her station at 3 p.m..