FOR a series of prolonged services extending over more than three days Coxswain Frank Bloom, of Walton and Frinton, has been awarded the Institution's bronze medal for gallantry. The other members of the crew have all been accorded the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum. They were Dennis Finch (Second coxswain), Robert Kemp (bowman), Gilbert Barrs (motor mechanic), Ronald Wyatt (assistant mechanic), Ken Haggis, Keith Richardson, Jack Barret, Brian Oxley and James Berry.

At 12.16 on the afternoon of iyth November, 1966, Mr. Robert Oxley, the honorary secretary of the Walton and Frinton station, was told by the coastguard that the Panamanian steamer Ypapanti was aground on a bank near the Sunk lightvessel and needed immediate help. The Ypapami was a vessel of 2,831 gross registered tons.

The maroons were fired a minute later and at 12.30 the Walton life-boat Edian Courtauld, which is one of the 46-foot 9-inch Watson type, slipped her moorings.

A north north westerly wind (force 5) was blowing with gusts up to force 7.

Squalls were frequent, the sea was rough and there was a heavy ground swell.

Winds of storm force had been blowing for two days in the North Sea. Visibility was moderate. It was two hours after high water.

As the life-boat was on her way to the Sunk lightvessel she received reports that four other vessels were standing by the Ypapanti., which was now reported to be aground on the Long Sand Head. These were the pilot cutter Bembridge, the Trinity House vessel Vestal, and the ships Queen of Sheba and Cambridge Ferry.

HEAVY GROUND SWELL The life-boat reached the casualty at 2.10. In the open sea conditions were reasonably good, but on the Long Sand the heavy ground swell which was running in from the north east caused rough and confused conditions. Seas were breaking over the starboard side and stern of the Ypapanti. The wind had increased and was now gusting to force 8. It was nearly high water.

The Ypapanti was on passage from Newcastle to Lisbon with a cargo of coke.

She had a bridgehouse amidships and engines and accommodation aft. Her draught when leaving the Tyne was 12 foot forward and 18 foot aft.

The steamer was lying with her bows to the south west. She was upright but pounding as the swells struck her stern.

The Trinity House vessel Vestal had already sent in one of her boats, and the life-boat followed this in from the north north west, keeping north east of the main broken water. When the life-boat came in the Vestal's boat returned to her parent ship.

Coxswain Bloom brought the life-boat along the port side of the Panamanian steamer and secured amidships by use of her nylon rope. The heavy swell caused her to range considerably, and at times she was on a level with the steamer's bulwarks. The coxswain had to use the engines continually to ease the strain on the securing rope.

MASTER DECLINED Coxswain Bloom suggested that the crew should be taken off, but the master declined to abandon ship. The coxswain therefore decided to stand off as the weather was becoming worse. The time was then 3.5.

As the life-boat approached the edge of the bank a huge sea broke over her starboard side, bursting open the canvas wheelhouse screen and filling the wheelhouse. The after cabin was also awash despite the fact that both doors were secured and the door athwartship closed. Both the UHF and VHP radio telephone sets were flooded and put out of action.

At 3.18 the life-boat reported on her medium frequency radio telephone that she was standing by in deeper water. Meanwhile the tug Ocean Cock had arrived from Felixstowe. At 3.43 she informed the life-boat that she could do nothing as the tide was falling and she would have to return to harbour to await the next high water.

The Ypapanti began to settle on the sand as the tide ebbed, and as there was now no immediate danger Coxswain Bloom suggested the life-boat should return temporarily to harbour. The master agreed, but asked for the life-boat to be back before the next high water. Another tug had now reached the sand.

This was the Hermes, and she agreed to stand by in the life-boat's absence. The life-boat therefore set course for Walton, which she reached at six o'clock. She was ready for service again at 6.32.

The crew had a hot meal and changed into dry clothing. They mustered again at 9 p.m. to stand by the Ypapanti on the flood tide. The life-boat slipped her moorings at 9.35. Weather conditions were much the same as they had been earlier in the day, although the wind had veered towards the north.

The life-boat reached the casualty for the second time at 11.15. She stood by on the north west side of the Long Sand, about 200 yards from the steamer.

The life-boat tried to communicate by radio telephone to discover whether the master wanted the crew to be taken off. No reply was received. High water was at 3 a.m., and as there were no signs of the crew leaving the steamer, Mr.

Oxley agreed that the life-boat could return. She left the Long Sand at 4.40 and returned to her station. She was ready for service again at 7 a.m. on the morning of 18th November.

THIRD APPROACH At 8.42 the Walton coastguard passed on to Mr. Oxley a message that the Ypapanti would not come off the shoal, had lost her port boat and had asked for thirteen of her crew to be taken off.

There was no chance that the life-boat could come alongside before n a.m.

when there would be two hours of flood water.

The wind had now veered to the north east again and was blowing at force 6.

The change would certainly accentuate the north easterly ground swell. Visibility was mostly good but was reduced in the frequent showers, when the wind strength increased to force 7 or more.

On their third approach to the casualty the life-boat crew found conditions worse than on the previous day, and the position of the ship was now such that she provided no lee. The main weight of the swell was breaking to the north east oftheYpapanti, and there was a secondary area of broken water off her bows. As before, there was a line of broken water along the north west edge of the shoal, and because of the heavier swell conditions here were bad. The Ypapanti appeared to have been driven further up the sand during the night.

NO GAP Coxswain Bloom was anxious to come alongside as soon as possible as the very heavy breaking swell would be expending its main weight nearer to the steamer as the tide flowed. He therefore asked the Trinity House vessel Patricia, which was now on the sand if, with the advantage of better vision which her height afforded, she could indicate the best route for approaching the casualty.

The Patricia steamed along the edge of the shoal and then replied that there appeared to be no gap and a depth of 5 feet could be expected on the edge.

The life-boat contacted the Ypapanti by radio telephone and asked the depth of water at her bow. The reply given was '10 feet'.

Coxswain Bloom decided to make his attempt as soon as possible and to approach from the north. He did not use the drogue as there was a possibility of the life-boat touching bottom and getting the drogue rope fouled in her propellers.

After waiting for a squall to pass Coxswain Bloom began his run in at 11.45.

The edge of the shoal was negotiated safely, but when the life-boat was abeam of the Ypapanti'?, bridge she touched bottom in the trough of a wave. The following sea lifted her clear and she continued towards the bows of the casualty.

As she turned to round the steamer's bow she was beam on to the sea and again struck the bottom heavily. She lost way and a wave broke over the whole length of the life-boat. This wave gave the life-boat some lift, and with the starboard engine full ahead and the helm hard to port the life-boat slowly came round head to sea. Before she had done so two more seas broke over her.

The life-boat approached the port side of the casualty at noon and came alongside the jumping ladder which was rigged just abaft the bridge. The nylon securing line was again passed aboard and the engines were worked continually to prevent it from parting.

RISING AND FALLING 15 FEET Seas were breaking over the stern of the Ypapanti, and there was no lee alongside, where the life-boat was rising and falling some 15 feet as the waves ran along the steamer's side.

One at a time eleven men were taken aboard the life-boat.

Two more men intended to come off but refused at the last moment. Coxswain Bloom tried to persuade the ship's master to let the remainder of his crew come off as the conditions were growing worse, but once again the master refused. At 12.40 the life-boat passed round the stern of the casualty into deeper water. She then made for Walton, where she was secured at 2.20 p.m. The survivors were landed and the boat was refuelled and ready for service by 3.15.

The next day, the I9th November, there was yet another call for the life-boat, for at 12.34 p.m. Mr. Oxley had a request for the remainder of the Ypapanti's crew to be taken off.

The wind was now blowing from the north east, its strength being force 6.

The sea was rough and there were occasional squalls.

The life-boat left her moorings at 1.15. Once she was clear of the land the wind increased to force 8.

CONDITIONS EXTREMELY BAD By 3 o'clock the life-boat was once again near the casualty. An hour and a half remained before high water, and conditions around the steamer were extremely bad. Seas were breaking over her stern and running along the decks.

The life-boat crew asked for a report on conditions on the port side of the steamer, which could not be seen from the life-boat. The master replied by radio telephone 'not very hopeful'.

The Ypapanti's stern was directly into the sea. There was no lee, and Coxswain Bloom realized that if the life-boat tried to take the remaining men off they would be exposed to the risk of serious injury. An hour of daylight still remained, and he therefore called for a helicopter. The life-boat remained near the scene as the air lift might not be successful.

The helicopter left Mansion at 3.40 and was over the steamer twenty-two minutes later. The life-boat could not establish communication by UHF, and she lowered her masts as it was possible that the helicopter would lower the steamer's survivors into the life-boat.

As darkness fell the life-boat steamed slowly into the wind, her decklight and searchlight illuminating the deck of the Ypapanti to help the helicopter's crew.

The helicopter took two men off the steamer at the first lift and three more at the second. They were all transferred with some difficulty to the life-boat.

The operation was completed by 4.55, and the life-boat returned to Walton, which she reached at 6.33. She was refuelled and ready for service by 7.20. By then she had been at sea for 24 - hours in all. For the first three launches the crew were on duty for 26| hours continuously..