MR. MICHAEL WILSON, a second officer on leave from the Merchant Navy, who went out as a member of the Tenby life-boat crew, has been awarded the Institution's silver medal for gallantry for the rescue of five boys and a girl on 27th August, 1966. The bowman, Joshua Richards, has been awarded the bronze medal for his part in the same service.

At 3.24 on the afternoon of 27th August the coastguard informed the Tenby honorary secretary, Mr. G. Reason-Jones, that six people had been trapped by the tide at the mouth of a cave near Waterwynch. The Coastguard rescue equipment company had been called out. Mr. Reason-Jones judged from past experience and knowledge of the area that the life-boat might well be needed, and he went to a vantage point on the north shore at Tenby, where he was able to see the trapped people through binoculars.

There was clearly a danger that they might be washed off the rocks before the rescue company could reach them. He therefore decided to launch the lifeboat and at 3.40 informed the Caldy Island coastguard accordingly.

On his way to the boathouse he picked up the coxswain, the second coxswain and the mechanic, and the remainder of the crew were alerted.

At 4.4 the life-boat Henry Comber Brown, which is one of the 46-foot 9-inch Watson class, was launched with a 14-foot punt in tow, and made for Waterwynch.

SAW FIVE BOYS There was a south easterly breeze with a slight to moderate sea, but there was a heavy swell rolling in from the south east. Visibility was about five miles, and it was an hour and a half before high water.

The life-boat arrived off Waterwynch about ten minutes after being launched.

The coxswain, W. R. Thomas, dropped his anchor and, veering cable, came astern towards the cliffs. As the life-boat approached the crew were able to see five boys together on a narrow ledge and a girl by herself on a nearby rock. It was clear that the life-boat would not be able to approach near to the cliffs because of the heavy swell and outcrops of rock.

She was finally brought up some 75 yards from the cliff face, and Coxswain Thomas decided that it would be necessary to use the punt.

The bowman and Mr. Wilson volunteered to man the punt, and the bowman began to back her in towards the boys through the heavy swell. At first he used a check rope from the stern of the life-boat, but the drag on the rope became too much and it was slipped. He still managed to bring the punt some 10 yards from the boys, but this was the nearest he could come and the surf and the backwash from the cliffs made the punt almost unmanageable. The coastguard later reported that the swell extended to a height of some 12 to 14 feet up the cliffs.

SUBMERGED IN WATER One of the boys dived through the surf and was dragged aboard the punt by Mr. Wilson. He said that none of the other boys was a good swimmer, and Bowman Richards suggested that either he or Mr. Wilson should swim in.

Mr. Wilson at once secured a line to his life-jacket, told the boy to pay it out and then jumped overboard and started swimming towards the ledge.

He was submerged in the broken water for most of his swim, and the heavy backwash prevented him from climbing up on to the ledge. He persuaded one of the other boys to jump in and supported him back to the punt. He then returned three more tunes to the ledge and each time brought a boy to the punt with him.

Bowman Richards rowed the punt to the life-boat and the five boys were put aboard. There remained the girl to be saved. Another crew member, Mr. B.

Bolton, jumped aboard the punt and Bowman Richards began to back in towards the girl. She was perched on a rock some 20 yards to the west of the ledge from which the boys had been rescued.

This time the bowman was able to bring the punt nearer to the rock, and Mr.

Wilson went overboard again. The girl could not swim, and Mr. Wilson could not persuade her to jump. He decided that all he could do was to let himself be washed up on the rock. He was badly buffeted and scratched, but once he had recovered his breath he persuaded the girl to return with him. He secured the life-line to her, and they were both hauled out to the punt, which then returned to the life-boat.

CUTS AND ABRASIONS Coxswain Thomas weighed anchor and returned to Tenby and the children were treated for minor cuts and abrasions on the return journey. Mr. Wilson, who had been wearing only a pair of trousers, was badly chafed under the arms by his life-jacket and bruised around his knees.

The life-boat reached Tenby harbour at 5.20, and the children were taken to hospital for a medical check before being sent home. The life-boat was secured to her moorings in Tenby roads at 6.30.

Certificates recording their part in the service have been issued to the other members of the life-boat crew. They were: W. Thomas (coxswain), I. Crockford (second coxswain), L. P.. Day (motor mechanic), B. Bolton (acting assistant mechanic), P. Richards (crew), M. Crockford (crew), A. Thomas (crew), and G. F. Reason-Jones (Honorary Secretary)..