ABANDONED SHIP Walmer, Kent. At 11.45 p.m. on 5th April, 1964, the coastguard told the honorary secretary that the German motor vessel Perseus of Bremen had radioed that she was on fire and that the crew were abandoning ship about 15 miles east-south-east of Deal. There was a moderate breeze from the north with a choppy sea, and it was low water. The life-boat Charles Dibdin (Civil Service No. 32) launched at 12.5 a.m. and proceeded at full speed to the position given.

At i a.m. a radio telephone message was received that the crew of 13 of the Perseus had been picked up by the Dutch freighter Schiedyk and a rendezvous was arranged at the South Goodwin lightship where the survivors were transferred to the life-boat. They were landed at Dover.

The life-boat arrived back at her station at 4.10..